Red Rocks to open in April with 2,500-person capacity

Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre will open up again in April 2021 with a massively reduced capacity of just 2,500 people.

The famous outdoor venue in Colorado, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, usually plays host to crowds of up to 9,500.

During the pandemic, the venue has hosted a handful of live events in front of very small audiences with social distancing measures in place, along with a series of live-streamed shows.

The 2021 schedule, starting in April, has been announced though it is still subject to change depending on artist availability, tour schedules, and Covid-related conditions. 

The 2021 lineup consists of numerous shows that were rescheduled from 2020, though many of the artists who were due to perform over the last year have postponed until 2022.

The re-opened venue will also feature a new roof which has been built over the stage so that concerts can still go ahead during bad weather. 

Along with social distancing, face coverings will be required at the reopened venue, which will also see the introduction of cashless payments touch-free restroom fixtures.

It is hoped that the venue will be able to increase capacity towards the end of the summer as the vaccination programme ramps up and conditions improve. 

“Throughout the season, all events will be held in alignment with government guidelines,” said a statement on the Red Rocks website. “While 2,500 is the number we’re currently allowed to have, please know that conditions and event capacities may be updated and hopefully increase throughout the summer.”

Red Rocks first opened in 1941 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2015.