The biggest annual gathering of the outdoor community has a new name. Today, we are excited to announce that the Outside Festival is now Outside Days.
The change marks a major moment in the evolution of an event that quickly became so much more than a music festival—and that is now at the heart of a rising cultural movement to get everyone outside. Our vision from the start was to craft an event that would spur people to play and explore, to dance and let loose, to break free from the algorithms that control our increasingly digital existence and remember that the best days are the ones we spend outside, together. Outside Days is the perfect fit.
In 2026, Outside Days presented by Capital One and REI Co-op will take place from May 28-31. We’re expanding from two to three days of music, films, inspiring conversations, and immersive outdoor experiences, kicking things off on Friday evening, May 29, at our new site in downtown Denver, the Auraria Campus.
We’re also growing the outdoor business gathering that precedes the festival weekend into a two-day industry conference that includes new tracks for professionals in the travel and endurance event sectors.
We’ll be announcing our music lineup and launching the presale for all festival and conference tickets December 3 on our new website, Outside-Days.com.
Launched in the summer of 2024, the inaugural Outside Festival brought 18,000 people to downtown Denver. Thundercat, Fleet Foxes, and other incredible bands played on the main stage, while outdoor icons like Jimmy Chin, Shaun White, Diana Nyad, and Quannah ChasingHorse spoke in our Ideas series. We screened 21 adventure films and hosted a climbing competition. Across the festival grounds, we worked alongside partners to craft experiences that spurred attendees to deepen their relationship with nature. We hosted the Outside Summit, a daylong thought leadership and networking event for the outdoor industry.
More than 35,000 people joined us this summer for year two. Our musical headliners included Khrangbin and Lord Huron. David Blaine spoke with Diana Nyad about the art of endurance. Alex Honnold, Emily Harrington, Selema Masekela, Kimmy Fasani, and other outdoor icons participated in talks and film screenings. Trail running legend Scott Jurek hosted a morning run. We led yoga and athlete recovery sessions from our new Health & Wellness stage. We grew the Outside Summit, adding multiple venues and a pitch competition for startups, Outside Ignite.
All that has led to the event being dubbed the “SXSW of the outdoors,” which is a compelling notion. But as we continue to grow Outside Days, what we really strive for is building an inclusive and sustainable experience that spurs people to play and explore, to dance and let loose, to remember what it really means to be human.
Our best days really are the ones we spend together. We invite you to join us at Outside Days in Denver next May.
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