Denver’s second annual Outside Festival brought the city together in a way that felt necessary in this tumultuous moment in history. Set in Civic Center Park, the city’s very heart, it felt communal, unifying, a celebration of a city coming together to laugh and eat and drink and dance under cascading sunshine.
Outside Festival is many things but the music is what convinces so many to attend. In it’s two years of existence, it has attracted some of the biggest names in music and this year felt like something special. Here’s what 303 Magazine saw:
READ: Outside Festival Makes It’s Debut in Downtown Denver
Saturday
Neal Francis
Neal Francis’s music feels like something that exists outside of time. Steeped in psychedelia, it’s a kind of funk-leaning rock that hits those who hear it in the very soul. The universe felt aligned during the set, much of the crowd filling up beneath the rather scorching early summer sun, drinks acquired and friends found. As packed as it was, the Civic Center lawn felt like home, the glowing green grass inviting those dancing upon it to kick off their shoes and set down roots. Francis moved through his last three albums, Changes, In Plain Sight and the recently released Return to Zero. It felt like sustenance, like water from the desert as he and his incredible band jammed through beloved tunes like “Changes” and “Can’t Stop the Rain.” For many, it was the first set of the night and what a beautiful set it was. — By Thomas Rutherford
Sylvan Esso
Sylvan Esso’s ethereal presence descended upon Denver like something benevolent yet from beyond this realm of understanding. From the first note, she swirled around on stage, a sweet, gentle breeze flowing through the crowd that seemed to originate from her directly. It was like witnessing a meteor shower, heavens broken open so that they may touch the world of the living. She moved through hits like “Die Young” and “Dress” that had the crowd lost in pure admiration, eyes filled with wonder as they danced. The day had been hot and the sun started to dip behind the mountains by the end of Sylvan Esso’s set, almost like she herself ushered the cool night in. — By Thomas Rutherford
Khruangbin
Khruangbin, Saturday’s main attraction, came on about an hour or so after Sylvan Esso, the sun a distant memory by that point. The band had played Civic Center Park before in 2023 but still the set felt new, fresh, like something vital, their brand of laconic funk a pulse beating in the heart of the city. They cut quite the image in front of the Civic Center, purples and reds and blues swirling out from the stage. They played everything anyone remotely familiar with their music would want to hear, “White Gloves” moving into “Time (You and I)” into “Maria Tambien” before they arrived at “People Everywhere (Still Alive).” It was a set for the ages that turned the entirety of Civic Center Park into the biggest dance party this city has seen in a while. — By Thomas Rutherford
Sunday
Hazlett
Hazlett’s set unfolded with quiet introspection, largely uninterrupted by the moody skies hanging over Civic Center Park. Songs like “Blue Jean” and “Blame The Moon” moved gently across the lawn, carried by his signature softness and lyrical vulnerability. “Doing My Best” landed with weight, like gardening a private thought in a public space. His sound blended indie-pop textures with a tender, acoustic core, weaving between melancholy and warmth—atmospheric yet grounded. As the final notes approached, the weather began to shift. Winds stirred, thunder rolled in the distance, and the atmosphere turned from calm to charged. Festival organizers soon asked the audience to vacate the grounds—a disruption that felt less abrupt than inevitable. The timing couldn’t have been more poetic: Hazlett closed just as nature opened up. — By Andrew Venegas
Waxahatchee
After a lengthy weather delay, Waxahatchee returned music to the crowd with a voice that cut through the mist like a signal flare. The skies had cleared just enough for her performance to resume, offering a reprieve from the earlier storm. Her set was anchored in clarity and emotional weight, with songs like “Crowbar,” “Right Back to It,” and “Fire” standing out as highlights. “Right Back to It” felt particularly resonant in the wake of the rain — steady, reflective, and full of resolve. Without spectacle, the performance offered something more grounded: a quiet insistence on presence. In the aftermath of weather and uncertainty, Waxahatchee’s set marked a return to something calm, clear and essential. — By Andrew Venegas
Trampled by Turtles
I’m not going to lie, I was a little late to the show on Sunday when I was about to leave my apartment and I saw those ominous clouds loom up from over the mountains heading straight for Downtown Denver. We in Denver know those clouds all too well. As I waited out the storm and the inevitable lightning delay at the venue, and checked social media incessantly for updates, I finally saw the reopening news. Trampled By Turtles came on a little later than scheduled, but when they started strumming at 7:15, it was like everyone had forgotten the chaos of the storm 30 minutes before. The sun was shining, the wet feet were dancing and the Turtles were Trampling.
With the clouds cleared and the crowd, soaked but spirited, coming back to life, people kicked off their wet shoes and danced like nothing had happened. I saw a baby dancing in the mud, and friends looking out for each other to avoid stepping in the puddles. It was wholesome to see the way everyone let the music do what it always does: bring us back into the moment.
The band showed up for the crowd today, which can be hard to do after a weather delay and a thoroughly drenched crowd. I’d say it was totally worth the wait (but I was also dry). My friend next to me said they heard me utter a shocked “Whoa” when the camera spotlighted Ryan Young on stage and I saw how hard he was playing his fiddle. They were all quite literally jumping in the air, kicking their cowboy-booted feet, and yet somehow didn’t miss a beat. High energy was an understatement. With only an hour to play, they sure packed a punch. They played their hit song Wait So Long, and also a cover of the Pixies, Where is My Mind that brought arms reaching to the sky with cellphones to capture the moment. It wasn’t just a comeback after a weather delay; it was a celebration. A musical exhale; a muddy, magical moment that made you feel grateful to be exactly where you were. — By Regan Bervar
Lord Huron
The sun set over the city and the sky dimmed into a dark blue over Civic Center Park. The crowd roared as Lord Huron took the stage, the whole crew looking dapper in their Sunday evening ‘fits. Known for their beautiful blending of folk, rock and Americana paralleled with their evocative lyrics, it was somehow perfect to narrate the setting sun. They opened with Meet Me in the Woods and then shortly into one of their most popular songs Ends of the Earth which brought the crowd together in an ensemble of song.
I’ve always associated a kind of haunting theme with Lord Huron, as if it was being read from a storytale. Their music isn’t one to encourage jumping and screaming, yet it’s like an experience to immerse yourself and let it wash over you. There was no moshing, or chaos, unlike the storm earlier. Just swaying bodies and grinning faces in the glow of the stage light.
One of their last songs was their top hit, “The Night We Met,” and it lulled the crowd into a mellow sense of safety. The visuals were minimal but intentional, as the focus was mainly on the music and the crew on stage. After a weekend of music, fun in the sun and a weather delay, it felt like being inside a dream where everything else in the world melted away and I almost forgot I was in the middle of Civic Center Park. Their ability to create an entire atmosphere — melancholy, magical, and wistful — ended Outside Fest right on their 10pm curfew sending everyone on their journeys home with full hearts, and maybe some muddy shoes. — By Regan Bervar
Photography by Kiddest Metaferia