ORIGINAL – Nothing Like It!
“The ORIGINAL Texas music festival” is just like you “ORIGINAL” and The MusicFest always delivers an ORIGINAL experience starting with its one-of-a-kind venues and extensive music marathon.
WHAT’S YOUR STYLE? The MusicFest at Steamboat has it all and then some! First, for any newcomers, realize that it’s impossible to experience all that MusicFest has to offer in one visit. It takes multiple years to enjoy the many exclusive venues, its wide variety of music, vast activities, events, sports, world class resort/skiing and all that Steamboat Springs, Colorado has to offer. There’s nothing like it.
When it comes to music, The MusicFest continues its longstanding reputation of taking it to the next level with the widest variety of music for everyone’s taste in independent/genuine music. And you want to enjoy your music in a venue where you and your friends will have the best experience imaginable. MusicFest excels in all in every conceivable way.
Want to kick up your boots up in the largest high energy dance hall in Colorado or sit back in a luxury ballroom, how about a western saloon setting or the back of a sportfishing boat (really!), how about a cozy mountainside chalet performance, a big country hunting lodge, a stage with a majestic mountain backdrop, a rowdy late night Roadhouse, or on a mountaintop with endless views plus more. The best part, you can easily drift from one venue to the next. Or just enjoy that one special place that suits your style.
It’s all part of MusicFest’s truly exceptional adventurous, sporting and musical experience.
Enjoy good people, great music and the best of times.
Imagine if you could ski to your favorite concert venue to witness some one-of-a-kind music with some of your best friends. Well, the MusicFest Outdoor Stage hosting the Mountain-Sized Bonus Concert Series is just that! An environment unlike any other (at The MusicFest or anywhere else, for that matter), at the Outdoor Stage you can stroll over or ski straight up to watch festival performances. Located at the MusicFest Basecamp and positioned with the scenic Majestic Mountains as the perfect backdrop, the MusicFest Outdoor Stage often serves as some of the first music of the day for those who choose to hit the slopes or just want to meet up with friends around a fire pit. As the only venue during The MusicFest open to the public, the area acts a mingling place both for visitors and the year-round Steamboat Springs community. A great place to meet old and new friends, you can enjoy the “fair like” atmosphere with outdoor fire pits, an ice skating rink, bars, food court, sponsors trailers and the famous MusicFest Outdoor General Store. Only at The MusicFest!
The MusicFest Dancehall at the Big Tent
The legendary MusicFest Big Tent is the largest dancehall in Colorado for one week only. The massive climate-controlled venue features a state-of-the-art sound system and lighting rig fit to host the most rocking live shows of The MusicFest in front of thousands of people. Every evening is a new slate of top-tier talent from the biggest names in Red Dirt and Texas Music and most MusicFest fans will want to make sure they make it out to the Big Tent for a party atmosphere you won’t find on any other mountain. One trip to the Big Tent and you’ll understand why they call it “the largest dance hall in the Rockies.” Enjoy high-volume bars, fitting foods and a truly elevated ambiance certain to get you cheering and dancing with your new friends you met on the slopes that day.
“There’s enough music, to where, if you do miss a couple of your favorite bands, man, you’ll still get 25 more favorites.”
Roger Creager
There’s only one Dung Beetle Saloon in the world and it’s here! Don’t let the quirky name put you off—you’ll want to say you “Hung at the Dung” after you experience the intimate western setting and back-to-back lineup of the Dung Beetle Saloon’s acoustic offerings. This venue is homage to a famed spot established more than 50 years ago at Hoffer’s Drive-In in Hallettsville, Texas, where ranchers used to gather after a long day, unwind with a few drinks and talk ranching, weather, local news and toasting friendships. Though the original Dung Beetle Saloon in Texas is long gone, the venue made like its namesake and traveled quite the distance with some help from Dickson Productions and The MusicFest. The venue’s offering ranges from intimate performances by some of the biggest names at the fest to a warm and welcoming daily open mic. It is, at its core, the essence of what The MusicFest is all about.
Decked out like a hunting cabin on steroids (for this one week!) with an overabundance of mounts and Christmas lighting sets the vibe for shows that are fitting. Fans who have been coming to The MusicFest over the last three decades know just how much the festival has grown and developed. And that includes evolutions to the beloved venue where it all began. When festival founder John Dickson first traveled to different ski areas in the ’80s looking for the perfect spot for his novel idea, “Buddy’s Run” was just a cozy little bar resting at the foot of Mount Werner. The spot served as one of two venues during the original MusicFest. Eventually Buddy’s Run changed to Bear River—the name by which most previous patrons will probably recognize this legendary spot that has hosted some of America’s greatest songwriters and newcomers alike. After a multimillion-dollar renovation effort from Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, Bear River became Timber and Torch, featuring an all-new interior and a lot more space. A venue by any other name would sound just as sweet.
“Don’t know how you do it, but each year just gets better than the last. Can’t wait to see what next year brings.”
Daniel S.
The MusicFest experience isn’t complete without experiencing a show at the Luxury Grand Hotel Ballroom. More than 5,000 square feet of luxurious ballroom at the Steamboat Grand Hotel holds some of the most moving memories of MusicFest history as host to the annual Artists Tribute to a Legend and many other “Only at The MusicFest” specialty shows. The room changes daily from a round center stage “living room” style performance to seated matinee showcases to a full on rockin evening shows. Start out the week with the charity poker and amazing silent auction with 100% of proceeds benefitting wonderful charities. This room deliveries an abundance of musical experience and a kickoff event for good causes,
Gravity Haus is a legendary Après spot on the slopes, especially with the longest standing 40 years plus slopeside happy hour. And MusicFest patrons can experience a rotating lineup of stripped-down happy hour performances. A cozy chalet style venue, fireside bar, and restaurant welcomes festival-goers back from a great day on the slopes. Grab a toasty drink, sit down, and swap stories from the hill—right up until one of The MusicFest’s vaunted songwriters plugs in and serenades you with acoustic renditions of some of the best Red Dirt and Texas Country has to offer. The music at Gravity Haus MF Happy Hour officially means The MusicFest has the whole mountain surrounded with music!
“The MusicFest never disappoints”
Stephanie W.
After the sun goes down, the popular “roadhouse grill” and bar turns into a tuned-in and turned-up slopeside venue. It’s the classic festival tavern you envision, starting with an après acoustic show that leads into a plugged in, volume up Roadhouse rockin joint. Join the party to enjoy great food and drinks while different performers put on rockin’ shows late into the night. The restaurant stays open late, and the high service bar serves the best. Just know, when skiing to the roadhouse at the end of a good day on the slopes, you may find yourself and friends getting back to your lodge late-night with your ski boots still on (but that’s okay too!) Enjoy.
One of the most popular restaurants in Steamboat Springs, Slopeside Grill is (relatively) new as a MusicFest venue. Ski up and grab lunch and a drink the perch yourself on outdoor furniture and take in some of the best views. The perfect meeting spot as you watch ‘em slide down the hill. The annual Washers and Cornhole tourney for charity are located adjacent to this slopeside hot spot.
Steamboat Resort’s newly completed major overhaul brought a brand-new mountain base area, which during “our week” is transformed into The MusicFest Base Camp. Gather in this centrally located, open-air space to hangout, peruse the pop-up trailers (including the newest version of The outdoor MusicFest General Store), grab a drink from a variety of bars, visit the food court, gather around the fire pits or lounge in the outdoor chairs, play some chicken drop bingo (which raises funds for the local 4-H Club), and of course, enjoy live music at the new large Outdoor Stage. A great place to meet friends and make new ones with the incredible buzz and sounds of MusicFest.
Get up close and personal with your favorite artists in a setting that will have you transported to the back of your sportfishing boat miles from the shore while enjoying your favorite trollin’ tunes! The NEW MusicFest Fish Camp has the over-the-top creative ambiance you know and love much like the western style Dung Beetle Saloon but with the all-around theme of sport fishing. Like the The MusicFest Cabin that showcases an overabundance of hunting mounts, we know the many MusicFest sports fishing aficionados will enjoy another unique listening experience in an environment dedicated to sportsmen. There’s huge marlin, sailfish, and roosterfish mounts, fishing poles, and even fighting chairs on stage.
“MusicFest is probably the coolest music festival out there. The atmosphere, artists and just the all around vibe is unmatched by any other festival I’ve been to!”
Rylee F.
Sitting atop a 3,000-foot scenic gondola ride, the Thunderhead Stargazer Series is a high-altitude affair and a true testament to The MusicFest dedication to one-of-a-kind music experiences in the heart of the Majestic Rocky Mountains. At around 9,000 feet above sea level, the Thunderhead Stargazer Series is among the highest elevation you top-tier Texas Country and Red Dirt music. A peaceful listening room vibe makes the venue a great stop, whether you plan on accessing the Thunderhead trail or simply taking in the view of beautiful Steamboat Springs from a perch along Mount Werner.
The Sunset shows at the Stoker bar are just a quick and beautiful gondola ride away . After you travel up the mountain on Steamboatd (and quicker) world-class gondola, let intimate song swaps and acoustic performances usher in breathtaking sunset views of the mountain as you enjoy a hot toddy and bite to eat. The experience serves as a perfect cap to an exhilarating day on the slopes and a toast to the beginning of all the evening festivities. Truly another one-of-a-kind live music experience ONLY at The MusicFest.
The MusicFest Stoker Mid-Day Jam features performances at the resort’s largest on mountain “warming hut” located inside Thunderhead. Whether you’ve been making turns on the slopes all morning or enjoying the beautiful sights of your first gondola ride to grab that wintery beverage and bite – Stoker Mid-Day Jam is where it’s at. Enjoy MusicFest’s incredible concerts, exceptional mountain scenery and a big ole juicy burger or good ole pizza with a tasty beverage. This is THE new spot.