Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips and My Morning Jacket are the headliners for the 2026 Outside Days festival in Denver this weekend.
The third annual three-day event kicks off this Friday on Denver's Auraria Campus. The celebration of outdoor community and culture features live music, documentary film screenings and dozens of inspirational speakers.
▶️ Watch: Denver7's Shannon Ogden talks with fest organizer CJ Jerard
Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips and My Morning Jacket top a lineup that also includes Cage the Elephant, Goth Babe, Tash Sultana, Japanese Breakfast, Dawes, Grouplove, Wildermiss, Eggy, Karina Rykman, Brothers of Brass, Girl Tones, N3ptune and The Mañanas.
Christopher "CJ" Jerard of Outside Days said the music draws attention, but the speaker lineup is equally ambitious, featuring 38 voices from the worlds of outdoor adventure, athletics, film and more.
"Alex Honnold. Ed O'Brien from Radiohead. Goth Babe, who is also on the main stage with us. Sasha Digiulian, Travis Rice, the snowboarder. Jessie Diggins the Olympian... all on stages talking about relevant stuff, how important it is to spend time outdoors," Jerard said.
The full speaker roster includes:
- Alex Honnold, legendary climber
- Jessie Diggins, Olympic gold medalist, world champion and changemaker
- José Andrés, chef, TV host and founder of World Central Kitchen
- Alexi Pappas, Olympian, filmmaker, author and podcast host
- Travis Rice, snowboarding legend and filmmaker
- Sasha Digiulian, pro climber, writer and entrepreneur
- Benjamin Gibbard, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, guitarist and ultra-marathon runner
- Kimi Werner, freediving huntress
- Ed O'Brien, songwriter and guitarist
- Katie Burrell, comedian, actor and director
- Rue Mapp, founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro
- Goth Babe, musician and outdoor explorer
- Scott Jurek, trail running pioneer
- L. Renee Blount, adventure photographer, director and mountain athlete
- Jeremy Jones, snowboarder and founder of Protect Our Winters
- Rebecca Rusch, endurance athlete and Emmy Award winner
- Keith Ladzinski, Emmy-nominated director and National Geographic photographer
- Jim Morrison, ski mountaineer
- Anna Gibson, Olympian and Brooks Trail athlete
- Chris Benchetler, professional skier and artist
- Kevin Sintumuang, editorial director of Outside Magazine
- Adrian Ballinger, big mountain climber, skier and mountain guide
- Eduardo Garcia, chef, storyteller and creator
- Maureen "Mo" Beck, elite rock climber
- Erick Cedeño, explorer, historian and cyclist
- Tamra Davis, film, television and music video director
- Paddy O'Connell, writer, multimedia producer and host
- Emmett Malloy, filmmaker
- Mito Habe-Evans, senior creative producer at NPR
- Fitz Cahall, climber, writer and podcast host
- Biju Thomas, host of Outside TV's "The Road Less Eaten"
- Sarah Swallow, adventure cyclist and storyteller
- Forrest VanTuyl, songwriter, poet and musician
- Shelby Stanger, podcast host, journalist and author
- Clint Pumphrey, curator of the Outdoor Recreation Archive
- Courtney Coppinger, elite trail runner
- Mary-Frances Heck, VP of media and business growth at Outside
- Shelby Meade, founder and creative strategist at Hello-Shelby
- Gally Mayer, CEO and co-founder of Buena Vida Specialty Coffee
- Will Dunn, REI Co-op historian
- Sierra Shafer, editorial director of lifestyle at Outside
- Berne Broudy, journalist and filmmaker
- Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes
- Megan Springate, queer archaeologist and historic preservation maven
- Kenneth Chacón, pranayama and meditation instructor
- Marcela Morales, qigong and yoga instructor and forest therapy guide
- CJ Goulding, co-founder and executive director of Boyz N The Wood
- Sydney Petersen, elite trail and mountain runner
- Joshua J. Holland, biohacker and fitness trainer
- Abby Levene, senior editor at Outside Run
- Hannes Wingate, artist and wilderness guide
- Perry Tancredi, head instructor and deputy director of Boulder Outdoor Survival School
- Torsten Brinkema, filmmaker and photographer
- Lars Brinkema, filmmaker and photographer
- Heavy Crownz, hip-hop artist, farmer and community curator
- Thosh Collins, indigenous community health expert
- Fred Dreier, features editor at Outside Magazine
- Liv Faris, executive producer at Brooks Running
- Andrew Muse, professional athlete, photographer and filmmaker
- Kicker Dog Muse, ultimate mountain dog
- Abigail Wise, brand director at Outside
- Adam Roy, editor-in-chief of Backpacker
- Kathleen Rellihan, senior travel and culture editor at Outside
- Ayana Underwood, senior health editor at Outside
- Jessica Campbell-Salley, deputy editor at Outside
- Alex Derr, outdoor advocate, marketer and storyteller
- Jaime Jennings, office manager of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition
- Danny Knoll, information manager of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition
- Adam Davidson, founder and director of Grassroots Gravel
- Karen Perez, community engagement manager at Freedom Service Dogs
- Dr. Antonino Barbera, founder of the NeuroPong Project
- Dr. Justin Ross, clinical psychologist and certified cycling and running coach
- Jessica, drag entrepreneur
- Foxxy, musician and drag performer
- Talia Tucker, host, producer and performer
- Nani Vishwanath, senior strategist for inclusive design at REI Co-op
- Felony, drag performer
- Jules, artist and dancer
- Gabbi, herbalist, outdoor educator and content creator
- Parker McMillan Bushman, CEO and founder of Ecoinclusive Strategies
- John Hur, founder of Life Cocoon
- Erin Melissa Dawicki, co-founder and CEO of LymeAlert
- Zulma Terrones, founder of Life Stages
- Ryan Ross, Boulder Outdoor Survival School instructor
- Wade Balmer, senior manager of internal communications and community at The North Face
- Stephon Matthews, teaching artist at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company
- Wyld Honeys, creative culinary studio
- Kai Daniels, para-climber and adaptive sports instructor
- Daniel Clarke, film director
- Nelson Holland, outdoor advocate
The festival is open to all ages. Children 12 and under receive free entry.
More than 30,000 people attended last year's festival, and organizers expect even larger crowds this year. It's presented by Capital One and REI Co-op in partnership with the State of Colorado and Visit Denver.
Outside Days runs Friday through Sunday. Tickets are still available.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Tickets and more info can be found here
