Festival doubles in size in its second year; more than 60 bands will take over three Fort Collins venues Oct. 16-17
Early bird tickets for the 2nd Annual Laurel Fest go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 5, offering two full days of live music for just $25.
Returning Oct. 16-17, Laurel Fest will bring more than 60 local and regional bands to three independent venues (Atrium Music Lounge, Avogadro’s Number and R Bar and Lounge) located within an easy walk of one another near Laurel Street in downtown Fort Collins.
The compact festival layout allows attendees to move between stages, discover new artists, enjoy a custom Laurel Fest beer by Odell Brewing and support surrounding locally owned businesses throughout the weekend. Genres span the gambit between rock, metal, punk, pop, indie, bluegrass, country, hip-hop and EDM.
“Laurel Fest started because our local music community needed something built around collaboration instead of competition,” says Hail Groo, owner of The Atrium and founder of Laurel Fest. “Every ticket supports the artists that give Fort Collins its character. We want people to leave with a new favorite band and a stronger connection to their community.”
Laurel Fest was created to strengthen Fort Collins’ independent music community at a time when small venues and working musicians are facing rising costs and shrinking resources. By bringing multiple venues, artists and businesses together, the festival creates more paid performance opportunities while giving music fans an affordable way to experience the depth of Northern Colorado’s music scene.
More than 600 people attended Laurel Fest in its first year, and the festival was nominated for FoCoMA’s Best Community Collaboration of 2025.
Early bird tickets are $25 for the entire weekend at theatriumfortcollins.com/laurel-fest.
