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In 2001, Denver Post reporter John Moore organized a one-night-only event at the Bluebird Theater to showcase local acts. For $5, attendees got to see four bands, with Denver-born DeVotchKa (which would go on to score the film Little Miss Sunshine) headlining. Though it quickly found a following, the Underground Music Showcase didn’t find a permanent home until 2006, when it moved to Broadway. There, the event grew into a multiday festival featuring more than 200 artists at a variety of venues. Upwards of 10,000 people turned out to hear them every July.
After a quarter of a century, the festival almost ended last year, when organizers announced they would wind down UMS. Rising costs played a factor, says Keanan Stoner, the festival’s director, but so did its longtime scene: “We’ve done [Broadway] for many years. It kind of ran its course in a lot of ways—the footprint of the festival and what room we had to be creative with how it was executed.”
News of the event’s demise, however, turned out to be premature. In late 2025, the RiNo Business Improvement District swooped in with an offer to become UMS’ next stage. “The stars aligned,” says Terry Madeksza, the BID’s executive director. “There’s a demand to support artists and live music, and RiNo and the BID wants to see a signature event. So can we make this happen?”
They could. The BID acquired a 50 percent stake in the festival, with local events company Two Parts owning the other half, and this month UMS will make its RiNo debut (July 24 to 26; $120 plus $19 in fees for a weekend pass). The partnership gives organizers increased financial stability. In the past, ballooning expenses threatened—though never actually affected—artists’ compensation. Stoner doesn’t have to worry about that particular line item in the budget anymore because of the BID’s backing.
Read More: How the Underground Music Showcase Is Still Evolving, 25 Years In
UMS is providing more interactive features, including an app that allows attendees to view venue maps and build personalized schedules before the event begins. RiNo is also using its connections to collaborate with local businesses; for example, some hotels in the neighborhood will offer staycation packages.
Nevertheless, some may see UMS’ deal with RiNo as a sellout. And Denver musicians have organized a grassroots festival along Broadway called Blucifer’s First Rodeo with a lineup of local bands that will directly compete with this year’s UMS (July 23 to 26). Its all-access passes are already gone; three-day DIY passes ($39) are still available.
But Stoner says fans can expect the classic UMS experience in RiNo: a mix of national (singer-songwriter Goldie Boutilier) and local (theatrical-pop artist Bunny Blake) acts at more than a dozen venues, from the Larimer Lounge to a mainstage near the Ramble Hotel. “I have very fond memories of Broadway. I want to make that very clear,” Stoner says. “I will miss the Broadway days, of course, and I’m glad that they’re still going to have a lot of live music down there. I think this just offers some of that feel, but a lot of new energy and excitement.”
