The Outside Festival aimed to evolve from a one-off event into a major cultural gathering—while preserving its community-first approach. The challenge was delivering a meaningful outdoor-centric festival in downtown Denver, balancing live music, adventure films, industry summits, and immersive brand activations, all within a compact Civic Center Park format.

Built upon the inaugural playbook, we strategically scaled programming and partnerships:

• Extended the festival to a full week, including a two-day consumer-focused event and a two-day industry summit.

• Elevated speaker and film lineups with brand panels and pitch competitions paired with a Shark Tank–style showdown promoting startup innovation.

• Curated immersive brand activations (including REI’s Camp CO‑OP and Arkansas’s LED tunnel / silent disco), multiple stages for headline acts, climbing walls, yoga experiences, and kid‑and-dog-friendly zones.

• Partnered with Capital One, REI, UCHealth, Brooks, North Face, VF Corporation, and more, to create high-value, experiential zones that enhanced guest engagement.

Year Two achieved breakthrough success:

• Attendance & Demographics: Over 35,000 attendees (26% out‑of‑state; 53% female, 32% BIPOC)

• Sustainability: Distributed 15,000 reusable cups with <1% wasted

• Engagement: 120+ yogis, 500 climbers, 100 EverWalk participants

• Programming: 12 music acts (Khruangbin, Lord Huron, Sylvan Esso, Trampled by Turtles, etc.), 21 films, and 23 ideas sessions

• Earned Accolades: Dubbed the “SXSW of the Outdoors” by The Colorado Sun and praised for its “community-first mindset” by Event Marketer  

• Partnership & Media Lift: Momentum noted by Westword, Denver Gazette, and Denver Business Journal  

• Institutional Support: Continued backing from Outside Inc., State of Colorado, Visit Denver, and over 122 brand and non-profit partners  

Groundswell Experiential

Production Collective

Superfly Presents