Where to Stay for Alabama Shakes at Red Rocks

Alabama Shakes are back. After nearly a decade away, they're returning to the road — and they're doing it at Red Rocks, two nights in a row.

When Alabama Shakes went on hiatus after 2016, they left behind two near-perfect records and a live reputation that people still talk about. Boys & Girls announced them to the world. Sound & Color was the rare follow-up that felt like an arrival rather than a repeat. And then they stepped away, and Brittany Howard became the kind of solo artist who makes you wonder if the band was holding her back — until you see them together and realize the whole was always more than its parts.

This is a two-night run. If you're already coming, plan to stay.

Show details

• Artist: Alabama Shakes
• Dates: Sunday, May 24 and Monday, May 25, 2026
• Venue: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
• Doors: Typically 7 p.m. — confirm on your ticket or at redrocksonline.com
• Tickets: Available via AXS →

Why this show is different

The return of Alabama Shakes isn't a nostalgia tour. It's a reunion that feels earned — a band that stepped back when they could have kept cashing in, let their members grow into solo careers, and came back with something to prove. Red Rocks is the right room for that: 9,525 seats carved into sandstone canyon walls, the Rockies at your back, the sun going down over the foothills as the first notes hit.

Two nights means two setlists. It also means the option to see both shows from the same base — which becomes much easier when that base is 30 minutes from the parking lot rather than 45 traffic-filled miles.

Where to stay: the foothills answer

Most people booking Red Rocks shows default to a downtown Denver hotel. The logic seems sound — Denver is the nearest city, there are hundreds of rooms, it looks close enough on a map. In practice it means fighting I-70 traffic on the way in, a ride-share that can run $80–100 each way on a sold-out night, and a late crawl through Morrison and the suburbs before you even reach your room.

There's a quieter answer: drive the other direction. Red Rocks sits on the western edge of the metro. Past the venue, Highway 285 climbs through the foothills, through Conifer, into Pine — and most of the post-show traffic goes the opposite way. Staying fifteen or twenty minutes past Red Rocks puts you somewhere genuinely different, and the drive home is pine forest and starlight instead of interstate.

That's where Lowkey A-Frame is. Our cabin to the Red Rocks parking gates is about 30 minutes. Private hot tub, mountain views of Black Mountain and Staunton State Park, a full kitchen, and two bedrooms for up to four guests. If you're coming for one night, it's a better base than downtown Denver. If you're seeing both nights, it's the obvious choice.

Getting there: night-of logistics

Timing your drive in

Leave the cabin about 40 minutes before you want to be parked. Aim to arrive at Red Rocks at least an hour before the headliner — upper lots fill fast, and the walk from Upper Lot 2 down to the venue is worth taking your time with.

Parking

On a sold-out show — both nights may well sell out — follow the parking attendants' directions and arrive early. Upper North Lot and Lot 1 are closest to the main gate. Some guests prefer parking in Morrison and walking in to skip lot congestion on exit; that's a reasonable option if you've done it before.

Getting home

After the show, exit toward Morrison and pick up CO-74 west to Highway 285 south. You're going opposite the main Denver traffic flow. Most nights, the drive back through the foothills takes about 30 minutes.

May at Red Rocks: what to pack

Late May in the Colorado foothills is beautiful but requires layering. During the day you might see 70°F and full sun. By the time Alabama Shakes closes out their set, you could be looking at 45°F with a cold wind off the mountains. Always bring something windproof you can stash in a bag during the warm parts of the evening.

Afternoon thunderstorms are common in May — part of Colorado spring. Check the forecast before leaving the cabin, and keep an eye on the sky on the drive over. Red Rocks has a lightning safety policy and occasionally delays shows, but rare cancellations. A poncho beats an umbrella in a crowd.

The morning after

This is what the Denver hotel crowd misses. After the show you're back at the cabin by midnight. Hot tub under the stars, Colorado quiet. In the morning it's coffee on the deck, mule deer moving through the meadow, and nowhere to be.

If you're staying for both nights, the day between shows is easy to fill. Staunton State Park is ten minutes from the cabin — hiking through pine and aspen with views of Black Mountain and the Continental Divide. Pine Valley Ranch Park has a lake. And Aspen Creek Cellars, a winery and restaurant on the creek in Pine, is one of the best patios on the Front Range for a long, unhurried lunch.

See our full Red Rocks lodging guide for a direct comparison of your options.

Written from our cabin in Pine, Colorado — about 30 minutes from Red Rocks Amphitheatre and 45 minutes from Denver.