The music draws attention, but the speaker lineup is equally ambitious — 38 voices from outdoor adventure, athletics, film and more.CJ Jerard, Outside Days organizer

Outside Days isn't your typical music festival. Organizer Christopher 'CJ' Jerard has built something genuinely unusual in Denver: a three-day event where Death Cab for Cutie plays the main stage in the evening and legendary free-solo climber Alex Honnold takes the speaker stage the next morning.

The festival — now in its third year — plants itself deliberately at the intersection of outdoor culture and live experience. You might catch Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins talk about the importance of getting outside, then watch Cage the Elephant close the night. It's a festival for people who have REI membership cards AND concert ticket stubs stuffed in the same jacket pocket.

Which Outside Days Speaker Is Your Spirit Guide?

Four questions. Find your match from 38 extraordinary voices.

What kind of challenge gets you out of bed?

• A vertical wall with no ropes — Alex Honnold and Sasha Digiulian own this space. Look for their talks.
• A 100-mile trail at dawn — Scott Jurek and Jessie Diggins will speak your language.
• A camera in a wild place — Keith Ladzinski and Emmy Malloy are your people.
• A pot of something incredible — José Andrés and Eduardo Garcia are cooking up inspiration.

Which cause fires you up most?

• Climate and protecting wild places — Jeremy Jones of Protect Our Winters has dedicated his career to this.
• Getting underrepresented communities outdoors — Rue Mapp (Outdoor Afro) and CJ Goulding (Boyz N The Wood) are speaking.
• Human performance and biohacking — Joshua J. Holland and Kenneth Chacón bring a mind-body angle.
• Storytelling and preserving outdoor history — Clint Pumphrey curates the Outdoor Recreation Archive — rare stuff.

How do you prefer to take in a big idea?

• A gripping film or documentary — Outside Days has documentary screenings built into the schedule.
• A podcast or long-form conversation — Shelby Stanger and Fitz Cahall are both podcast veterans — see them live.
• A first-person, sit-down talk — Alexi Pappas brings athlete-meets-author energy to the stage.
• Just show me the data and let me decide — Fred Dreier and Adam Roy bring editorial rigor to the outdoor world.

Pick your festival energy level:

• Front row, all three days, no sleep — You're going to need the full lineup — headliners AND early morning speakers.
• Curated — I pick my moments — Load up on one or two headliners and three speakers. Quality over quantity.
• Vibes only — I follow the crowd — Wander into whichever stage has energy. You'll discover someone new.
• Here for the music, speakers are a bonus — Totally valid. Death Cab and The Flaming Lips alone are worth the trip.

The speaker lineup reads like an outdoor hall of fame ballot. Alex Honnold — the climber famous for free-soloing El Capitan — shares a bill with José Andrés, the chef-turned-humanitarian who feeds disaster survivors worldwide through World Central Kitchen. Olympic cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, snowboarding pioneer Travis Rice, and freediving huntress Kimi Werner round out an athlete roster that would be impossible to assemble for almost any other event.

But the festival's organizers are equally proud of the voices you might not immediately recognize — community builders like Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro, which has connected thousands of Black Americans to outdoor spaces, and CJ Goulding of Boyz N The Wood, expanding who gets to belong in the outdoors.

Headliners at a Glance

Speaker World Breakdown — Who's Representing What

Festival at a Glance

• Friday — Outside Days kicks off at Auraria Campus
• Friday Night — Death Cab for Cutie headlines the main stage
• Saturday — Speaker sessions, documentary screenings, daytime acts
• Saturday Night — The Flaming Lips bring the psychedelic spectacle
• Sunday — Final day of speakers and outdoor community programming
• Sunday Night — My Morning Jacket closes out Year Three

Ed O'Brien, guitarist of Radiohead, brings an unexpected dimension to the speaker stage — a rock musician who has become a vocal advocate for mental health and the restorative power of nature. Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, who runs ultramarathons in his off-hours, blurs the line between headliner and speaker. Goth Babe performs on the main stage AND appears in the speaker lineup, making him perhaps the only act at Outside Days who can check both boxes.

The festival's location on the Auraria Campus — steps from downtown Denver — makes it uniquely accessible for city residents who want the outdoor-inspiration experience without leaving the metro area.

The Outside Days Numbers

• 3 — Years Running
• 38 — Speakers
• 15+ — Musical Artists
• 1 — Olympic Gold Medalists
• 1 — El Cap Free-Soloists
• 1 — Ultimate Mountain Dog

The Full Speaker Roster — All 38+ Names

Alex Honnold (legendary climber) • Jessie Diggins (Olympic gold medalist) • José Andrés (chef & World Central Kitchen founder) • Alexi Pappas (Olympian & filmmaker) • Travis Rice (snowboarding legend) • Sasha Digiulian (pro climber & entrepreneur) • Benjamin Gibbard (Grammy-nominated musician & ultramarathoner) • Kimi Werner (freediving huntress) • Ed O'Brien (Radiohead guitarist) • Katie Burrell (comedian & director) • Rue Mapp (Outdoor Afro CEO) • Goth Babe (musician & outdoor explorer) • Scott Jurek (trail running pioneer) • L. Renee Blount (adventure photographer) • Jeremy Jones (snowboarder & Protect Our Winters founder) • Rebecca Rusch (endurance athlete & Emmy winner) • Keith Ladzinski (Emmy-nominated National Geographic photographer) • Jim Morrison (ski mountaineer) • Anna Gibson (Olympian) • Chris Benchetler (professional skier & artist) • Kevin Sintumuang (Outside Magazine editorial director) • Adrian Ballinger (big mountain guide) • Eduardo Garcia (chef & storyteller) • Maureen 'Mo' Beck (elite rock climber) • Tamra Davis (film & music video director) • Emmett Malloy (filmmaker) • Fitz Cahall (climber & podcast host) • Sarah Swallow (adventure cyclist) • Shelby Stanger (podcast host & journalist) • Clint Pumphrey (Outdoor Recreation Archive curator) • Courtney Coppinger (elite trail runner) • CJ Goulding (Boyz N The Wood co-founder) • Thosh Collins (indigenous community health expert) • Jenn Dice (PeopleForBikes CEO) • Heavy Crownz (hip-hop artist & farmer) • Adam Roy (Backpacker editor-in-chief) • Kenneth Chacón (pranayama & meditation instructor) • Marcela Morales (qigong & forest therapy guide) • Hannes Wingate (artist & wilderness guide) • Perry Tancredi (Boulder Outdoor Survival School) ... and more

Outside Days vs. A Typical Music Festival

Typical Festival

• Music only — bands from opening to close
• No programming beyond performances
• Audience as passive consumers
• One-dimensional crowd

Outside Days

• 38 Speakers Olympians, climbers, chefs, filmmakers
• Documentary film screenings alongside live music
• Community — outdoor culture on full display
• Alex Honnold to Death Cab, same weekend

How to Make the Most of Outside Days

1. Download the Schedule Ahead of Time — Speaker sessions and music can overlap. Map out your must-sees so you're not stuck choosing between Alex Honnold and a set change.
2. Arrive Early for Speakers — The speaker stages tend to fill up fast for big names. Honnold, Diggins, and Andrés will draw serious crowds — claim your spot 15-20 minutes early.
3. Use the Auraria Campus Transit Access — The campus is served by RTD light rail and multiple bus routes. Parking is limited — the train is genuinely the smarter move for a festival weekend.
4. Block Out Sunday Night for My Morning Jacket — They are one of the best live bands in America. If you can only do one night, Sunday's closing set is the one to prioritize.
5. Explore the Outdoor Community Exhibitors — Protect Our Winters, Outdoor Afro, PeopleForBikes, and other organizations will have activations on site. It's a rare chance to connect with the people behind the movements.

Plan Your Outside Days Weekend

• Auraria Campus, Denver: The festival takes place on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver — accessible by RTD light rail.
• This Friday Through Sunday: Three days of music, speakers, and outdoor culture. The 3rd annual Outside Days festival.
• Outside Days Official Site: Full schedule, speaker bios, and lineup details at the official festival website.