Overview
The Salt Lake City music concert scene is thriving, and there’s no shortage of exceptional live music concerts and festivals to attend this summer in 2026. From large outdoor amphitheaters to smaller indoor venues with intimate atmospheres, there’s something for every type of music fan across the valley!
In this guide, I’ll highlight some of my favorite venues, along with a few hidden gems worth checking out. I’ll cover both indoor and outdoor venues throughout Salt Lake Valley and surrounding areas. Outdoor venues often provide breathtaking scenery and unforgettable summer atmospheres, although you are at the mercy of the weather. Indoor venues, on the other hand, offer climate-controlled comfort and more consistent sound experiences.
For a complete list of performers and upcoming events at each venue, click the hyperlink within each summary to visit the official venue website. With hot summer days and warm summer nights ahead, there are plenty of opportunities for you and your family to stay busy and create lasting memories this year.
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Outdoor Concerts/Ampitheaters
Red Butte Concert Series
The Red Butte Concert Series provides one of my favorite live concert experiences in Salt Lake City. Situated near Research Park by The University of Utah, Red Butte Garden is one of the most scenic and relaxing venues to enjoy live music.
Red Butte Garden is traditionally known for its beautiful flower gardens, diverse tree and foliage, and engaging classes and workshops for both adults and children throughout the summer. In the evening, however, the gardens transform into a stunning concert venue featuring world-class musicians backed by excellent sound quality.
One unique perk exclusive to Red Butte concerts is that attendees can bring their own food and drinks free of charge. That’s one of my favorite aspects of the venue.
There are a couple of downsides in attending Red Butte concerts, the first being the requirement of paying an extra fee to become a “garden member.” The base “Garden-Flex” membership starts at $65 and increases depending on the membership tier you choose. The other drawback is that the shows sell out extremely fast, and you’ll need to arrive to the venue early to secure a good seat since the majority of the venue is general-admission lawn seating.
With all that said, The Red Butte Concerts is absolutely worth checking out!
Sandy Amphitheater
The Sandy Amphitheater is another top notch outdoor concert experience. Located in Sandy, Utah, this amphitheater also brings in a variety of popular artists that are know across the nation. Some of these bands range from blues, country, acoustic-folk, and classic rock, there’s something for everyone at this years concert experience.
Outdoor food and drinks are permitted, but under more strict “supervision” than Red Butte. This venue has convenient parking and superb sound for an outdoor amphitheater!
Utah Arts Festival
The Utah Arts Festival contains plenty of art, ranging from photography to, paintings, sculptures, live poetry, and you guessed it, live music! The festival is located in downtown Salt Lake (SL), surrounding the downtown SL public library.
The festival contains larger stages for nationally recognized acts, as well as smaller stages for locally known musicians. The complete music schedule can be found here. The performers are very diverse and are carefully selected each year to provide a unique experience year after year.
Single day tickets cost $15-22 with multi-day pass tickets offered at a discounted rate, click on the link to find more detailed pricing. All concerts in the Utah Arts Festival are free to attend after the cost of admission!
Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater
Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater (formerly known as USANA) hosts some of the biggest touring artists and bands in the country.
Located in West Valley City, Utah, this venue is ideal if you’re wanting to experience major artists with impressive production and strong overall sound quality ! Truly, some of the best artists and bands play in this venue!
One drawback is that there are relatively few access road to reach this venue, which can result in heavy traffic and parking frustrations before and after the concerts. However, if one of your favorite artists is performing there, the experience is usually well worth the inconvenience.
Deer Valley Music Festival
The Deer Valley Music Festival is located in Park City, Utah and offers one of the most scenic concert backdrops in Utah.
Located approximately 45 minutes away from Salt Lake City, this outdoor venue combines live music with stunning mountain views. One thing to note is that this year’s concert lineup leans more on classical and film-score performances. If you love those genres, this festival is definitely worth attending.
Salt Lake Twilight Concert Series
The Salt Lake Twilight Concert Series originated in 1988 and has brought many popular acts to Salt Lake City over the years.
This year, concerts will rotate between the Gallivan Center and the Salt Lake City Civic Center. Outside food and drinks are prohibited, although vendors are available inside the venues.
Tickets are required for each individual concert unless you purchase a season pass, which grants access to all events. Most concerts are general admission, although VIP seating options are available for an additional cost.
The series primarily revolve around modern and contemporary rock, pop, alternative, indie and folk artists.
Ogden Twilight Concert Series
Following the success of Salt Lake’s Twilight Concert Series, the Ogden Twilight Concert Series originated in 2015.
The artists and musical styles are similar to Salt Lake series, although the venue is located approximately 40 minutes north of Salt Lake City. The format and ticketing structure are also very similar.
While the drive may be longer for some concertgoers, it’s absolutely worth attending if one of your favorite artists is performing there.
Indoor Concert Venues
The Complex
The Complex is located in downtown Salt Lake. This music venue contains an extremely diverse range of musical acts.
From country and punk to electronic dance music and metal, there’s a wide variety of artists performing at this venue. I’ve attended several concerts here over the years. While the quality of sound can occasionally be hit or miss depending on the artist and room setup, I’ve never regretted attending a show by a favorite band when they come through town.
The Depot
The Depot is one of my favorite indoor music venues in Salt Lake. Located near the The Gateway district downtown, The venue offers exceptional sound quality and two levels for viewing performances.
That said, sold-out shows can become extremely crowded, so arriving early is important if you want a good viewing spot. The artists performing here are very diverse, similar to The Complex, although in recent years the venue has leaned toward younger crowds, hip-hop, electronic and metal bands.
The State Room
The State Room is another personal favorite venue of mine. The sound quality os consistently excellent, and the smaller, more intimate atmosphere allows concertgoers to feel closely connected to there performers. There really isn’t a bad spot in the venue.
Because it’s a smaller venue, however, shows often sell out can become crowded. A unique perk to The State Room is the elevated bench seating toward the back of the venue, which can be claimed with general admission seating if you arrive early enough.
The Commonwealth Room
The Commonwealth Room is operated by the same ownership as The State Room, and both venues provide exceptional sound quality.
The main differences between the two venues is their layout and location. The State Room is located closer to downtown Salt Lake City and has a more square-shaped layout, while The Commonwealth Room is located in South Salt Lake and features a more rectangular floor plan.
You really can’t go wrong with either venue, especially if one of your favorite artists is performing there.
The Maverik Center
The Maverik Center is home to a variety of events, including concerts, sporting events and entertainment performances.
As a larger indoor venue, it offers convenient parking as long as you arrive early enough. The seating arrangement typically includes both assigned and general-admission floor areas near the stage.
Large indoor venues sometimes struggle with excessive reverberation and inconsistent sound quality, but the Maverik Center generally does well to provide a strong audio experience for a venue of its size.
Eccles Theatre
The Eccles Theater is one of the newer performance venues in downtown Salt Lake City.
In addition to live music, this theatre also showcases stand-up comedians and orchestra performances and touring musicals. This venue features a tiered seating layout that provides excellent sightlines throughout the theater.
Unlike many concert venues, Eccles Theater uses assigned seating only, which creates a more relaxed atmosphere without the need to stand for long periods of time.
Egyptian Theatre
The Egyptian Theatre is located in downtown Park City and features a unique Egyptian-inspired interior design.
Although it’s a smaller venue, it still attracts many well-known artists and performers. The theater uses assigned seating exclusively, creating a comfortable and organized concert experience.
While the drive from Salt Lake City can be a bit longer, the venue itself provides a memorable setting for live music, theatrical performances, and special events.
Conclusion
Whether you enjoy outdoor summer concerts under the stars or a more intimate indoor music scene, Salt Lake City has an incredible live music experience to enjoy this summer in 2026! From Red Butte Garden and Deer Valley to smaller venues like The State Room and the Depot, there’s no shortage of memorable concerts and festivals to attend!
If you’ve found this article helpful and informative, please leave a comment below! If you’re a musical fanatic and are interested in learning to create music on your guitar, please contact us to set up your own private-lesson time!