Red Rocks. This place has been written about for decades and has been the site for so many memorable and legendary moments in music that putting them all to paper would fill an endless number of pages. The place itself has held special meaning for those who have found themselves reaching its monument. From the Native Americans engaging in ceremony to the modern-day music fans making the pilgrimage to the countless bands dreaming of standing and performing on its concrete stage, those who have stood amongst its towers have realized some level of life-changing experience; and no matter how many times one arrives, it is highly probable that they will return full circle to its revered space once again to catch that special thing that comes with climbing its stone steps.

On July 21st, Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane, and Ben Lovett brought their award-winning group Mumford & Sons back to Red Rocks for the first time since 2012 and performed back-to-back sold-out shows to crowds that not only scooped up tickets immediately after they went on sale, but packed the venue early so as not to miss a note. Promoting their latest release, Rushmere, this double-headed tour stop was certainly one that held significant anticipation for the band and fan base, as the last time they visited the monolithic venue they ended up making not only a video but a subsequent concert documentary. If that wasn’t enough to electrify listeners leading up to the shows, this would also be the first time that the band would have played in Colorado since 2019 and the first time they would take on a headlining tour in nearly two years.

With the sun still shining bright, night one got started with a great opening set by Madison Cunningham fronting a well-polished quartet that delivered an eclectic mix of edgy pieces that had those paying attention hanging on her every word and progression, and saluting her at every turn. Her fifty or so minutes had many down front up and dancing, enjoying, and showing gratitude for her young talent and bold presentation.

With the sun setting far past the western ridge and dusk turning to night, the main event was ready to take off amidst cooling temperatures and a cloudy twilight sky on the Front Range. At shortly before eight p.m., the familiar sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” played over the P.A., and as many stood in anticipation, the band finally walked on, setting off a wave of excitement from the ten thousand strong that had looked forward to their return for oh so long. Smiling and soaking in the moment, Marcus Mumford stepped to the microphone and cried out, “We’re back, baby!”, resulting in a second wave of celebration as the band kicked off the night with the title track from their 2025 release, Rushmere. Even though the whole of the amphitheater was already locked in from the first words, the T-shirt-and-jeans-clad leader asked the rhetorical question for the final chorus run of the opener, “Will you sing with us, Red Rocks?”, a request that was met at full volume as the band went silent, leaving only the audience to belt out with exuberance the closing verse. Mumford also twisted the opener’s lyrics a bit, changing “Come get lost in a fairground crowd” to “Come get lost in a Red Rocks crowd,” a turn that had listeners buying in from the get-go.

Rolling on with another new track, the impassioned and tumultuous “Caroline” had the crowd reeling. This one had Mumford spotlighting both guitarist Mason Stoops for an electrifying solo as well as the brass section of Laura Bibbs on trumpet, ’bone master Darius Christian, and saxman Enrique Sanchez literally blowing the top off the middle and taking the energy to a whole other level.

At the end of slot two, Mumford briefly returned to the mic to share the sentiment that everyone was feeling: “Alright, Red Rocks, how we doing? We are Mumford & Sons and we did not come to f*#k around!” Still amidst a deafening blast of exhilaration, the band rode the high and launched directly into longtime fan favorite “Little Lion Man,” turning up the thrill of the moment even more. The chilling soothe of the bass line in this one opened the collective heart and hit deep those who gave themselves over. Mumford fell off at the chorus and let the room take over, those singing along choosing to emphasize everyone’s favorite four-letter word.

Following a moving version of “Babel,” Mumford shared his thoughts, “I have a lot to say this evening, none of it’s very relevant. My heart is full. I am enjoying this already way more than last time, this place is…” and with that, the train ride that had let out like lightning from the start calmed, slowed, and presented with a beautiful version of “White Blank Page.” Ted Dwane’s agility on the stand-up bass on this one was nothing short of pure talent with no delay between the heart and the hand.

Appropriately pausing to introduce the band and specifically Ted Dwane as “one of the great badasses,” Mumford slid into the sorrowful “Holland Road.” Full of pain with an edge of beauty that only knows how to survive, this one certainly shone bright with some delicate work from Laura Bibbs’ trumpet accompaniment.

Diversifying once again, a triumphant version of “Lover of the Light” had the crowd clapping along with hands in the air as the stage-born words of adoration filled their hearts. Thanking the crowd and checking in with those in the upper rows, Mumford shared, “We released some new songs in March… which was a fucking relief to be honest with you,” a statement that garnered much laughter across the amphitheater. With that, “Where it Belongs” hushed the audience as Mumford and Ben Lovett delivered this stilling piece as a duo. Armed only with a guitar and upright piano, the two harmonized and matched each other note for note, chord for chord, leaving the crowd at a whisper as they shared this new Rushmere piece.

Returning to the familiar, “Ghosts That We Knew” was delivered in the same vein as its predecessor, adding Matt Menefee back into the mix on banjo. Following the song of spirits, Mumford spoke directly to the band’s connection to Red Rocks and the area and introduced the next choice:

Thank you so much, now listen… was it really thirteen years ago, was it? That year, we made a film… we even made a music video and um a lot of our career up to that point felt like the road to Red Rocks… I don’t remember a lot of it so we had to try again. So it’s been like the last thirteen years have just been the road back to Red Rocks, and a part of me is quite happy to just keep going in circles at this point. This is f*#king great! We’ve been gone for far too long, and the good news is that we didn’t just write ten new songs in six years; we got a bunch of new ones, and we’re going to start f*#king playing them for you. This one’s called “Icarus”.

This bass-laden stomp weighed heavy and felt different than the rest of the set. Anthemic by design, this one punched and plodded, Dwane sawing at the neck of the upright, grinding out the heart and soul of this dreamer’s tale. Unfortunately, this would be the only unrecorded tune of the night, but gave promise of potential that more would hopefully soon make their way into future setlists.

Returning to the familiar, “Awake My Soul” was up next and gave Menefee’s banjo plenty of center-stage time. This balanced tune starts in ballad mode and climbs at the end into a rousing inferno that put Menefee as the anchor of the extended outro. Like so many other selections throughout the night, the audience shared solidly in the vocals and loved belting out the ending call to the awakened senses. The conflicted “Hopeless Wanderer” followed and received warm recognition from the onset. Constructed with the same dynamics as the preceding song, this piece starts with an open hand but soon turns tight-gripped fist. Ben Lovett’s piano work was laid out with power and emotion as he pounded at the keys while Menefee delivered banjo stylings that were fiery and rapid, unloading rolls in triple time.

Amid the wash of deep appreciation, Lovett stepped to the mic for the first time of the night and offered his own thanks to the attentive audience:

Thank you so much. I know a lot of people say it, but I do think we have the best fans in the world, and we are so, so grateful for you. If you’ve got a lighter or a phone and you want to put it up to the sky, this song is called “Believe”.

Part ballad, part rock song, “Believe” contained some great guitar work by Mason Stoops once again. Starting off in echo and ether, sweet harmony bounced from human mouth to rock face and eventually broke loose into guttural, emotional overload that proved once again that the language of the heart carries the strength to overcome.

Pulling again from the Rushmere album, “Truth” was up next and had Mumford trading in the acoustic for the grit of a black Gibson hollowbody to start this one off. With a stage drenched in red, this one put the uncertainty of introspection on hold and delivered on its name and drove forward with a confident and strong rock aesthetic that had the venue stomping and calling out their own version of the truth. The climax was literally incendiary as pyrotechnic fireballs shot from the stage, heating the cool evening air and lighting up the crowd.

Jumping atop an amp to grab everyone’s attention, Mumford led the crowd on a sing-along with “Ditmas”. Taking it to a whole other level, the frontman crossed over the stage rail into the front row and took to the stairs, climbing to row 20 and stood at the heart of Red Rocks on a mini-stage set up behind the soundboard, sending the crowd into a tizzy as he sang and high-fived onlookers, making for the surreal moment that fans dream of.

Returning to the stage and the familiar acoustic, “The Cave” brought everyone back to earth and had Mumford shouting, “C’mon now, Red Rocks!”, generating the expected response as the stage lights lit the seemingly endless rows of fans losing their marbles. Downshifting the mood a bit, the band slipped and crept through the underbrush of “Dustbowl Dance,” Mumford ascending the drum throne for this piece. With a thunderous climax, the final moments had Mumford returning to the front of the stage, standing once again on top of his amp for the final stanza. Sweating and breathing hard, he once again thanked the crowd, jumping from his perch.

Exiting stage right, the band left the crowd’s view, and at seventy minutes of non-stop action and elating energy, the audience appropriately began to call out for the encore, thinking the set had come to its end. Instead, what everyone got was a real treat. Having utilized the tunnel that connects the stage with the soundboard, the trio of Mumford, Lovett, and Dwane emerged from the curtains that surround the soundboard area and took to the few steps separating the security of the sound booth and the mini-stage that Mumford had stood upon during the aforementioned “Ditmas”. Once there, Mumford addressed the crowd, “Thank you very much, friends. Now, uh, we’re going to sing you a song just around this one microphone here. It’s been a real plus being here. Thanks so much for coming… now shut the f*#k up.” Under a mass of audible laughter, the three got the entirety of a sold-out Red Rocks crowd to be as quiet as church mice on a Sunday and shared a sweet, sweet take on “Timshel” with the only instrumentation being the soft strums of Mumford on the acoustic. The vocals rang out in such a moving way that what was witnessed was revered as something special. Moving on with the same beauty and fragility, the crowd was then gifted another great take with the tune “Reminder”. Still and quiet, the crowd continued in the vigilance to be a part of the moment and take in every delicate note. For the third and final selection from the mini-stage, Dwane took up the stand-up bass while Matt Menefee joined the minstrel musketeers and drove the audience through a rare and rowdy take on Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel”. The reference to Denver and getting a toke from a truck driver received significant emphasis from both the band and the audience in the sing-along and had both groups smiling and laughing. The ending was exceptional as the band fell off completely and had the venue singing confidently and unaccompanied until the band walked back into the shadows of the soundboard area.

Returning to the stage with another piece of Rushmere, “Malibu” brought everyone back in line. With its vulnerable lyrics and droning structure, this one strums at the heartstrings and is certainly part of that intrinsic sound that has defined this group. Nearing the end, Mumford took one last chance to let everyone know with visible sincerity that the evening and locale were just as special to him as they were for everyone in attendance:

I know I say this every time we come to Denver, but this place has played a very, very important part in my life. I moved here when I was eighteen years old. I learned about music. I spent time listening to any Nathaniel Rateliff band I could get my hands on. I got to work out some of my cowboy shit, repressed cowboy shit. You know, I think for us as a band this place, as much as anywhere in the world, feels like coming home, so we’re just unbelievably grateful to you. Thank you so much.

Following that, “Delta” and “The Wolf” sat as perfect opposing forces for the closing frame and continued the durable delivery that had been doled out all night long. Sealing the deal with certainly one of the most popular pieces in the canon, “I Will Wait” brought the night to a close and had the band encouraging the crowd to get their hands in the air while Mumford exclaimed, “There is no other place we would rather be!”

Marcus Mumford and this whole collective bring something special to music that could touch even the coldest of hearts. This band finds joy in spite of suffering, truth amidst lies, a path forward in the surroundings of confusion. They deliver hope and belief in the humanity that lies within us all. They take the complex and simplify in an effort to boil down the importance of simplicity and do it in a way that is accessible to anyone looking to feel something, to heal something. From the start of the nearly two-hour set, everyone felt included and the talent possessed by everyone on that stage sang to the hearts of this singular mass that welcomed this special something back to Red Rocks and made this timeless site spiritual once again.