Boulder Theater

For years of my living in Orlando, Florida, I had to endure many of my closest friends (and Boulderites) telling me how I truly haven’t experienced an awesome downtown venue like the Boulder Theater. Sure, I said — but I’m from Orlando! There are plenty of awesome venues in Orlando.
Boy was I wrong. Boulder Theater is gorgeous — and gorgeous in a timeless sort of way. From the outside, it looks like a normal theater that probably hasn’t changed its décor in a decade or so, but the real gem is inside. The concentric architecture is matched seamlessly by ornate wall design and paint, and the whole room falls right into place in front of the stage. There are elongated tiers leading up from the wooden ballroom-​style floor, which provide plenty of dancing/​grooving/​sitting space throughout, but allow for plenty of room to pull back from the excitement if you prefer. The acoustics, as only a dome-​like venue could offer, are fantastic, the views are great from everywhere in the house, and the audio/​visual equipment will leave you wanting for nothing.
And then, there are the artists. Boulder Theater regularly has the most impressive schedule of any venue I’ve seen to date (if you are a music fanatic, you will certainly have to pick your battles — that is to say, the BEST ones). The Theater is also located right in the heart of downtown Boulder, very close to Pearl Street and all of the other awesome things in the downtown area to do.
Now that I’ve lived in Boulder for a little under a year, I can say that I’m very fortunate to have gone to quite a few shows at this Theater, and not a single one has disappointed. Phenomenal.

Went to the Prince Party where I learned that the security there are a bunch of incompetent morons. People kept trying to go on stage and dance and instead of putting a barricade in front of the steps, an idiot security guard would hide off to the side and then attack anybody who went up the stairs to the stage. I recommended to put a trash can in front of the steps so people would know not to go up them but I was looked at with a real dumb look. It looked like to me that the security guard was really getting off grabbing at people like he did. He should have been charged with assault.

Shout out to Jeff who is on the security team. He’s personable and overall a super good guy.
I really like the boulder theater. Its proximity to everything is super key and it usually has some really great shows.

So many times do I find myself at the Boulder Theater. It is such a nice place to see a live show. I know I will be back time and time again to see many more bands.

We had our wedding reception at the Boulder Theater. The rates were extremely reasonable, especially compared to other options in town. The staff was great to work with and our guests had a great time! There are so many options with decorating the spacious room, but you don’t really need a whole lot with the beautiful paint in the venue. We had a live band and a DJ, and we were able to bring in any caterer that we chose. Great service and a wonderful time, all around!

Love this place! Consistently good. Like the management and great bands. Not a bad seat in the house for shows.

I pretty much only go here once a year for the Warren Miller movie screening, but I have seen a few musical performances as well.
Good place to see a show! Bar is centrally located, several «tiers» heading towards the back of the venue so it’s easy to see. Sound is usually pretty good as well.
And Warren Miller event is always awesome!

The venue is great. We saw Greg Allman there and Devotchka over Halloween. It’s a great atmosphere for a show. Attached to the Boulder Theater is a restaurant called The Ghost BBQ. We were hungry towards the middle of the show and went there and had some awesome ribs, pulled pork sandwich, and mac & cheese that was insanely good. The restaurant was a really nice quiet escape from the booming concert next door. The bartenders are awesome at the Boulder Theater and it’s easy to get a drink. The theater itself is really nice with cool murals. Enjoy the food and music! Looking forward to our next show there.

Great Venue with Great Spirits! Love to see my Family & Friends Here. Come join Us and Listen & Dance to your Favorite Artist!

You gotta expect Boulder of all places to have a music venue like this one. Small, eccentric, and a little frayed around the edges due to age, but ultimately a solid spot to catch a show.
The Boulder Theater is pretty simple in design. Not really much going on inside when it comes to style or uniqueness. It’s kind of your typical pit area, bar in the back, and upstairs seating kind of venue. Outside they’ve got that nice neon styled billing showing the headliner for the night which is pretty cool throwback.
Sound is pretty great here. The acoustics of the place seemed pretty solid to me. Nothing got drowned out and my ear drums still seem solid to me.
It’s in a pretty amazing spot location-​wise. It’s right smack in the center of downtown Boulder, so it’s surrounded by shops and restaurants and things to do if you’re ever early for the show. Also, parking is plentiful around the area. The show was priced pretty fairly all things considered as well.
Definitely gonna keep the Boulder Theater in mind if I’m ever in the mood to catch a show!

Boulder Theater is my favorite venue for music. I’ve been to several shows here since I’ve lived here and the acoustics IMO are much better than the Fox. It’s small and I love the intimate feeling. Pretty easy to get drinks and the crowd is usually pretty chill. I’m short so I usually have some issues seeing the stage from the bottom level but that’s not really their fault — lol.
In addition to concerts they do some other events like the Best of Boulder awards ceremony. Even though it’s small the venue for it was great — lots of space to mingle and visit food tables and the photo booth. I’ve never been up on the balcony so I can’t say much about it but I bet it’s cool too.

Definitely not my favorite venue for a concert, it’s small which gives it the intimate feel. It is ultimately run down and in desperate need of a good bathroom clean. Each time I went to the bathroom there was vomit everywhere that had not been tended to, which is unacceptable at any cost.
If you’re going for a concert be prepared, and wear close toed shoes.

This is no theater, I’ve been to hundreds of shows at hundreds of venues and this was by far the worst «theater» I’ve ever been to.
I drove into Boulder to see one of my favorite bands, the Wailin’ Jennys, after months of anticipation and they were amazing! But I was in the back half of the theater, right about even with the front of the bar, and multiple people were having conversations in the back through the ENTIRE performance. I was expecting some mild whispering while people were ordering drinks and whatnot but several groups of people were having full volume conversations from start to finish during the show. I guess that’s just the culture there? I think that’s disrespectful to the musicians and the other patrons but nobody, even the ushers standing 5 feet away, seemed to care at all. I’m very disappointed.
Also, the seats were very cramped, people were smoking pot inside during intermission, and the visibility and acoustics were lacking.

We were here for the Boulder Film Festival so our experience is probably different than most reviewers. First, this is not a movie theater. It is a cavernous building stuffed full of narrow temporary seating squeezed together in impossibly tight quarters. The seats are uncomfortable and narrow so you WILL be sharing your neighbors’ space (no arms on the chairs). One row had less than 6″ of leg space — all but two of the seats were empty since no one could stand to be that squished.
Terrible viewing — the theater has terraces and is not sloped, unless you are in the front row by one of the railings, your view of the screen will be blocked by multiple heads in front of you. In addition, every time a door was opened to the outside, light flooded the theater and it was distracting enough to cause people to look around — very weird.

Unsafe: the pathway through the theater is carpeted in a dark color and it is difficult to see the stairs. We saw numerous older customers stumble as they walked down the stairs (they could not see the stairs — no floor lighting) and one older woman almost fell while she was returning to her seat in the dark. This place is a lawsuit ready to happen.
Would we ever return here? Unlikely. If there is a film we truly want to see I will find an art theater in Denver (hopefully a Real movie theater with lighting and seats). I would rather drive a long way and have a nicer experience.

Price = 4
Experience = 4
G Love show was great… super cool interior… great wall paintings… easy bar access… great tiered levels, so it’s easy to get a great close view.

This is a cool little Art Deco theater in Boulder. I’ve only been for live music, but apparently they screen movies here too. I love the exterior of the theater and it reminds me of a couple LA venues that were awesome for live music.
I like that it’s right off Pearl Street, so you can go out for dinner or drinks before you go to the show. Plus, there’s plenty of street parking, and if you read the signs, it’s easy to find free spots. Just make sure you park after certain hours posted on the signs because they have permit parking for local businesses during the day.
The only downside for me is that the shows are generally all ages or 16+, so you get a bunch of kids who are high or drunk and don’t know how to handle themselves. Leaving the last show, some kid was throwing up all over the sidewalk and street, and he was definitely under 21, so just be prepared for the mixed bag.

Art. Deco. Awesomeness.

This is a really beautiful multipurpose theater. I’ve been for shows and movie screenings, which I prefer. They can fit a lot of seats in there and the bar is on the main floor and big. Parking is easy to find as there are street spots and plenty of parking garages within a 2 block radius.
I just wish they had better bands that played here.

The Boulder Theater is an institution. I have seen occasional shows there for many years. I don’t go frequently and most of the shows I see are for «all ages» which is only one portion of its reputation. There is a good vibe to this historic venue.
However, sometimes the place has not been as clean as I would prefer. There is less drinking and spilling at the all ages shows, but still, I have had an incident where a large beer was spilled by a patron in the row behind me, onto my coat (white wool) which I could then not even wear home in cold weather. The cleaning cost was substantial too. There was no coat check available at the event. So now I am more cautious about what I wear there. Also, the latest change I noticed is to have rather grubby trash and recycling containers placed in the seating aisles. Probably a necessity but it does detract. There was a very dirty one right in front of our seats.
That being said, the sound quality is good. The old wood gives a mellow sound and casual atmosphere. People attending events are always having a good time, including us. The bar has its pros and cons, as mentioned. Sometimes the parking can be tough, and in the winter, when I usually go, walking a distance can be icy. But that is true of everything in downtown Boulder. This show was on a Sunday night so it was easier than usual on logistics. We will always be willing to attend events here, and this place will always be a popular venue.

This is a beautiful old and well maintained Art Deco style theater. During a recent show we noticed that the carpet had just been replaced and you could smell the new carpet smell. The paint on the walls and ceiling looked liked it had been freshened up as well and I think the fabric on the balcony seats was new. It’s always heartwarming to see a historic building receiving proper care.
I think this is the perfect sized venue and the acoustics are great no matter if you’re up in the balcony or down on the floor. Although there aren’t any bathrooms upstairs, there is a second bar tucked away in a separate room but it won’t be open if the show is not sold out. The bartenders are friendly and fun and the downstairs bar is large enough for a non-​capacity crowd. All in all, it’s a fantastic place to see your favorite band.
If you want to get in ahead of the line at the door, head over to George’s Food & Drink for a cocktail and your wrist band. Also, you can park for free at the RTD garage at 14^th and Walnut and it’s a short walk to the theater from there. Enjoy the show!