Spring is a quiet time to unwind and enjoy arts and culture events in relaxed setting. Whether catching a live performance, attending Shortsfest, or touring an exhibition, experience world-class arts and culture in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Music
In December 2025, Jazz Aspen Snowmass opened the Paul JAS Center, an intimate, world-class live music venue that serves as a year-round hub for concerts, education, and special events. Located above the historic Red Onion in downtown Aspen, the Paul JAS Center is hosting a full lineup of performances, featuring jazz, blues, soul, gospel, New Orleans, and more.
Aspen Music Festival and School is a renowned classical music festival, known for its concerts and training programs for aspiring musicians. AMFS presents the following celebrated musicians as part of the Winter Music Recitals at Harris Concert Hall:
March 4th – Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata with Benjamin Grosvenor
March 17th – Augustin Hadelich and Francesco Piemontesi in Recital
This spring, the Hi-Fi concert series returns to Aspen Snowmass for three nights of free live music. Top off an epic spring day by swaying to the sounds of live tunes in the heart of the mountains.
Belly Up Aspen is one of Aspen’s best venues for year-round live music. From big name artists such as Zed’s Dead, Gary Clarke Jr., and Father John Misty to up and coming talent, experience your favorite artists in an intimate setting at Belly Up Aspen.
Through March, the Aprés-Ski Music Series, located in the St. Regis Fountain Courtyard, features performances by internationally-recognized DJs.
Film
Since 1979, Aspen Film has entertained and educated the community through film. Aspen Shortsfest, one of the world's premier showcases for short films, returns from April 7th - 11th, 2026. For the 35th Oscar®-qualifying Shortsfest, festival goers will enjoy a film filled week packed with screenings, panels, workshops, and more. Known for discovering top-talent, Shortsfest features films created by emerging filmmakers.
On select dates, Aspen Film presents the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live movie transmissions, bringing renowned opera productions from the Met stage to Aspen.
Live Performances
Since 1889, the Wheeler Opera House has connected the community through arts and has become one of the Roaring Fork Valley’s premiere sites for concerts, movies, festivals, lectures, community events, comedy, and more. From March 11th-15th, the Aspen Laugh Festival 2026 returns, featuring a full lineup of talented comedians.
Exhibits
Don't miss the Aspen Art Museum’s exhibits:
Glenn Ligon: Break It Down (November 21, 2025 – March 15, 2026)
Victoria Colmenga: Play Technique (December 12, 2025 – March 29, 2026)
Jacqueline Humphries (December 12, 2025 – April 5, 2026)
Shahryar Nashat: Raw Is The Red (November 21, 2025 – April 26, 2026)
Keith Mayerson: My American Dream (Rocky Mountain High) (March 22, 2026 – May 31, 2026)
The Bayer Center has the following current exhibitions:
Sculpting the Environment: The Three-Dimensional Art of Herbet Bayer (June 10, 2025 – April 18, 2026) In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Aspen Institute, the exhibition investigates Bayer’s exploration of “the total environment”. From his outdoor sculptures and land art to drawings, paintings, photographs, models, and more, the exhibition explores Bayer’s relationship with the landscape.
Commemorating Global Design Discourse in Aspen: Posters from the IDCA (October 15, 2025 – April 30, 2026) For over 50 years, Aspen hosted architects, urban planners, landscape architects, designs, artists, and thinkers from around the globe at the International Design Conference in Aspen. The conference explored how design could shape modern life and attracted speakers who defined the field, becoming a focal point for international design culture at its height in the 1980s. The exhibit contains posters by Paul Rand, Milton Glaser, Grapus, and other internationally-acclaimed designers working during this period.
Charting Space: Herbert Bayer’s World Geo-Graphic Atlas at 70 is an interactive learning experience designed specifically for kids grades K-12. Using Bayer’s atlas, the installation investigates current global challenges by dividing the world into three sections: the universe, Earth, and states and nations.
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