Denver Parks and Recreation begins work to rebuild historic bandshell destroyed in fire

Denver’s City Park lost a special piece of history when its bandshell was destroyed by a fire in March. Now, the city says it’s moving forward with rebuilding it.

The original bandstand was constructed in 1896 and has seen a few iterations over the years. It was replaced in 1924, and a replica was constructed on the site in 1984.

Although the structure itself has been replaced, the site has been home to community gatherings, events, concerts and celebrations for the past 130 years. City Park Jazz hosts jazz concerts at the bandshell every week over the summer.

DPR says it holds an important place in local history, and the city has begun the process of rebuilding it.

The recent fire heavily damaged the structure, and a structural assessment found that what remains is not salvageable, DPR explained.

They’ve contracted Mundus Bishop to lead the design for the new bandshell. The city says it’s working to raise the $250,000 needed to cover the insurance deductible and to support construction of the new structure.

City officials say demolition will begin in the fall and that construction of the new bandshell will start by the end of the year. They hope to open it in time for the 2027 CityPark Jazz season.

The city wants the community’s feedback on the new design, and is holding a pop-up event on June 28 to introduce the design team and to share project updates. They invite the community to ask questions and offer input as the project progresses.

More information on the project is available on the city’s website.