Phish Folsom 2025 Review: 13 Reasons Why This Should Be A New Boulder Tradition

He said there was a place where we should go…

Phish has played in Commerce City, CO at Dicks Amphitheater for the past 14 years, each Labor Day Weekend since 2011.  For 2025, Phish announced the move to Boulder, Colorado’s Folsom Field.

Dicks had plenty to offer, and the moments and memories made there are legendary.  But Boulder and Folsom Field gave plenty of reasons for Phans to welcome this change.  

It’s hard to change. We get it.

Traditions are traditions for a reason.

People like continuity, familiarity, and knowing exactly what they’re getting into. The unknown can be uncomfortable and scary.

So it was understandable that some were apprehensive when Phish announced that, instead of their annual Labor Day Weekend tradition of playing 4 nights at Dick’s Amphitheater in Commerce City (outside of Denver, CO), a tradition they’ve held since 2011, they would play 3 nights in Boulder at CU’s Folsom Field over the 4th of July.

That’s a big change for some.

But a wise group once said, “the trick is to surrender to the flow.”

Most of us in Boulder knew how amazing this was going to be. Festy GoNuts has had many a magical 4th Weekend at Folsom with Dead and Co.  As far as we’re concerned, if the OGs of this scene called it home for so many years, it was ripe and ready for Phish. We continually assured our friends of that fact in the months leading up to the holiday.

But online chatter was apprehensive.

What about parking? Transportation? Shakedown? How is the stadium? What’s the field access like? The sound? The prairie dog plague?

So many questions.
They were all answered this weekend.

Starting with Thursday’s legendary show kicking off the weekend, it was evident from the start that this would be special.

So, here is our breakdown of Dicks vs. Pholsom:

We wandered ’til we reached a bubbly spring…

Phish in Boulder, CO

Let’s start with the location of Folsom Field, in beautiful Boulder, Colorado.  Phish has a long history with this hippie college town, producing some legendary shows here over the past 35 years.

It seems a waste of time to actually compare Boulder and Commerce City. Boulder has so much to offer as a vacation destination for out-of-town guests, and for those in and around Colorado.

Boulder has a ton to do – there’s a good reason it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state. Many people chose to make a “Boulder Day,” driving in early and going for a hike, or hanging by the creek.

And the views looking out at the Flatirons beyond the stadium was amazing. Leaving the show and strolling through the campus, or walking along the creek was a perfect way to decompress.

POINT: FOLSOM

I was driving down the road one day…

TRANSPORTATION

Instead of making endless plans for transportation, arranging party buses, renting vans, fighting traffic past Denver to the dredges of Commerce City, transportation to Boulder is fairly convenient.

We get it – for a select few that live on the northeast side of Denver, Dicks was convenient. For everyone else in the world, it was a huge effort. And, yes, for many folks, Boulder is also an effort – but Boulder offers many transportation options.

Party bus? Sure, you can still do that. You could even have your party bus dialed into one of the many after-shows to extend the night. Most of the hotel options also had built-in bus transportation, offering an easy two-in-one solution for the challenges facing many out-of-town guests.

Driving? There are official parking lots near Folsom Field (this place does house a football team, after all!) that charged about the same as Dicks. There are also plenty of unofficial lots throughout town.  We opted one night to simply drive to downtown Boulder where we found a safe and free space to park before making the short walk up the hill to Folsom Field.

Uber/Lyft? Piece of cake. Surge prices were high for those returning to Denver, but that’s not really the best way to do it for that distance anyway.   The few times we’ve tried an Uber from Dicks to Boulder we learned that lesson. (At in Boulder, there are plenty of comfortable places to wait, aside from a balloon-trodden, plague-ridden ride-share line!)

POINT: FOLSOM

On the highway to the bittersweet motel…

ACCOMMODATIONS

There are a ton of hotels in and around Boulder. Phish bought out many and offered them back to fans in travel packages with a price bump, something we hope will be limited in the future. But even so, within a 15-20 minute drive there are more than enough rooms for all the Phans.
(If 50,000 Deadheads could find a place to sleep, so can Phish Phans!).

Many of these hotels were in Superior and Broomfield, a quick 15-minute hop down 36, and most of these offered bus transportation to and from the show.

Dicks has a handful of hotels nearby, but we were always disappointed by the inability to walk to the show. The rest of the options were in Denver, also requiring some sort of additional transportation to the show.

For Airbnb options, there are many available in Boulder, and expect that number to grow exponentially if this tradition continues.

(Note – we heard that the hotel options for Boulder were slightly more expensive than Denver/Dicks. This may be so, but it’s hard for us to judge too much by price when people have no problem dropping $30 on a balloon. Just sayin’.)

POINT: TIE

Let’s get this show on the road…

PRE-GAME:

This being 4th of July weekend, there were picnics and BBQs at residences all over town, and many of these were within walking distance of the show. Sure, you’ve got to know someone for this option, but that’s just one of the many things to do before a Folsom Field concert.

Personally, we headed downtown mid-afternoon and grabbed happy hour snacks and bevies at one of many amazing Pearl Street Mall locations. It was a simple way to meet up with friends and connect with some real conversation before the party kicked into the next gear.  Closer to the venue, the area known as The Hill is also bustling with options for food and drink, some at better prices closer than Pearl St.

There were also several music options for pre-game around town, and a free PhanArt event at Fox Theatre.

After a few glasses of bubbly and some Bruschetta (never had that option at Dicks!) we headed up the Hill to check out shakedown…

POINT: FOLSOM

just gotta poke around…

SHAKEDOWN

Shakedown at Dicks was legendary, so we understand this is a tough area to compete with, but hear us out on this one.

Dicks Shakedown was huge – but hot and dusty. Folsom has a few spread-out areas, but the one we found just west of Folsom Dr. was grassy and shaded. We grabbed some beers and relaxed there for a bit.

We’re certain that this will evolve if we’re all invited back to Boulder. For Dead & Co, there was a great Shakedown by the Boulder Creek, and maybe this is a future option for Boulder. Regardless, there were still plenty of options for anything you could possibly want, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy.

We also heard some feedback that there wasn’t a centralized spot to hook up with your crew – no grassy knoll that was easily found year after year. That’s fair, but this is easily figured out with a little planning, and if Folsom becomes a tradition, this will get worked out.

The trade-off is worth a little extra effort – instead of a hot dustbowl tent city, we’ve got one of the coolest towns around, filled with restaurants, a creek, shade, activities, and plenty more.

POINT: TIE

From far away, I’ll say your name…

THE NAME:

Ok, this one is tough, because it’s hard(!!) to compete with Phish Dicks, but we’re huge fans of alliteration, and Phish Pholsom is pretty great too. Throw in the Phourth and we are opening up opportunities for some great merch.

POINT: TIE

And the vibes that rise like fireflies…

THE VIBE

The vibe at Dicks has evolved over the years. It has held countless wonderful memories, times shared with friends, parties, musical moments, rainbows, and more.

But over the last few years, the vibe around Dicks – on the lot, in the fields – has gotten a bit nasty. Last year, the nitrous scene was simply out of control. It was impossible to walk 3 feet without running into a balloon, and the sound of gas upon exiting the show was deafening.

Look, we like to party. We imbibe. But there are limits. Even before Folsom was announced, we had been remarking that Phish needed a reset. A break, or something, because things had gotten out of control.

And if the biggest complaint anyone has is centered around the availability and ease of obtaining and sucking down gas, maybe they should rethink what Phish is really about anyway.

The vibe in Boulder was fresh. Sure, there was debauchery to be found, but it could easily be avoided as well. We left the show on Saturday to one of the most pleasant walks I have ever had leaving a concert, anywhere.

POINT: FOLSOM

We move through stormy weather…

THE WEATHER

I know, we can’t compare the weather at two different venues – there are too many outside factors here to consider.

I will say that there is much more shade surrounding Folsom for those hot-ass pre-show hangs.

True to Phish Colorado form, we had our first weather delay at Folsom on Saturday night. And it was pleasant! Evacuating was only a suggestion (that no one took) and there were plenty of bars and bathrooms available in the stadium to make the time worth while.

All in all, we were blessed with beautiful weather all weekend, but I guess it wouldn’t be fair to attribute this to Folsom!

POINT: TIE

I want a round room just to be with you …

THE VENUE

Our first thought entering Folsom was that there was no way this was twice the size of Dicks.  As we mentioned, we’ve been to many Dead & Co shows, but it’s been a few years. The Folsom field seemed almost exactly the same, with a few notable exceptions – water refill stations and port-a-pots on the floor! No need to climb a hundred stairs to pee in the middle of the show!

With plenty of room to move and dance, we hit up a few different floor spots – Page-side Shade-side to start, then a bit further into the back. We had decent sight lines everywhere we wandered, with the obvious exceptions of directly behind the soundboard or speaker towers.

The sound was fantastic – definitely a bit louder and clearer than Dicks, in our opinion.

There were some bars with long lines, but if you knew where to look, this could easily be avoided. There was even a grab-and-go cooler section with no lines. Plenty of beer slingers walked the stands, so you didn’t really have to move if you weren’t picky.

Folsom was also easy to navigate and find your way around. Yes, the Field House (top of the west-side stands) gets pretty damn hot, but there’s not really reason to hang out there other than grabbing a drink and using the bathroom. And speaking of bathrooms, I can only speak for the fellas, but if you know where to go, there is never a line (troughs for miles!).

I did love Dicks as a venue once I was inside. But for a venue that boasts double the capacity, Folsom does a fantastic job of keeping everything feeling comfortable and easy.

POINT: TIE

Woke up this morning…

SECURITY AND STAFF

The security and entry were a breeze – no different than most concert experiences, and not much of a change we could notice from Dicks.

We heard different stories from different folks, and, like most concerts, this seemed to be the luck of the draw based on which line you were in. But, overall, as expected.

Staff was generally kind and happy, and we didn’t encounter any problems.

Some friends complained that it was too hard to sneak onto the floor. Look, we aren’t exactly saints, but it’s hard for us to get behind a complaint that the venue sucks because they made you adhere to the ticket you bought.

On another note, we also heard complaints of an overabundance of police presence. We did see a ton of cops, which is absolutely to be expected. There was a terrorist attack in Boulder a month ago. Get used to increased police presence at massively crowded events. (We had to go through a metal detector at a bluegrass festival recently.)  I have e feeling that you would have seen the same presence at Dicks this year. Regardless, the cops we encountered were mostly friendly and just doing their job.

POINT: TIE

Sun’s coming up and I’m rolling over…

POST SHOW/AFTER PARTIES

After the first night’s show, we took a relaxing stroll along Boulder Creek, eventually making our way to Pearl Street for a decompression beer at the famed Mountain Sun Pub. For our money, this was a much better way to close the night than by sitting in a soccer field in the middle of nowhere.

And that’s probably the best part of Phish Boulder – the post-show options. At both the Fox Theater and Boulder Theatre, amazing shows were happening every night to keep the music and dancing going long after Phish.

We caught Steely Dead one night and The Motet another, but options included Galactic, Arc De Soleil, Magic Beans and Flying Mojito Brothers. And that’s just at the two bigger venues in town – there was entertainment all around if you knew where to look.

POINT: FOLSOM

cruise the land of the brave and the free..

THE PHOURTH

Phish in Colorado at Dicks had always occurred over Labor Day Weekend, making for an easier travel getaway for many. But July 4th Weekend offers just as may perks, aside from an extra day to BBQ.

Dead & Co. always played to the holiday during their 4th of July shows, notably surprising the crowd with an unbelievable drone light show at their last appearance. It was much discussed throughout the day whether or not Phish would do the same.

But, Phish being Phish, they did their own thing.

They opened on July 4th with Bathtub Gin and never really let their foot off the gas.

It seemed they were setting up for something big in the second set, and a drone show was on many minds.

We won’t beat around the bush though. This is a weird time, and we’ve heard many people express that they had conflicting feelings about celebrating America this year. We have no way of knowing if this contributed to Phish’s decision, but in the end, they let their music and Chris Kuroda’s light show do all the talking, and that was all we needed.

At one point, during the height of What’s Going Through Your Mind > Tweezer, I thought Kuroda was sending a message. It seemed the lights took on the rough shape of America, with prominent reds and blues. The colors then divided, dancing at odds with one another. As the music crescendoed, they seemed to come together in a beautiful wave of purple that engulfed the crowd.

Maybe Phish was making a statement. Or maybe it was the mushrooms. Either way, Phish made sure that no one left wishing for more than they delivered.

If this tradition continues, having the event over 4th of July weekend should open up travel plans for many.  Sure, it is not as predictable as Labor Day Monday, but there’s still a holiday thrown in there, and one that we are much more used to celebrating.

Labor Day is fun, but 4th of July has the potential for fireworks and drones.

POINT: FOLSOM

I love the shiny music that descends from overhead

THE MUSIC

And now onto the most important part…

Thursday at Folsom was well below capacity – our estimates were about 60-70%. As Phish has often done throughout their career, the band took note and came out of the gates with a decided effort to give very strong regrets to those who missed it. Never miss a Thursday show!

Phish tore through an amazing 2 sets that seemed plucked right out of 1997. Even the newest tune of the night – Pillow Jets – sounded like it belonged amongst the classics that defined this evening.

Friday seemed to pick right off where Thursday left off, coming out of the gates with Bathtub Gin and delivering a beautiful opening set that many thought was ending with Guyute, but continued through Back on the Train, Most Events Aren’t Planned (“this doesn’t sound like setbreak!”).

The second set on Friday will become legendary, with the Simple -> What’s Going Through Your Mind > Tweezer interplay filling the bulk of the frame.

These shows weren’t just amazing on paper – the delivery was clean, precise, energetic and fun. Phish was happy to be here.

Saturday was a fun night – the Phans at this point were settled into the town, the venue and the vibe. Phish played some classics, some new tunes, and some surprises. (Lizards made its first Colorado appearance since 2017!)

Overall, Phish delivered as only Phish can.

Boulder featured a theme of a few more bluegrass tunes than we might get at Dicks, and that is fine with most Phans when they are appropriately placed as they were.

We can’t really compare the music of the two venues, as Phish Dicks has hosted some of the most legendary shows in the band’s career – but Folsom is certainly off to an amazing start.

POINT: TIE

Surrender to the flow…

This was a magical weekend in Boulder.

We understand, change is difficult, and we had an amazing run at Dicks. 

Festy GoNuts has been there for plenty of it, and has nothing but love for what we’ve experienced there.  But sometimes it’s time to close a chapter so you can start a new book.  And you know that we need to read the f*%#ing book.

So, to all you negative nancys out there, try to have a new perspective.  Look at all the wonderful magic that comes with Phish in Boulder.  Surrender to the flow…

Imagine the alternatives – what if they moved to Fiddler’s?  Or Colorado Springs? Or not Colorado?

Boulder is an amazing town with a ton to offer everyone.

It’s hard to imagine a better fit than Phish and Boulder, and Festy GoNuts is fully on board.

See you next year?