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Outside Days 2026 Generates Record-Breaking $42.15 Million Economic Impact for Colorado

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DENVER – Colorado-based Outside Days, the nation's premier outdoor recreation conference and festival by Outside Interactive Inc., contributed $42.15 million to Colorado's economy in 2026, a 17% increase over 2025 and 163% cumulative growth since the inaugural event in 2024. Over just three years, Outside Days has contributed close to $100 million to Colorado's economy. This rapid growth underscores the strength of outdoor recreation in Colorado and the state's continued leadership providing new opportunities to experience and celebrate the outdoors.

"Colorado is famous for our iconic mountains and outdoor recreation, and Outside Days is a big celebration of the Colorado way of life," said Governor Jared Polis. "The success of Outside Days proves that when we bring people together, we aren't just celebrating our wild spaces—we're building a stronger, more resilient future for Colorado workers and small businesses alike. Further strengthening our outdoor recreation economy and bringing more people together to protect Colorado's outdoor spaces for generations to come."

Outside Days launched in 2024 through a partnership between Outside Interactive Inc., the State of Colorado and Visit Denver with the intent to inspire and promote outdoor pursuits. In 2026, the festival transitioned from a three-day to a four-day event, successfully expanding capacity by 172% over 2024 and attracting more than 40,000 attendees. Notably, 30% of this year's attendees came from out of state, an increase of 50% over 2024.

"Outside Days has become much more than an event—it's a powerful economic driver for Colorado. Its growth year after year is a testament to the shared value of in-person community and a strong passion for the outdoors," says Robin Thurston, Founder and CEO of Outside. "Our team at Outside is incredibly proud to call Colorado home, and to play a role in pioneering a movement that creates meaningful impact for the state."

Outside Days offers a variety of events that serve outdoor enthusiasts, outdoor recreation industry partners, and small businesses. In addition to performances by critically acclaimed musicians with deep ties to the outdoors—including Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket and Cage the Elephant—2026 featured inspiring conversations with world-class athletes and thought leaders, an outdoor-focused film festival, and an industry conference and career fair presented with Basecamp Outdoor. The career fair connected 34 national brands with 700 participants, including 521 job seekers, creating new pathways into the outdoor industry.

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The industry conference included the third year of the Outside Summit, a networking and thought leadership gathering for outdoor professionals, and year two of Outside Ignite, a startup pitch competition that brought together founders and investors competing for a $100,000 prize. There were also two new tracks for 2026: Attract, for innovators across the travel industry, and Endure, for endurance race directors and event organizers. Camp Colorado also returned bigger than ever as a popular exhibit space, featuring outdoor recreation industry businesses, nonprofits, and destinations from across the state that allowed attendees to explore Colorado-based products and services. New for 2026, Camp Colorado also introduced the 'Rural is Rad' brand showcase, which spotlighted over a dozen unique outdoor brands and products found across Colorado's rural communities.

"Outdoor recreation contributes $65.8 billion to Colorado's economy and supports over 400,000 jobs. By working with partners like Outside and Visit Denver to launch and grow a flagship event like Outside Days, we are reinforcing Colorado's reputation as a global leader in the outdoors and supporting the continued growth of an industry that is crucial to our economy. We are thrilled to see a total economic impact close to $100 million in just three years," said Eve Lieberman, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).

To support the launch and growth of Outside Days, OEDIT, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) and the Colorado Economic Development Commission have contributed approximately $900,000 in funding. Considering the nearly $100 million in cumulative economic impact of Outside Days, that represents more than $100 in economic activity for every $1 of state investment. Beyond funding, the state has helped shape Outside Days as an economic-development platform—connecting Colorado businesses with customers and investors, introducing national companies and industry leaders to Colorado, creating workforce opportunities, and showcasing communities and destinations from across the state.

Additionally, as part of its Do Colorado Right campaign, the Colorado Tourism Office sponsored several water bottle refill stations at Outside Days, giving attendees an easy way to stay hydrated while reducing single-use waste. The stations served approximately 43,000 gallons of water, diverting the equivalent of more than 326,000 plastic bottles from waste.

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"By creating the 'SXSW' of the outdoor industry, we are not only celebrating our state's incredible natural resources but also lifting up the many small businesses and organizations that connect people to unforgettable outdoor experiences," said Conor Hall, OREC Director. "Outside has been the perfect partner to help us start and grow Outside Days, creating a vibrant and vital ecosystem that will only continue to grow to the benefit of Colorado and the broader outdoor industry."

Outside Days will return in 2027 at the Auraria Campus in the heart of downtown Denver. Follow along for updates at https://outsidedays.outsideonline.com/.

About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado's economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

About Outside Interactive Inc.

Outside Interactive, Inc. is the premier destination for outdoor inspiration, activation, and celebration. Each year, Outside reaches over 30 million monthly active users and has more than 100 million registered users across its network of 25 media, service, and utility brands, including Outside, MapMyFitness, Velo, Yoga Journal, Pinkbike, Gaia GPS, Trailforks, athleteReg, and more. Outside's mission is to actually help people get outside and experience healthy, connected, and fulfilling lives, whether they are longtime adventurers or those just getting started. Outside's subscription offering, Outside+, bundles best-in-class storytelling, videos, gear reviews, mapping apps, online courses, discounted event access, and more. Learn more at outsideonline.com/outsideplus.

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