Tucked into the foothills of the Wasatch Range at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre is the outdoor concert venue of Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, a 100-acre botanical garden operated by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Since 1985 the Garden has drawn visitors for its themed display gardens and hiking trails, but summer evenings belong to music.
One of the most common questions from first-time concertgoers is simple: exactly how many people fit into this grassy amphitheatre bowl, and what does that mean for getting a good spot? Here’s the direct answer, plus everything else you need to know before you go.
Quick Answer
Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre holds about 3,000 people per show, and every single spot is general-admission lawn seating — there are no fixed seats, rows, or sections. It’s a natural grassy bowl, not a stadium, so capacity is capped by how many blankets and low-back chairs can comfortably fit on the grass.
How Many People Does Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre Hold?
The 3,000-person cap has held steady for years and isn’t split into reserved and general-admission blocks the way arena shows often are. Every ticket is the same general-admission lawn ticket, and where you end up sitting depends entirely on how early you arrive and how quickly you can stake out a patch of grass once gates open. Because the venue is a living, grassy bowl rather than a built grandstand, the Garden keeps attendance at roughly 3,000 to protect the lawn, the surrounding plantings, and the relaxed, low-key feel that sets it apart from a typical arena or amphitheater.
That relatively modest capacity is also why tickets feel scarce. Red Butte Garden has more than 12,000 members, and only about 3,000 lawn spots go on sale for any single concert, so member presales for in-demand acts can sell through quickly. If you’re planning around a specific show, treat that 3,000-seat number as a hard ceiling and plan to buy early rather than hoping for day-of availability.
The Concert Experience: What to Bring
Since there’s no fixed seating, what you bring matters. The Garden allows low-back lawn chairs (generally up to about 12 inches from the ground to the front of the seat, and up to about 32 inches to the top of the seat back when upright) and blankets up to roughly 4 feet by 6 feet, so everyone can see over the person in front of them. Inflatable chairs, wagons, and carts aren’t permitted, which keeps sightlines clear across the sloped lawn.
Small personal coolers are allowed for picnicking before and during the show, a nice perk compared to venues that ban outside food entirely. Concerts run rain or shine; only lightning or genuinely severe weather causes a pause or delay, and the Garden does not issue refunds for rain alone. Because the amphitheatre sits at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon in the Wasatch foothills, evenings can turn cool and breezy even after a hot summer afternoon, so a light layer is worth packing along with your chair or blanket.
Planning Your Visit: Tickets & Membership
Because every show is capped at about 3,000 general-admission spots, tickets are sold in a structured way rather than as an open, unlimited sale. Garden members at the Garden-Flex level or above get presale access before the public, along with a small per-ticket discount, while general public tickets open later for whatever remains. Tickets are sold through the Garden’s ticketing partner and at the Garden’s own box office; the Garden explicitly warns against buying from unofficial resellers, since resale tickets aren’t guaranteed to be valid.
For the current season’s lineup, exact presale dates, and up-to-date pricing, check the official Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series page directly, since show dates and prices change every year. Because seating is unassigned, arriving earlier on show day — not just buying early — is what actually determines how close to the stage you end up on the lawn.
History and Growth
The concert series traces back to 1987, when the Garden hosted just four or five alfresco summer shows on Sunday evenings. By 1988 the schedule had grown to six Sunday concerts, and season tickets sold for about $20. Over nearly four decades the series expanded into a full summer lineup of dozens of shows each year, pausing only in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming.
Today the amphitheatre is a fixture of Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West, which grew out of plant research started on University of Utah land by botanist Walter P. Cottam in 1930 and was formally opened to the public in 1985. The amphitheatre’s capacity has stayed intentionally modest throughout that growth, keeping the venue’s identity as an intimate, garden-set concert bowl rather than a mass-market arena.
Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre capacity FAQs
How many people does the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre hold?
About 3,000 people per show. Every spot is general-admission lawn seating rather than fixed, numbered seats.
Is there reserved seating at Red Butte Garden concerts?
No. The amphitheatre is entirely general admission on a grassy lawn bowl — where you sit depends on arrival time, not your ticket type.
What size chairs and blankets can I bring?
Low-back chairs (roughly up to 12 inches high in front and 32 inches to the top of the seat back) and blankets up to about 4 feet by 6 feet are allowed. Inflatable chairs, wagons, and carts are not.
Can I bring food, drinks, or a cooler?
Yes, small personal coolers for picnicking are permitted, though wagons and carts to haul them in are not.
What happens if it rains during a Red Butte Garden concert?
Shows go on rain or shine. Only severe weather like lightning causes a pause or delay, and the Garden does not issue refunds for rain alone.
How do I get tickets, and does Garden membership help?
Garden-Flex members and above get presale access and a small discount before public tickets go on sale. Because only about 3,000 lawn spots exist per show, buying during presale is the safest way to secure a ticket — check the official concert series page for current dates and prices.
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