When two dynamic cultural entities collaborate, you get…Film on the Rocks! The 27^th annual partnership between Denver Film and Denver Arts & Venues has announced the 2026 summer lineup that features comedy, nostalgia, Oscar winners, and dinosaurs.

Each evening pairs a classic film with live performances at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Gates open at 6:30pm with pre-show entertainment taking the stage at 7pm followed by the film at 8:30pm. Local comedian and actor Janae Burris will emcee each evening, and tickets ($25 general admission, $50 VIP reserved seating) are on sale now.

Many of these titles pair nicely with upcoming productions at the Denver Center for the Performing, so mark your calendar for a season of entertainment.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE

June 8
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can’t stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.

Featuring a pre-show performance by School of Rock

DCPA Pairing: If you enjoy The Princess Bride, you’re sure to enjoy Monty Python’s Spamalot (Aug 11-23). Both are comedic fairy tales that mock the genre they inhabit while combining romance, adventure, and absurdity.

SINNERS

June 22
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Featuring a pre-show performance by The Reminders

DCPA Pairing: Leaning into the supernatural elements of Sinners, DCPA patrons will enjoy two upcoming productions filled with magic and mystical powers — Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (May 30-June 21) and Beetlejuice (August 4-9).

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

20th Anniversary, Presented in Partnership with the Sundance Film Festival and Searchlight Pictures

July 13
Father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperately trying to sell his motivational success program…with no success. Meanwhile, “pro-honesty” mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) lends support to her eccentric family, including her depressed brother (Steve Carell), fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his lover. Then there are the younger Hoovers — the seven-year-old, would-be beauty queen Olive (Abigail Breslin) and Dwayne (Paul Dano), a Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken a vow of silence. Topping off the family is the foul-mouthed grandfather (Alan Arkin), whose outrageous behavior recently got him evicted from his retirement home. When Olive is invited to compete in the “Little Miss Sunshine” pageant in far-off California, the family piles into their rusted-out VW bus to rally behind her — with riotously funny results.

Featuring a pre-show opening performance by Wheelchair Sports Camp, followed by headliner DeVotchKa.

DCPA Pairing: Root for the underdog! Little Miss Sunshine and upcoming engagement of The Outsiders (September 8-27) both portray outsiders bound by loyalty and love who buck the norm and find dignity not in winning, but in standing together.

BRIDESMAIDS — 15th Anniversary!

August 3
Annie’s (Kristen Wiig) life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.

Featuring a pre-show performance by May Be Fern

DCPA Pairing: Getting married is never without its drama, so after you see Bridesmaids, you must see the return engagement of MAMMA MIA! (May 11-16). On the eve of her wedding, Sophie is determined to reveal the father she’s never known…but which of three men from her mother’s past is it?

JURASSIC PARK

Powered by Xcel Energy, Co-Presented by National Geographic Live

August 10
In Steven Spielberg’s massive blockbuster, paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are among a select group chosen to tour an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. While the park’s mastermind, billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), assures everyone that the facility is safe, they find out otherwise when various ferocious predators break free and go on the hunt.

Featuring a pre-show presentation by Paleontologist and National Geographic Explorer Tyler Lyson

DCPA Pairing: Inspired by Samuel L. Jackson’s line in Jurassic Park, Hold On To Your Butts (September 16-October 4) is a comedy based on the classic film, told by two actors and a Foley artist who perform a live, shot-for-shot parody of the greatest dinosaur film of all time.

Tickets to the 27^th edition of Film on the Rocks are available at denverfilm.org.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) NewsCenter is the organization’s editorial platform for stories, announcements, interviews, and coverage of theatre and cultural programming in Colorado. We are committed to producing accurate, trustworthy, clearly sourced journalism that reflects our mission and serves our community.