Is Garth Brooks Playing a Secret Show at Denver’s Grizzly Rose This Week? Here’s Why We Think So

Garth Brooks is currently gearing up to headline Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado this week, but we think he's teasing a smaller show at the nearby Grizzly Rose ahead of these dates.

Brooks performs at Ball Arena on Friday and Saturday, September 4th and 5th. The Grizzly Rose, a revered local venue a short drive away from Ball Arena, has announced a last minute show the night before Brooks’ two shows, on Thursday, September 3rd.

But the name of the performing artist has caught our attention - Yukon Jack. Yukon Jack was the alias Brooks used back in 1993 at a very small bar in Clovis, New Mexico, shortly before performing at the Super Bowl Half-Time Show later that month.

Brooks played at The Grizzly Rose a couple of times before he was famous and while he was working the club circuit, with the venue even getting a shout-out on his 1995 song, ‘The Old Stuff’ (“Oh the stories we could tell if it weren't for the code of the road / About the Buckboard, Bear Creek, Cowboys and The Grizzly Rose”).

What's more, in the post unveiling Yukon Jack's show, The Grizzly Rose lays out some pretty strict regulations. If this really was a small, up-and-coming artist, you have to assume they wouldn't be instructing fans that they can't line up until 4pm in the afternoon. Additionally, tickets will only be available to purchase on the door.

It seems almost certain, especially given the timing of this being the night before the Ball Arena double-header, that The Grizzly Rose is hosting be a set from Brooks himself.

With his 2026 run of shows serving as an homage to his iconic 90's Drum Pod Tour, it feels apt that Brooks is also tipping his cap to another fond memory from that era, when he popped up and played a surprise set in Clovis, New Mexico under an alias.

It's the latest example of the ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ hitmaker making a concerted effort to do things differently for this tour. Few artists would grace such a small venue while they're preparing to headline two arena shows, just like few artists would be willing to go to the lengths Brooks is going to in order to deter ticket-scalpers.

Every ticket on his 2026 tour costs the exact same price, and there is a designated virtual waiting room that attempts to ensure there are no bots or scammers getting tickets.

We reckon The Grizzly Rose will have a lot of fans queuing up from 4pm to try and secure a spot inside. It can hold a capacity of 2,000 people, making this a unique opportunity to see Garth Brooks - sorry, we mean, Yukon Jack - in an intimate setting.