Bravo! Vail Music Festival/Courtesy photo
Bravo! Vail Music Festival announced Friday that its 38th annual summer festival, which took place from June 19 to July 31, brought in $41.2 million in direct economic impact to Eagle County and the state of Colorado. Consistently cited as one of the top 10 classical music festivals in the country, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail and Eagle River Valley region, drawing music lovers from around the world.
The $41.2 million figure reflects $1.9 million in sales tax revenue across all Eagle County municipalities, with the remaining $39.3 million directly benefiting local businesses, according to a new report by Intercept Insight, LLC, a marketing research firm in Avon. The research is based on spending from 54,928 concert attendees and 464 musicians during the festival.
In the Town of Vail alone, Bravo! Vail generated $24.5 million in direct economic impact. This included $874,415 in sales tax; $6.4 million spent on food and beverage; and $11.9 million spent on lodging — approximately 21,602 room nights. Part of these lodging costs is Bravo! Vail’s direct expense for housing musicians and operational support staff during the festival, totaling $937,008 for 4,388 nights in Vail. Ninety percent of attendees who live outside of Eagle County said they came to Vail specifically to attend the festival.
“This data underscores Bravo! Vail’s role as a major economic driver for all of Eagle County, and specifically the Town of Vail,” said Caitlin Murray, president and CEO of Bravo! Vail. “As one of the world’s leading classical music festivals, Bravo! Vail draws musicians and audiences from around the world, enhancing our community’s profile as a premier cultural tourism destination while also making a significant impact on our local economy.”
In addition to Bravo! Vail’s direct economic impact in Eagle County, the festival provided more than 50 free education and engagement events throughout the Valley, providing widespread community access to experience world-class music in a variety of locations and settings.
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Bravo! Vail’s $41.2 million economic impact figure is an increase from last year’s $39.4 million, illustrating the organization’s stability, growth and commitment to the local community.
38th Annual Bravo Vail Music Festival Numbers:
Number of Events
- Total: 89
- Paid: 36
- Free: 53
Attendance
- Total: 54,928
- Participating orchestra musicians and guest artists: 464
Eagle County
- Direct economic impact: $41.2 million
- Tax revenue: $1.9 million
Town of Vail
- Direct economic impact: $24.5 million
- Tax revenue: $874.415
- Lodging: $11.9 million — 21,602 rooms
- Food and beverage: $6.4 million
Beyond its summer programming, Bravo! Vail serves the community by providing year-round, low-cost music education through Music Makers Haciendo Música, a piano, violin, cello, guitar and ensemble instruction program to help develop new generations of musicians and music lovers. Artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott has led the Festival since 2011 and will conclude her tenure in the 2026 season. to keep up to date on Bravo! Vail events, musical lineup announcements and ticket sales, go to BravoVail.org.
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