Red Rocks Amphitheatre opens its concert season on March 30 — its earliest start ever and the kickoff to what will be a record year.

Why it matters: The 9,500-seat venue outside Morrison, owned by the city of Denver, is one of the nation's most iconic places to see live music and draws more than a million people each year.

State of play: With 200-plus shows, organizers expect attendance to reach new heights and continue to exceed pre-pandemic levels.

The latest: This year, fans will notice several new features designed to improve the experience, part of an ongoing effort to upgrade the 83-year-old venue, said Brian Kitts with the city's arts and venues department.

• A magnetometer for faster entry for those without bags.
• A remodeled Ship Rock Grille, opening in mid-May with a new bar that looks out over the valley.
• Bathrooms inside the lower level of the visitor center.
• A fresh look for the top parking lot after construction to level the grade and make it more accessible for people with disabilities.
• An additional set of sidewalks and a curb on the south side to keep pedestrians out of the road, a project that also included reconfigured parking

Friction point: Given its location in the Colorado foothills, extreme weather is an issue all season long. A hailstorm in June led to more than 100 injuries, prompting the city to make safety upgrades.

• This year, fans can opt-in to receive text alerts to know when a show is delayed and when it will restart.

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Red Rocks is seeing steady growth to pre-2020 levels.

The intrigue: The increasing number of shows, organizers tell us, is because more bands are touring as traditional revenue through album sales is replaced by streaming music.

• More events are selling out, too.

This year's Red Rocks event calendar is full of major music artists and shows made more special by the unique venue.

👀 Here's a look at the highlights:

April

19: Ice Cube, The Game, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Old school hip-hop is cool again.

27: Sublime with Rome. The farewell tour for the latest iteration of the group.

May

2: Trevor Noah: Off the Record. A little laughter from the former Daily Show host's stand-up show.

13: Gary Clark Jr. and Mavis Staples. Two legends in a legendary place.

27-28: Singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers tours on her new album with two nights at Red Rocks.

June

2-3: The amazing James Taylor returns after a long absence with two nights of shows.

8: Colorado band Big Head Todd and the Monsters revive the '90s with The Wallflowers.

14: Comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short along with bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers.

21-23: Widespread Panic takes over for three nights. Weekend passes available.

30: Rapper Nas appears with the Colorado Symphony in a special showcase.

July

5-7: The annual three-night Avett Brothers stand is a bucket list item.

12-14: The String Cheese Incident plays for three nights without stopping. (No, not really.)

The intrigue: The most popular event each year is Yoga on the Rocks sessions, which consistently sell out.

Tell your concert buddy