Salt Lake City, UT - Snow-dusted peaks may be the first thing you notice when you step onto Westminster University's Sugar House campus, yet the Wasatch Front hides another type of summit: a skyline of stages where chart-topping artists stop almost every tour cycle. In less time than it takes to finish an Einstein Bros. bagel, a Griffin can pedal from Converse Hall to a venue where pyrotechnics shimmer off the Great Salt Lake and 20,000 fans howl beneath desert stars. This guide stitches together everything you need— superstar performers to track, the storied halls and amphitheaters that host them, and a TicketSmarter discount code that keeps your wallet as light as your skis. Consider it a field manual for swapping study sessions for set lists, all without venturing farther than a FrontRunner ride.
Post Malone Tickets
Born in Syracuse but raised just down I-15 in Cottonwood Heights, Post Malone is Utah's adopted son. Since 2015's "White Iverson," he's collected ten Billboard number-ones and a Diamond plaque for "Sunflower," blending hip-hop cadences with heart-on-sleeve rock hooks. His Twelve Carat Tour features a floating glass catwalk that drifts over the floor while he strums acoustic ballad "Stay." On homecoming nights at the Delta Center he tosses pairs of his own Crocs into the crowd— keep your hands up.
Bad Bunny Tickets
Reggaetón revolutionary Bad Bunny shattered Spotify records with Un Verano Sin Ti, the most-streamed album in platform history. Concerts mimic a Caribbean block party: palm-tree lifts, neon sand dunes, and Benito zip-lining above the pit while rapping "Me Porto Bonito." He's earned three Grammys and headlined both Coachella and WrestleMania, proving his crossover clout. Salt Lake's bilingual population turns his chorus call-and-response into a single oceanic roar that rattles Trax trains two blocks away.
Beyoncé Tickets
From Destiny's Child prodigy to 32-time Grammy record-holder, Beyoncé builds world tours as cultural coronations. Renaissance showcases chrome horse statues, a full-LED dance floor, and interludes celebrating queer vogue culture. Critics called her 2016 Delta Center stop the loudest in arena history—seismologist graphs pinged during "Freedom." Queen B often nods to Utah's redrock canyons with backdrop visuals of swirling sandstone.
The Black Keys Tickets
Garage-rock duo Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney blossomed from Akron basements to five-time Grammy winners. Their Dropout Boogie shows add a Nashville horn section that fattens classics like "Gold on the Ceiling" into swampy soul blowouts. Auerbach records at Easy Eye Sound, so Salt Lake sets sometimes preview unreleased tracks. They once popped into local dive bar Twilite Lounge afterward for an impromptu blues jam—stay alert.
SZA Tickets
SZA's genre-defying blend of neo-soul and alt-R&B earned a Grammy for "Kiss Me More" and a record-shattering run when SOS stayed atop Billboard's 200 for ten weeks. Her stage resembles a capsized sailboat adrift beneath meteoric LED skies, mirroring the SOS artwork. During "Supermodel" she walks a suspended runway that extends deep into the crowd. Utah fans still gush about the improvised gospel outro she performed with the local One Voice Children's Choir.
Metallica Tickets
Thrash icons Metallica boast nine Grammys and the rare feat of concerts on all seven continents. The "M72" tour plants a 360-degree stage at midfield so no seat faces the back, and each city receives two non-repeating set lists. Drummer Lars Ulrich often dons Jazz-colored ski goggles during "Enter Sandman" to salute Utah's slopes. Sales from Salt Lake dates fund scholarships through their All Within My Hands Foundation at local trade schools.
Lainey Wilson Tickets
Bell-bottom queen Lainey Wilson transitioned from camper-trailer songwriter to CMA Female Vocalist of the Year in under a decade. Her swamp-rock twang lights up USANA Amphitheatre lawns, where tumbleweeds occasionally roll past the stage. She credits western vistas for inspiring "Heart Like a Truck," written on a daytrip to Antelope Island. Expect Wilson to close with "Wait in the Truck" as fireworks silhouette the Wasatch Range.
Kendrick Lamar Tickets
Pulitzer-winning poet Kendrick Lamar marries razor-sharp social critique with head-knocking beats. The Big Steppers production uses minimalist lighting and interpretive dancers clad in padded suits, making each song a theatrical vignette. Laminated programs reveal a donation line—every ticket channels funds to pgLang creative-writing grants in regional colleges. During his last Delta Center appearance he paused "Alright" to praise Utah Jazz greats, triggering a crowd chant loud enough to echo off City Creek façades.
Oasis Tickets
Though the Gallagher brothers tour solo these days, both carry Brit-pop anthems like "Wonderwall" that defined the '90s. Liam's shows feature parka-hood swagger and a tambourine assault, while Noel's High Flying Birds lean into psychedelic light tunnels. Either way, "Don't Look Back in Anger" transforms the audience into a 15,000-voice choir. Utah soccer supporters often rewrite the chorus to honor Real Salt Lake—expect impromptu terrace chants bleeding into the encore.
Shakira Tickets
Shakira's genre-merging catalog—spanning Latin pop, rock en Español, and Arabic rhythms—earned three Grammys and the most-watched World Cup anthem ever ("Waka Waka"). Her concerts deploy high-definition body-tracking cameras so every hip movement magnifies onto towering side screens. She learned snowboarding at Park City and frequently name-checks Utah resorts mid-set, inviting fans to "shake like moguls." Watch for the crowd-surfing Colombian flag passed from pit to lawn during "Hips Don't Lie."
Def Leppard Tickets
With 110 million albums sold, Def Leppard still nails studio-perfect harmonies live, thanks to custom vocal samplers engineered after drummer Rick Allen's inspiring comeback. Their stadium rig flaunts a Union Jack catwalk that elevates during "Pour Some Sugar on Me," showering front rows in confetti shaped like guitar picks. Utah gigs dating back to 1983 helped break Pyromania stateside; the band often reminisces about signing vinyl in Trolley Square record shops. New material from Diamond Star Halos slots smoothly between classics without killing the sing-along momentum.
Katy Perry Tickets
Katy Perry's candy-colored spectacle reached new heights during the Witness tour, which incorporated a 40-foot inflatable eye and a floating Saturn ring. She has tied Michael Jackson's single-album record with five number-one singles from 2010's Teenage Dream. In Salt Lake she routinely adds an acoustic cover of Imagine Dragons' "Demons" as a nod to local heroes. Perry's Firework Foundation sponsors arts camps for Utah foster youth, announced from the stage each visit.
The Weeknd Tickets
Abel Tesfaye evolved from anonymous mixtape mystique to Super Bowl halftime architect. The After Hours Til Dawn tour engulfs stadiums in dystopian neon, featuring a skyline of inflatable skyscrapers that crumble under red strobes. He boasts four Grammys and the record for most Spotify monthly listeners. At Rice-Eccles Stadium he tested unreleased tracks, promising Utahns "the first listen at 4,500 feet."
Pierce the Veil Tickets
Post-hardcore torchbearers Pierce the Veil broke through with 2012's "King for a Day," now platinum. Their Jaws of Life set swings a wrecking-ball microphone stand over the crowd while bassist Jaime Preciado windmills beneath. They attribute the new record's desert-rock tones to an off-season writing retreat in Moab. All proceeds from Salt Lake meet-and-greets go to the Utah Pride Center.
Lady Gaga Tickets
Lady Gaga transcends genres, boasting Oscars, Grammys, and philanthropic laurels through the Born This Way Foundation. Her Chromatica Ball unveils biomech exoskeletons, pyros, and a 30-foot mechanical insect revealing her mid-show. Utah audiences aced every lyric when she stripped "Bad Romance" to piano, prompting her to dub Salt Lake "the city of surprise lungs." Gaga frequently hikes Big Cottonwood during tour off-days, posting sunrise photos to her 55 million-strong Instagram following.
Stages Where Griffins Spread Their Wings
Delta Center – Opened 1991, this downtown colossus holds 18 306 seating capacity for concerts and ranks among the world's ten busiest arenas. From Metallica's "snake-pit" to Kendrick's in-the-round philosophy, its bowl acoustics deliver bone-rattling bass yet preserve lyric clarity. Light-rail tracks stop at the main entrance, meaning you can board from Westminster's Sugar House stop and reach your seat before the opener hits note one.
USANA Amphitheatre – West Valley City's open-air titan debuted 2003 with a 25 000 capacity mix of reserved seats and rolling lawn. Sunset views paint the Oquirrh Mountains pink as pyrotechnics ignite—concert photographers call it "the Instagram bowl." Its patterned concrete tiers channel airflow, turning scorching July evenings into natural wind-machine moments for hair-flip selfies.
The Depot – Housed in the heritage Union Pacific station built 1909 (converted to a 1 200-capacity club in 2006), The Depot offers intimate sightlines and vintage brick ambiance. Artists from SZA to The Black Keys have tested new material here during secret pop-ups announced hours before showtime. Balcony railings are low—prime territory for gripping your latte stout while enjoying unobstructed views.
Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre – Nestled in the foothills and operational since 1985, this 4 000-capacity terraced lawn belongs to the University of Utah's botanical garden. Concertgoers picnic among fragrant sagebrush while deer occasionally peek behind the stage scrim. BYO-blanket policy turns the hillside into a kaleidoscope of quilts as the sun sets behind turquoise concert lights.
Griffin Gold: Your TicketSmarter Perk
Stretch those wings and your budget. At TicketSmarter checkout, enter GRIFFINS5 to shave five percent off anything—from intimate Depot balcony spots to USANA front-row splurges. Keep the savings for late-night banh mi on State Street or a sunrise tram ticket at Snowbird, and let every encore echo through your semester like a victory screech from the Bell Tower. See you under the lights, Westminster—fly high and sing louder!
