If you lived in Provo anytime between 2010 and 2019, you probably remember the Rooftop Concert Series without needing it described. On the first Friday of each month, downtown turned into something it isn't most of the year: a place where thousands of people stood shoulder-to-shoulder on Center Street and listened to live music for free. Imagine Dragons played one. So did Neon Trees, The National Parks, The Backseat Lovers, The Moth & The Flame. The thing that started on a downtown parking garage roof became, for a stretch of about a decade, the single most distinctive piece of Provo's identity to anyone outside the city.
Then it ended in 2019. The funding model — relying entirely on corporate sponsors — stopped working, and the series went on indefinite hiatus. For seven years, Provo had a Rooftop-shaped hole in its summers.
It's back. Co-founders Sarah Wiley, Mindy Gledhill, and Justin Hackworth — the original team — announced in late April that the series returns Friday, May 15 at Nu Skin Plaza, with five monthly shows running through September 18. The opening lineup features three returning favorites: I Don't Know How But They Found Me, Sego, and Pinguin Mofex. Admission is free. Music starts at 7 p.m.
Why This Is a Bigger Deal Than It Sounds
Most cities don't have an event that defines them the way Rooftop defined Provo at its peak. The closest comparison is something like First Friday in Phoenix or Last Fridays on Main in Salt Lake — recurring downtown events that anchor a place's identity for people who don't live there. Provo's been quietly building a downtown that has more reasons to visit it than it did a decade ago — Black Sheep, Communal, Velour, the Covey Center, an actual coffee scene — but it hasn't had the event. The thing where the question isn't "what should we do this weekend" but "are you coming to Rooftop."
The revival is being supported by the McGowan family — a private benefactor stepping in where corporate sponsorships fell short last time — and by Mayor Marsha Judkins, who campaigned on bringing it back. That combination matters. A series funded by one family plus a sympathetic city government is more durable than one that depends on whichever local company is feeling generous this fiscal year.
What to Expect on May 15
The format hasn't changed: free outdoor show, downtown closing for the evening, audience that ranges from BYU sophomores to families with strollers to the people who were there in 2012 and want to be there again. Get there early if you want to be close to the stage — historically, the plaza filled and people spilled onto Center Street. Bring something to sit on if you want to be comfortable. There's no ticketing, no RSVP, and no real way to know how big the crowd will be on opening night until it shows up.
Sarah Wiley told reporters the goal this time isn't to revitalize downtown — that's already happened — but to bring people together in a moment where, in her words, things feel divided. Whether a concert series can fix that is another question. But it can absolutely give Provo back something it lost. And on May 15, for a few hours on Center Street, we'll find out.
Mark Your Calendars
The full 2026 season:
- Friday, May 15 — I Don't Know How But They Found Me, Sego, Pinguin Mofex
- Friday, June 26 — lineup TBA
- Friday, July 24 — lineup TBA
- Friday, August 21 — lineup TBA
- Friday, September 18 — lineup TBA
All shows at Nu Skin Plaza, 100 W Center Street, Provo. Music at 7 p.m. Admission free.