The Grand Teton Music Festival (GTMF) has broken ground on a $35 million renovation of Walk Festival Hall, its 50-year-old performance home in Teton Village, Wyoming. The renovated hall is expected to reopen at the start of the festival’s 66th season in summer 2027.
The renovation forms the central pillar of GTMF’s $61 million Setting the Stage campaign – the largest fundraising initiative in the organisation’s history – which also encompasses investments in musician housing and compensation. Of the campaign total, $53.5 million has been raised to date, with $27.5 million secured specifically for the hall renovation and $7.5 million still to be raised for the project.
Renovation plans focus on preserving the hall’s intimacy, sightlines and acoustic character while delivering essential upgrades including enhanced concert hall and backstage areas, improved recording infrastructure, a new amplification system, theatrical lighting, new seating, a new lift, expanded lobby and deck spaces and repairs to critical building systems including fire suppression, seismic resilience, roof integrity and electrical infrastructure. Construction partners include architect HGA, DPR Construction and acoustic consultant David Kahn at Acoustic Distinctions.
An economic impact report commissioned from BBC Research & Consulting found that the festival’s existing operations generate $12.7 million in annual economic output in Teton County, support 117 local jobs and generate approximately $382,000 in annual local tax revenue. The renovated hall is projected to expand that impact by adding 35 off-season event days, drawing an estimated 7,000 new out-of-county visitors and generating approximately $3.5 million in additional annual visitor spending.
While the hall is under renovation, GTMF will present its 65th anniversary season (2 July to 15 August 2026) at venues across Jackson Hole, including the Jackson Hole High School Auditorium and the Center for the Arts.