Denver is hundreds of miles away from just about every other major city, but that doesn’t keep us out of the national headlines. Here’s what caused the Mile High City to catch the attention of the rest of the country throughout 2025.
Sports
One large Serbian man has kept Denver at the heart of the NBA for years, and he’s got more help this year. Nikola Jokić and the new-look Nuggets have recorded the team’s best start ever, and they’re seen as a potential challenger to the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Colorado Avalanche also have the best record in the NHL at the moment.
Meanwhile, a newer name, Bo Nix, is finally resurrecting the Denver Broncos. They are finishing their most successful season in a decade and recently clinched a playoff spot, with hopes to win the AFC West and secure the best record in the conference.
All told, the Nuggets, Broncos and Avalanche each have a real chance at a title. Would three be too many to ask?
The Colorado Rockies also made news… for coming close to the worst season in Major League history.
Denver also got into an international race to host the Gay Games in 2030, but lost out to Perth, Australia.
The city is getting its own National Women's Soccer League team, which grabbed national attention because of the team’s record-breaking $110 million franchise fee. It’s the largest amount ever paid for a U.S. women's professional sports team.
A couple of well-known local sports figures also made the headlines for unfortunate reasons — allegations of fraud.
Denver native Chauncey Billups was charged in relation to sports betting and Mafia-backed poker games, though the Portland Trail Blazers coach pleaded not guilty. Billups is from the Park Hill neighborhood in Denver and is even referred to as “The King of Park Hill.” He was released on a $5 million bond, secured by his home here in Colorado.
There was also the time President Donald Trump pardoned former Nuggets president Timothy Leiweke. Leiweke and his Denver-based venue development and management company were accused of rigging bids for a Texas arena. The case carried potential prison time and steep financial penalties, causing Leiweke to step down as Oak View Group’s CEO in July amid the investigation, though he claimed innocence throughout.
Initially, federal officials said the charges were part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on unfair practices in the live entertainment industry. But that didn’t last long: The presidential pardon issued in December nullifies the charges against Leiweke.
Politics
This year has been marked by plenty of political turmoil, and Denver’s in the thick of it.
In March, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston testified in front of a powerful congressional committee during its investigation into sanctuary cities. Then, in July, Denver sued the Trump administration over threats to defund “sanctuary” cities.
That wasn’t the only battle the city had with the administration.
Denver also sued to protect $300 million in federal funding for transportation and infrastructure. The Trump administration threatened to strip funding from local governments that didn’t conform to DEI and immigration policies put forth by the administration. A federal court in Washington temporarily protected the funds, finding that Trump exceeded his authority over congressionally approved funding.
Meanwhile, Denver Public Schools sued the administration over the repeal of schools’ “protected areas” against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the administration threatened to sanction DPS over gender-neutral bathrooms.
Another huge political moment for Denver took place later in March — a massive rally held by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. More than 34,000 people filled Civic Center Park for the “Fight the Oligarchy” tour, marking one of the largest crowds in Sanders' career. It was also one of the city’s largest political rallies in recent memory, dating back to the Women's March in 2017, and the largest rally for an elected official since then-senator Barack Obama's visit to the Mile High City in 2008.
The city has also been a focal point for national discussions about surveillance.
While the software tech company Palantir has been in Denver since 2020, the company and cofounder Peter Thiel have drawn criticism this year for their relationship with the Trump administration and work with ICE.
It has been headquartered in the Tabor Center downtown, but reportedly plans to move to Cherry Creek. The Cherry Creek location was vandalized in November. “Palantir out” was painted on the building and the front door was broken.
Meanwhile, affordability has been a big part of the national conversation. Denver made news as its housing market finally slowed. An estimated 91 percent of local homes lost value as the area came off a high pandemic peak, more than anywhere else in the nation, Zillow found. Denver also had some of the cheapest gas in the country.
Culture
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Denver 2025 recap without “Love is Blind.” The reality show’s season in Denver ended with zero marriages, making it the least successful season in the show's nine-season history.
Denver's dating scene is infamous, and the show did not help that stereotype. Netflix has yet to make the viewing numbers for the season available, but previous seasons have garnered tens of millions of views and were streamed for 6 billion minutes.
The show seemed to be everywhere in Denver for a few weeks, with watch parties at various sports bars, while Empower Field at Mile High hosted a reunion watch party with the cast. While the season was a romantic failure, it did bring more attention to the city.
Any press is good press, right?
