CHARLOTTE, NC – For years, Charlotte residents have voiced frustration over major artists skipping their city on nationwide tours. Social media posts, blog discussions, and news articles have all questioned why Greensboro and Raleigh seemed to land big-name concerts while Charlotte was left off the map. But today, that narrative is shifting, and the Queen City is finally becoming a premier destination for live music.
One major factor behind this transformation is Bank of America Stadium. Before 2022, Charlotte’s largest concert venues were Spectrum Center and PNC Music Pavilion, both of which hold about 20,000 people—similar to the biggest venues in Raleigh and Greensboro. That meant Charlotte wasn’t competing at a higher level for stadium-sized acts. However, with Bank of America Stadium now open to concerts and boasting a 75,000-person capacity, it has become North Carolina’s largest concert venue and a game-changer for the city’s music scene.
“The previous owners (of Bank of America Stadium) didn’t use the facility for anything other than football,” said Caroline Wright, senior vice president and chief venues officer for Tepper Sports & Entertainment, which now owns and operates the stadium. Panthers founder Jerry Richardson was firm in keeping the venue sports-only, but in 2018, David and Nicole Tepper purchased the Carolina Panthers and Bank of America Stadium, added Charlotte FC, and opened the doors for concerts.
“Now that promoters know we’re open for business, they can choose to stop here,” Wright said. And they have. Since 2022, Bank of America Stadium has hosted global superstars like Beyoncé, Luke Combs, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Morgan Wallen, George Strait, and Chris Stapleton. Upcoming concerts include Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Billy Joel, Sting, Shakira, and Metallica.
Charlotte’s growth as a music destination is reflected in national rankings. In 2023, Charlotte ranked 19th among the top 100 U.S. concert markets, ahead of both Raleigh-Durham (30th) and Greensboro-Winston-Salem (39th).
Industry professionals have taken notice. Kirk Sommer, the global co-head of music at WME (one of the world’s largest talent agencies), considers Charlotte a top-tier market for concerts.
“In my mind, Charlotte is absolutely a top 25 touring market,” Sommer said. “That puts your market ahead of places like San Diego, Portland, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, and Raleigh. It’s also a growth market. Compared to other mid-sized cities, Charlotte is batting above average with bookings.”
From his perspective, Charlotte’s diversity gives it an advantage. “It’s a great market for pop, rock, hip-hop, and country. Not all cities are good for all of those things,” he explained.
Another indicator of Charlotte’s rise is the Lovin’ Life Music Festival, which launched in Charlotte in 2023 rather than Raleigh. The three-day festival, featuring more than 40 artists across multiple stages, will return in May 2025 with an even bigger lineup, including the Dave Matthews Band and Gwen Stefani.
Concert promoters predict that 2025 will be one of the busiest years ever for stadium concerts. The timing of Bank of America Stadium’s concert expansion couldn’t be better. “Because 2026 is the FIFA World Cup, there will be fewer artists touring stadiums that year, so we have this bottleneck now,” Sommer explained.
However, despite Charlotte’s growing success in the concert industry, some challenges still prevent it from landing every major tour. Sports teams own Charlotte’s biggest venues, and they get priority on the calendar. The Panthers and Charlotte FC schedule their games at Bank of America Stadium first, while the Hornets have first dibs at Spectrum Center. If a major artist wants to book a show but the date conflicts with a sporting event, there’s no flexibility—the tour moves on.
Additionally, stadium concerts require days of setup and teardown. If a tour wants to play at Bank of America on a Saturday but the Panthers have a game on Sunday, it’s impossible to reset the stadium in time. Because of these logistics, Bank of America can only host about eight concerts per year.
Weather is another factor. Since Bank of America Stadium doesn’t have a roof, some artists avoid playing there to prevent weather-related disruptions.
Competition between Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro also plays a role. Since North Carolina has multiple metro areas with large venues, some tours rotate stops to avoid market saturation. An artist might play Raleigh one year, Charlotte the next, and Greensboro after that. In some cases, radius clauses—contractual restrictions preventing artists from playing multiple nearby venues on the same tour—keep certain acts from booking multiple North Carolina cities.
Even with these limitations, Charlotte’s rise as a major concert hub is undeniable. Thanks to Bank of America Stadium, the city is attracting world-class performers, climbing industry rankings, and establishing itself as a top-tier music destination. With stadium-sized tours, growing festival lineups, and a booming live music scene, Charlotte’s days of being overlooked are officially over.
