2020 and 2021 saw an album boom after the lockdowns, fostering a creative renaissance for many artists. Now, in 2023, we are having a second coming of just that. However this time, unlike the last, COVID restrictions have been fully lifted, and concert season is in full swing with artists performing when they couldn’t before. From Beyonce to Stevie Nicks, the lineup for summer concerts in North Carolina is huge, not even counting festivals or concerts throughout the country ongoing, like the recent Coachella shows. 

Major names coming to North Carolina from spring to summer include the aforementioned, along with Shania Twain, Louis Tomlinson, Guns’n’Roses, Fall Out Boy, Pitbull, Offspring, Paramore, and Lizzo. The artist will span from Asheville to Charlotte to our own Raleigh and to Wilmington, with standout venues like The Ritz and PNC Arena. There are even two major concerts happening on graduation night, with Boygenius and Noah Kahan playing amphitheaters in Raleigh and Wilmington, respectively. Taylor Swift, perhaps one of the biggest names in the music industry right now and a fan favorite, is also on her Eras Tour, without a stop in North Carolina, however with many stops around which many students plan on traveling (just recently, she played three nights in Atlanta, Georgia).

Smaller events coming nearby can include 100 Gecs, Sabrina Carpenter, The Backseat Lovers, Odie Leigh, Declan Mckenna, Indigo de Souza and again, even more! However, in being smaller, the concerts I mentioned above are held in smaller venues, are cheaper and are more locally based. Concerts are an amazing experience for anyone who loves music and is even a bucket list item for many students. Tickets range from $15 to over 100 dollars depending on what artist you want to see and where. 

These are definitely not the only tours ongoing, and with it being so early in the year, many are yet to be announced. Keep posted in events to come, and have a good time!