Charlotte's Largest Venues

blacktielimocharlo
Jul 5, 2022
3 min read

The city of Charlotte, NC is home to numerous concert venues. Some barely fit one hundred people while others several thousand. While each venue provides its own unique concert experience, certain ones have made a point to stand out among the rest.

Charlotte’s live music venues offer something for every music fan. Here are some of the Queen City's top music halls, amphitheaters and arenas for your next concert experience.

Spectrum Center

Neighborhood: Uptown

Charlotte’s uptown arena was built in 2004 to host the return of NBA basketball to the Queen City and has been the home of some of the brightest stars and biggest names in the entertainment industry since. When LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets aren’t dazzling basketball audiences, patrons can expect national shows and tours coming to the 20,000 seat arena to perform under the brightest lights in the big city. Some of the most notable events held here include the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the 2019 NBA All-Star Game, the NCAA and ACC Tournaments, as well as concerts by Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and many, many more.

PNC Music Pavilion

Neighborhood: University City

A signature venue of the summer music season, PNC Music Pavilion comes to life during the warmest months of the year to welcome the most popular touring acts. An ideal place to see acts like Dave Matthews Band, Tim McGraw or Jimmy Buffet, this 18,745-seat venue will provide you with memories of the Queen City that will last a lifetime.

Bojangles Coliseum Neighborhood: East Charlotte This 10,829-seat domed venue opened to the public in 1955 as The Charlotte Coliseum and to this day remains as one of Charlotte’s most historic buildings on this list. Famous for having hosted Elvis’ final live performance in 1977, the Coliseum has also been the host of major sporting events such as the ACC tournament as well as several professional wrestling matches and serves as the home base of the Charlotte Checkers. Since 2008 when Bojangles took over the naming rights, it has been nicknamed “The Biscuit” and continues to be host to many mid-sized musical acts. It is also the cornerstone of the newly-minted BOplex, which includes Ovens Auditorium, complete with a new connector and expansion.

Belk Theater Neighborhood: Uptown One of Uptown Charlotte’s most prominent venues, Belk Theater is the place to go for Charlotte’s biggest Broadway musicals and performing arts. Operated by Blumenthal Performing Arts, the Belk brings the most highly-anticipated Broadway shows to Charlotte including Hamilton, The Lion King, Les Misérables and much more. You can also catch intimate performances from musicians like Elvis Costello and Diana Krall in this cozy but elegant 2,118-seat venue.

Charlotte Metro Credit Union Neighborhood: Uptown There’s nothing quite like catching a show at AvidXchange’s Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre on a warm summer night, sitting with your friends on a blanket in the lawn with a full moon above you and the dazzling Charlotte skyline behind you. And yes, lawn seats are often more fun (and less expensive) than their pricier counterparts, but no matter where you see a show here, it’s guaranteed to be a good time. Don’t forget to start and end your night at neighboring clubs like 8.2.0 and VBGB.

Ovens Auditorium

Neighborhood: East Charlotte

The seated-venue sibling of the BoPlex, Ovens Auditorium packs a mighty punch in a modest 2,455 seat space. Taking the number nine position of 200 theater venues for worldwide ticket sales in 2021, Oven Auditorium has made a name for itself as one of Charlotte’s best Broadway venues. Ovens has hosted many renowned musicals including “Wicked” (and will host Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5 The Musical” in 2023), Charlotte Ballet’s annual rendition of “The Nutcracker,” as well as many Opera Carolina and Charlotte Symphony shows. The nearly 70-year-old venue doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and has a packed schedule with everyone from Peppa Pig to Bob Dylan gracing the stage in 2022.

The Fillmore