29-04-2025
Uptown will see huge crowds this weekend from Lovin' Life and Kendrick Lamar concert
Thousands of people will descend upon Uptown for a weekend of massive events, including Lovin' Life Music Fest at First Ward Park, Kendrick Lamar at Bank of America Stadium and Charlotte Knights games.
Why it matters: This could be a record-breaking weekend for foot traffic in Uptown, which is still rebounding from the pandemic.
Fun fact: Uptown's biggest day in 2024 was Oct. 26 — the day of Concert for Carolina and the Charlotte Hornets home opener — when 266,000 people visited, according to Charlotte Center City Partners.
By the numbers: Lovin' Life Music Fest, a three-day event starting Friday, May 2, is anticipating about 20,000 attendees per day based on the pace of ticket sales, said festival director Gregg McConnell.
Flashback: Last year's inaugural, sold-out event drew more than 86,000 attendees. At this point last year, organizers were estimating around 25,000 people a day.
That led to initial concerns about whether Charlotte was ready to handle such crowds, but the weekend went smoothly.
What they're saying: City officials are again confident in Charlotte's ability to safely pull off multiple large-scale events simultaneously.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has restricted vacation days and will be all hands on deck.
"Pretty much, if you have a uniform and/or if you're a detective, you're working this coming weekend," CMPD Deputy Chief Jacquelyn Bryley said at a safety briefing Monday.
Bryley said CMPD is building on successful security measures from last year's event, such as improving its contact with First Ward neighbors.
The city's command center will be fully operational and staffed, with a dispatcher assigned exclusively to the festival.
Other info to know:
Road closures start Tuesday: 7th and 8th streets, between Brevard and Caldwell, will close on Tuesday night.
Other necessary road closures start on Thursday at 9am.
Most roads will reopen Tuesday, May 6, before morning rush hour.
A list of road closures will be available on the MyCMPD app and social media platforms.
Charlotte Area Transit System ramps up service: CATS will run "express bus service" for passengers heading to University City Boulevard, JW Clay and I-485 park and rides after the concert each night. Signs will direct attendees to the buses outside the festival.
Transit ambassadors will be available to answer questions along the Blue Line.
CATS will operate extra light rail vehicles and adjust the frequency according to demand.
CATS is selling a discounted, $12 transit pass for the three days through Thursday. The price will increase to $15 on Friday.
