By CLTure
September 8, 2026
Monday, September 7
Matthews Alive Festival (September 4-7)
Tickets: Free
48 Hour Film Festival at Independent Picture House (September 7-8)
Tickets: $12.50
The 48 Hour Film Project returns to Charlotte, challenging local filmmakers to write, shoot, edit and score an original short film in just 48 hours before bringing their work to the big screen for premiere screenings. Audiences can catch four screening blocks across two nights, featuring dozens of locally made films spanning comedy, drama, horror, thriller and more.
The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session at Petra’s (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $9.98
Tuesday, September 8
Miranda and the Beat with opener Doltz at Snug Harbor (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $12.00
Charlotte Knights vs. Buffalo Bisons at Truist Field (6:35 p.m.)
Tickets: $20 plus
The Charlotte Knights return home for their final six-game series of the 2026 season against the Buffalo Bisons as the Triple-A season enters its final stretch. The series features a full slate of promotions and entertainment, including Bark in the Ballpark, Thirsty Thursday with live music from the Stolen Bases, Fireworks & First Responders Night on Friday, and Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday. The Knights will close out their home schedule with a Saturday doubleheader featuring giveaways, an autograph session, pregame catch, on-field photo opportunities, inning-by-inning prizes, and supersized fireworks following the final game of the season at Truist Field.
Sound Bath Series at Mint Museum (6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
The Birds at Independent Picture House (September 8-13)
Tickets: $12.25
Hayley Williams with openers Magdalena Bay and Rico Nasty at Truliant Amphitheater (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $27.50 plus
Hayley Williams brings her solo tour to Charlotte this week, marking her first North Carolina performance since Paramore’s 2023 This Is Why Tour, which kicked off its U.S. leg in Charlotte. The show will feature material spanning all three of Williams’ solo albums, including her Grammy-nominated 2025 album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, her latest and most stylistically expansive solo work to date. The album earned four Grammy nominations and landed on several year-end best-of lists, including Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of 2025. Williams will be joined by Miami alternative synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay and rapper Rico Nasty, creating a genre-spanning lineup that brings together three distinctive sounds in alternative music.
Hell’s Kitchen at Belk Theater (September 8-13)
Tickets: $47.02 plus
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats with opener Messa at Neighborhood Theatre (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $39.35 plus
Wednesday, September 9
Party on the Plaza at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art hosts its Party on the Plaza, an after-hours Wednesday Night Live event inspired by its exhibition, Collection, Reframed: Jiha Moon. The annual summer exhibition series invites contemporary artists and creative visionaries to engage with the Bechtler’s permanent collection, and for this year’s iteration, Moon brings together works exploring representations of women across time. Works by Alberto Giacometti, Meret Oppenheim, Pablo Picasso, Walasse Ting, Julie Curtiss, Gina Gilmour and Elizabeth Turk are presented alongside Moon’s own work. The evening will bring those ideas to life through art, music, drinks and creative experiences reflecting Moon’s Korean heritage and global perspective.
Free Wine tasting at Emmy Lou’s Wine Bar (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Charlotte Knights vs. Buffalo Bisons at Truist Field (6:35 p.m.)
Tickets: $20 plus
Empire of the Sun, Polo & Pan, and Midnight Generation at Truliant Amphitheater (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $27.50 plus
The Gaming Lounge Pop-Up at Divine Barrel Brewing (6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Memorials with opener The Oyster at Snug Harbor (9:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $12.00
Patrick Warburton at The Comedy Zone (September 9-11)
Tickets: $30.76 plus
Best known for his iconic role as David Puddy on Seinfeld, Patrick Warburton brings his stand-up comedy tour to The Comedy Zone this week. Warburton has also starred in The Tick, Less Than Perfect, Rules of Engagement, and Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. After decades in television, film, and animation, Warburton began touring as a stand-up comic in 2025 and released his first comedy special, Still Catholic, later that year.
Aliens at Independent Picture House (September 9-13)
Tickets: $12.25
Ken Carson with openers Xaviersobased, Prettifun, and DJ Moon at Bojangles Coliseum (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $48.15 plus
Thursday, September 10
Staind, Seether, Hoobastank, and Hinder at Truliant Amphitheater (6:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $70.20 plus
Staind, Seether, Hoobastank, and Hinder bring a powerhouse lineup of early-2000s rock nostalgia to Charlotte this week. Staind broke through with their 2001 album Break the Cycle, which went five-times platinum and produced hits including “It’s Been Awhile,” “Fade,” and “For You.” Seether also rose to prominence during the era with songs like “Fine Again,” “Broken,” “Remedy,” and “Fake It,” while Hoobastank became international stars with their 2003 album The Reason and its massive title track. Oklahoma City rockers Hinder round out the lineup with hits like “Lips of an Angel” and their latest album, Back to Life, released in 2025.
Artists-in-Residence Studio Talk + Tour at McColl Center (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Swordwind Demonstration and Fencing Match at Mint Museum (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Parlor Greens at Whitewater Center (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free (parking: $13)
Parlor Greens brings their soulful instrumental grooves to the Whitewater Center’s River Jam this week. A modern organ trio –guitarist Jimmy James, drummer Tim Carman, and organist Adam Scone — the band draws from classic soul-jazz, blues, funk, and R&B. After making their Colemine Records debut with In Green We Dream in 2024, followed by Emeralds in 2026, the trio has performed at Newport Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fuji Rock, and Jam Cruise, as well as headlining shows across the U.S., Europe, the U.K., and Japan.
Charlotte Knights vs. Buffalo Bisons at Truist Field (7:04 p.m.)
Tickets: $23 plus
Visit Neptune with openers Superstar and Melodramatic at The Evening Muse (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $20.57 plus
Katherine Blanford at The Comedy Club at Duckworth’s (September 10-12)
Tickets: $25.22 plus
Burgeoning Kentucky comedian Katherine Blanford has quickly made a name for herself with her sharp Southern humor and stories about family secrets and awkward adolescence. Following a breakout Don’t Tell Comedy set that has garnered millions of views, Blanford has taken her comedy to audiences across the country, appearing twice on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and on After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson. She was also featured in Deadline’s “Comedians Ready to Break Out in 2025” and selected as a New Face at the 2025 Just for Laughs Festival. Blanford released her debut comedy special, Catholic Cowgirl, with 800LB Gorilla Records in December 2024.
MA, Cheer Up!, and Saarta Hannah at Petra’s (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $13.54
Swimming Paul at Blackbox Theater (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $32.72 plus
Here Come the Mummies at Neighborhood Theatre (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $48.15 plus
Anonymous Nashville funk collective Here Come the Mummies brings its outrageous live show to the Neighborhood Theatre this week. Performing in full mummy costumes, the band delivers a high-energy blend of funk, R&B, soul, jazz, ska, reggae, and rock, combining its mysterious personas with theatrical performances to create one of the most unique live music experiences around.
Juanes at Ovens Auditorium (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $34 plus
Friday, September 11
Yiasou Greek Festival (September 11-13)
Tickets: $5.00 (children 12 and under free)
The annual Yiasou Greek Festival returns to Charlotte this weekend, bringing three days of authentic Greek food, live music, traditional dancing, cultural exhibits, shopping, and family-friendly entertainment. Launched in 1978, the festival has grown into one of Charlotte’s largest cultural celebrations, with Greek favorites including gyros, chicken pita, spanakopita, tiropita, lamb, pastichio, and homemade pastries, along with Greek coffee, frappes, wine, and more. Live entertainment throughout the weekend will feature nationally known Greek bands, traditional folk dancing, cultural reenactments, and opportunities to learn about Greek history and heritage. Visitors can also tour Holy Trinity Cathedral, watch Evzone guard reenactments, browse Greek-inspired goods, and take in the sights, sounds, and flavors of Hellenic culture.
RnBrew at Urban District Market (11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $39.49
Billy Currington, Kip Moore, and Alex Lambert at Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $40.75 plus
Mecktoberfest at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (September 11-13)
Tickets: Free
Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s annual Mecktoberfest kicks off this weekend with German food, live music, games, and plenty of beer. The celebration will feature OMB’s famous one-liter glass boots, along with half-liter and one-liter mugs as guests can dig into German favorites including pretzels with beer cheese, sausage, schnitzel, and more, while live performances from the Holzenhackern Tyrolean Band and OOPS Polka Band provide a festive soundtrack in the Biergarten. The weekend will also feature a stein-holding competition on Saturday from 4-6 p.m.
Charlotte Knights vs. Buffalo Bisons at Truist Field (7:04 p.m.)
Tickets: $23 plus
Grayson Jenkins at Whitewater Center (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free (parking: $13)
Repossessions, Sown Together: New Voices in Contemporary Textile Art, and Yashua Klos: Cornerstones Opening Celebration at Harvey B. Gantt Center (6:30 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
The Harvey B. Gantt Center celebrates the opening of three new exhibitions — Repossessions, Sown Together: New Voices in Contemporary Textile Art, and Yashua Klos: Cornerstones — with an opening celebration on Friday night. Repossessions features work by eight Black artists who reinterpret historical documents and objects connected to enslavement and the Jim Crow era, exploring reclamation, reparations, healing, and the lasting impact of that history. Sown Together brings together contemporary textile works exploring identity, memory, migration, and the African diaspora through practices including weaving, quilting, beading, and embroidery, while Cornerstones features Yashua Klos’s large-scale woodblock-print collages examining Black identity, community, and resilience through portraiture and architectural forms. The opening celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. and will include light bites and complimentary wine.
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Charlotte Symphony: Mozart’s Requiem A 9/11 Memorial Concert at Knight Theater (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $47.02 plus
Nurse John at Ovens Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $48.65 plus
Bermuda Search Party with opener Miki Fiki at The Evening Muse (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $20.38 plus
Boston indie-pop and rock band Bermuda Search Party, formerly known as The Q-Tip Bandits, brings its blend of rock, R&B, and funk, complete with dynamic horns and dual-vocal arrangements, to Charlotte’s The Evening Muse this week with opener Miki Fiki. Formed by college friends who cut their teeth in Boston’s DIY music scene, the band released its self-produced debut album, Melancholy Flowers, in 2022, before signing with Nettwerk Music Group and releasing its sophomore album, Fools On Parade, in 2025. The band has since earned four Boston Music Award nominations and performed at festivals including Boston Calling, SXSW, Treefort Music Festival, and Levitate. Miki Fiki, the indie-pop project of Nashville-based Ted Hartog, opens the show with a blend of R&B, bedroom pop, and indie funk.
Lynsea, Clarity, and The Unapologetic at Thrift Pony South End (8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $14.64
The Jazz Room: Joe Lovano at Booth Playhouse (September 11-12)
Tickets: $47.02 plus
Franklin Jonas and The Byzantines at Visulite Theatre (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $25 plus
Franklin Jonas brings his Americana, folk, and modern roots project, Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines, to the Visulite Theatre. Following his debut EP, Sewer Rat, the youngest Jonas brother stepped away from releasing music to find his voice before launching The Byzantines. The band is now building momentum through its live shows and a new single, “High and Sad,” featuring Noah Cyrus, with a planned debut album arriving in fall 2026.
Lyfe Jennings at The Underground (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $42.10 plus
Carolina Down Boys, Ryan Cassata, and Mandako at Petra’s (9:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $13.54
ATLiens at Blackbox Theater (September 11-12)
Tickets: $41.03 plus
Atlanta electronic bass duo ATLiens brings its extraterrestrial aesthetic and heavy-hitting sound to Charlotte’s Blackbox Theater for two nights this week. Known for their signature chrome masks, glowing red eyes, and strict anonymity, the duo blends trap, dubstep, and bass music with dark, cinematic, sci-fi-inspired soundscapes. ATLiens broke out with its 2016 single “Chief,” which gained major attention after Skrillex played the track during his Boiler Room debut in Shanghai, leading to support from artists including RL Grime, Diplo, and Jack Ü. Since then, the duo has toured globally and performed at major festivals including EDC, Lost Lands, Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, and Electric Forest.
Ace Monroe at The Evening Muse (10:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $20.57 plus
Saturday, September 12
NoDa Hood Market (12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
The Charlotte Coffee Festival at Lenny Boy Brewing Co. (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $20 plus
The Charlotte Coffee Festival returns to Lenny Boy Brewing Co. on Saturday, bringing coffee lovers together for unlimited tastings, special-edition coffee products, and more than 50 local and national roasters, cafés, and coffee brands. Last year’s festival poured more than 15,000 cups of coffee, and this year’s event will feature coffee conversations, a U.S. Coffee Championships discussion, home barista tips, latte art demonstrations, and a competition showcasing some of Charlotte’s best baristas.
Front Paige Media Book Fair at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Ballantyne (12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Family First: Carry Your Story – Custom Canvas Tote Art Workshop at Harvey B. Gantt Center (12:00 to 2:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $13.54
Charlotte Knights vs. Buffalo Bisons at Truist Field (12:35 p.m. + 5:35 p.m.)
Tickets: $10 plus
Coffee Beats: Brazil at Salud Cerveceria (2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
20th Annual Mecklenburg County Empowerment Festival at First Ward Park (4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
The Mecklenburg County Empowerment Festival takes place at First Ward Park on Saturday, featuring a free concert with performances from gospel legend John P. Kee and Tim Rogers, along with an appearance by Mr. Tendernism. The festival brings the community together for a free evening of music, food, health and financial resources, vendors, and family-friendly activities. Attendees can also visit the NAACP table for voter registration, voter protection sign-ups, and information about free rides to the polls during the upcoming voting period.
6th Annual ArtPop Upcycled Fashion Show at Blume Studios (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Sold Out
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Roadshow at Stratford Richardson YMCA (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Charlotte Independence vs. Westchester SC at American Legion Memorial Stadium (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $10 plus
The first-place Charlotte Independence of USL League One return home Saturday with the season entering its home stretch, as the Jacks look to capture their first-ever championship. The Independence will face Westchester SC while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Night, featuring music, food, and fun experiences for the whole family. The first fans in attendance will also receive a free, limited-edition Charlotte Independence baseball jersey as part of the night’s giveaway.
Joslyn & The Sweet Compression at Whitewater Center (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free (parking: $13)
Nia J Southern Prima Donna EP Release + Mislabeled Documentary Screening (7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $20.00
Charlotte-based indie pop singer-songwriter Nia J celebrates the release of her new EP, Southern Prima Donna, at The Long Room, which will also premiere a documentary by Mislabeled Productions nearly two years in the making exploring Nia J’s musical journey. Nia J released her debut EP, Rabbit Hole, in 2021, followed by her debut album, Melomania, in 2024.
92nd Annual Charlotte Chief’s Cup Game at Stick Williams Dream Fields (7:04 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Will Hoge with opener Jon Tyler Wiley at The Evening Muse (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: Sold Out
Iron Maiden and Megadeth at Truliant Amphitheater (7:15 p.m.)
Tickets: $121.68 plus / Gametime: $113 plus
Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden and Megadeth bring a double bill to the Queen City. Pioneers of the New Wave of British metal, Iron Maiden formed in London in 1975 and went on to become one of the genre’s most influential bands, with classic albums including The Number of the Beast, Powerslave, and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Thrash metal giants Megadeth, founded by Dave Mustaine in 1983, helped define the genre as one of its “Big Four” alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, with landmark albums including Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?, Rust in Peace, and Countdown to Extinction, as well as fan favorites like “Symphony of Destruction,” “Peace Sells,” “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due,” and “Hangar 18.”
EsDeeKid with opener Rico Ace at The Fillmore (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $35 plus
Ultraviolet Sapphic Dance Party 3 Year Anniversary at Petra’s (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $12.00
The Basement Yard Live at Ovens Auditorium (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Sold Out / Gametime: $81 plus
The Basement Yard Live brings the popular comedy podcast to Ovens Auditorium this week, with hosts Joe Santagato and Frank Alvarez taking their hilarious, unfiltered conversations from the podcast to the stage. Known for their off-the-wall stories, heated debates, ridiculous arguments, and improvisational chemistry, the longtime friends turn their real-life banter into an interactive live comedy experience featuring audience participation and plenty of unexpected moments.
Jervis Campbell with opener Nathan Colberg at Neighborhood Theatre (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $33.45 plus
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band at Visulite Theatre (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $20 plus
Sunday, September 13
Carolina Panthers vs. Chicago Bears at Bank of America Stadium (1:00 p.m.)
NoDa Neighborhood Vintage Market at Happy Camper (12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Sazón Latin Food Festival at Divine Barrel Brewing (12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
Classic Black Cinema Series: J.D.’s Revenge at Harvey B. Gantt Center (2:00 p.m.)
Tickets: Free
The Harvey B. Gantt Center’s Classic Black Cinema Series continues this Sunday with a screening of the 1976 suspense classic J.D.’s Revenge. Starring Glynn Turman, Louis Gossett Jr., and Joan Pringle, the film follows a young Black law student in New Orleans who becomes possessed by the spirit of a gangster murdered 34 years earlier, sending him on a quest for revenge. Curated and hosted by Felix Curtis, the series celebrates the artistic legacy and cultural impact of Black cinema while introducing audiences to influential films from throughout history.
Protect Ya Neck with Grand Puba at Crown Station (5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $30.87
Jae Anderson at The Comedy Zone (6:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $24.24 plus
James Taylor at Truliant Amphitheater (7:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $27.50 plus
Legendary folk singer-songwriter and guitarist James Taylor brings his timeless catalog to Charlotte, returning to the state where he grew up and developed his musical roots. Born in Boston, Taylor moved with his family to Chapel Hill at age three and spent much of his childhood in North Carolina, later capturing his connection to the state in the beloved song “Carolina in My Mind.” A six-time Grammy Award winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Kennedy Center Honors, Taylor has earned some of the highest honors in music. He broke through in 1970 with “Fire and Rain” before scoring his first No. 1 hit with “You’ve Got a Friend,” while his 1976 Greatest Hits album became one of the best-selling folk albums in U.S. history.
Braxton Bateman at Eighty Eights (7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $15.00
The Bouncing Souls, The Suicide Machines, Strike Anywhere, and Human Issue at The Fillmore (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $23.10 plus
EST Gee at STATS (8:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $20 plus
Louisville rapper EST Gee brings his gritty Southern hip-hop sound to STATS, celebrating the release of his new album, Bigger Than The Devil. After building a local following with a string of mixtapes, EST Gee broke into the mainstream with his 2020 projects Ion Feel Nun and I Still Don’t Feel Nun, before signing with Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group in 2021 and landing his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with Lil Baby’s “Real as It Gets.” His 2021 mixtape Bigger Than Life or Death became his breakout project, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and featuring collaborations with Future, Young Thug, Lil Durk, and Pooh Shiesty. He followed with his 2022 debut studio album I Never Felt Nun, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200, establishing EST Gee as one of Louisville’s rising voices in contemporary street rap.
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