Hopscotch returns with expansive lineup featuring Japanese Breakfast, Pavement, Denzel Curry, Alvvays, and many more

By Cameron Lee

May 19, 2023 (updated)

Hopscotch Music Festival will make a rousing return to Raleigh with its most expansive lineup in recent years. Going back to their roots as a multi-venue walkable city street festival, 2023 will see the return of several downtown Raleigh venues: Lincoln Theatre, Kings, The Pour House, Slim’s, Wicked Witch, and Neptunes. The impressive lineup will feature Japanese Breakfast, Pavement, Denzel Curry, Alvvays, Digable Planets, King Krule, Sunny Day Real Estate, Margo Price, American Football, Dinosaur Jr., and many more. 

The readdition of several staple venues in the Raleigh music scene allows for a wider-ranging selection of North Carolina artists like Winston-Salem rapper TiaCorine, Durham’s Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo (formerly Loamlands), Greensboro’s Taylor Aaron Parker Williams of Black Haus, Raleigh rapper-producer Pat Junior, and indie rock outfit, Truth Club. This year will also host more Charlotte bands than ever before with jazz-pop group Cosmic Collective, the tropical world music stylings of Don Telling’s Island Mysteries, cosmic alt-country artist Coughing Dove, alternative rockers Dipstick, and lo-fi synth-punk project Lofidels. 

The festival will also highlight some historic sets, as underground indie rock trailblazers Pavement will reunite for their first performance in North Carolina since 1999. Math rock band American Football will play their first show ever in the state, and recently reunited emo stalwarts Sunny Day Real Estate will return to the Triangle for the first time since 2000 at Cat’s Cradle. 

A new addition to Hopscotch will be comedy. Saturday Night Live cast member Sarah Sherman, multi-faceted comedian and actor Whitmer Thomas, and up-and-coming stand-up comic Maddie Wiener will all perform comedy sets at the festival. Also, for the first time ever, Hopscotch will partner with Skate Raleigh (a non-profit that seeks to advance action sports in Raleigh and surrounding areas) to host extreme sports competitions with food trucks and DJs in front of Kings and Neptunes. 

City Plaza and Moore Square will continue to serve as the main stages. You can join the Hopscotch Music Festival mailing list, and follow Hopscotch on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates. General admission three-day wristbands start at $129 ($375 for VIP). Check out the full lineup for Hopscotch 2023 taking place September 7-9 in downtown Raleigh.

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