Your ultimate guide to the 2018 summer concert season and tours in the Triangle
With spring finally in the air and outdoor concerts kicking off, it’s time for our summer concert guide.
Here’s the schedule so far for the Triangle’s primary regular outdoor venues, plus Raleigh’s PNC Arena, which is decidedly indoors.
Plus, we’ve got a lot of the free-music series at North Hills in Raleigh, Durham Central Park and other places around the Triangle and beyond.
Bookmark this list online, because we’ll be updating it as the season progresses and more dates are announced.
And as we advise every year: Always wear sunblock.
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh.
919-831-6400 or walnutcreekamphitheatre.com
May 11 — Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers
May 12 — Kenny Chesney, Old Dominion
May 18 — Post Malone, 21 Savage, SOB X RBE
May 25 — Outlaw Music Festival: Willie Nelson, Sturgill Simpson, Alison Krauss, Delta Rae
May 26 — Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, SIR, Lance Skiiiwalker, Isaiah Rashad, Zacari
June 9 — Dead & Company
June 14 — Styx, Joan Jett, Tesla
June 16 — Rascal Flatts, Dan + Shay, Carly Pearce
June 28 — Luke Bryan, Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen
June 29 — Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, .38 Special, CJ Solar
July 3 — Foreigner, Whitesnake, Jason Bonhan’s Led Zeppelin Evening
July 5 — Imagine Dragons, Grace VanderWaal
July 10 — Chris Brown, HER, Rich the Kid
July 13 — Tedeschi Trucks Band, Drive-By Truckers, Marcus King Band
July 17 — Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Michael Tolcher
July 20 — Dave Matthews Band
July 21 — Evanescence, Lindsey Stirling
July 24 — Weezer, Pixies, Sleigh Bells
July 27 — Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini
July 28 — Charlie Puth, Hailee Steinfeld
Aug. 1 — Janet Jackson
Aug. 9 — Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, LANCO
Aug. 10 — Phish
Aug. 11 — Pentatonix
Aug. 12 — Wiz Khalifa & Rae Sremmurd: “Dazed & Blazed”
Aug. 18 — Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Lauren Alaina
Aug. 24 — Brad Paisley, Kane Brown
Sept. 1 — Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Wheeler Walker Jr.
Sept. 4 — G-Eazy, Lil Uzi Vert, Ty Dolla $ign, YBN Nahmir, P-Lo, Murda Beatz
Sept. 14 — Zac Brown Band, O’Connor Band, Darrell Scott
Sept. 17 — Niall Horan, Maren Morris
Oct. 4 — Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Russell Dickerson
Oct. 12 — Chris Stapleton, Marty Stuart, Brent Cobb
Red Hat Amphitheater
500 S. McDowell St., Raleigh.
919-996-8800 or redhatamphitheater.com
May 1 — The National, Big Thief
May 3 — Fleet Foxes
May 9 — Odesza
May 20 — Mastodon, Primus, All Them Witches
May 25 — Brian McKnight, Loose Ends
May 31 — Dirty Heads, Iration, The Movement, Pacific Dub
June 7 — Khalid
June 14 — Revivalists, J. Roddy Walston & the Business
June 15 — Paramore, Soccer Mommy
June 16 — Arctic Monkeys
June 19 — Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly
June 23 — Band Together: Walk the Moon, American Aquarium, Travis Meadows
June 29 — Rebelution, Stephen Marley, Common Kings, Zion I
July 4 — Barenaked Ladies, Better Than Ezra, KT Tunstall
July 12 — Arcade Fire
July 13 — Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, The Story So Far
July 14 — Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure, Pepper
July 26 — Lauryn Hill, Big Boi, Bambaata Marley, Raury
July 27 — Dispatch, Nahko & Medicine for the People, Raye Zaragoza
Aug. 3 — Kidz Bop
Aug. 7 — Rise Against, AFI, Anti-Flag
Aug. 8 — O.A.R., Matt Nathanson
Aug. 10 — LSD Tour: Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, King Leg
Aug. 22 — NEEDTOBREATHE, Johnnyswim, Billy Raffoul
Aug. 27 — Leon Bridges, Jon Batiste, Stay Human
Sept. 28-29 — IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass, acts TBA
Oct. 12 — Umphrey’s McGee, Zach Deputy
PNC Arena
1400 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh.
919-861-2300 or thepncarena.com
May 12 — Katt Williams
June 5 — Journey, Def Leppard
June 22 — Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, Caitlyn Smith, Devin Dawson
July 28 — Panic! At the Disco
Oct. 14 — Nicki Minaj, Future
Nov. 9 — Travis Scott
Dec. 12 — Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Koka Booth Amphitheatre
800-514-3849 or boothamphitheatre.com
May 12 — Vance Joy
July 17 — Boy George and Culture Club, B-52’s, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey
Aug. 5 — Ventriloquist Darci Lynne and Friends Live, “America’s Got Talent” winner
Aug. 18 — Black Violin
Aug. 24 – Masters of the Mic: Mr. Cheeks, Doug E. Fresh, Eric B. & Rakim, Blackstreet, Naughty by Nature, Slick Rick
Sept. 20 — Old Crow Medicine Show, Dawes
Sept. 27 — Vince Gill
Sept. 28 — Jason Isbell
Oct. 4 — Classic Country Throwdown: Tracy Lawrence, Phil Vassar, Little Texas, Cledus T. Judd
Oct. 11 — Chris Tucker, D.K. Hughley
Jason Isbell will perform at Booth Amphitheatre Sept. 28. Amy Harris Invision/AP
NC Symphony Summerfest
May 26 — Pictures at an Exhibition
June 1 — A Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration
June 2 — Superheroes Save Summerfest
June 9 — Blind Boys of Alabama
June 16 — Classics Under the Stars
June 23 — Summer Nights in Spain
June 30 — Glenn Miller to Gershwin: Jump, Jive & Swing!
July 4 — Independence Day
July 7 — Romantic Russian Nights
July 14 — The Music of Tom Petty
July 21 — Annual Beach Party
Hob Nob Jazz Series
May 9 — Atomic Rhythm All Stars
May 16 — Mint Julep Jazz Band
May 23 — Second Line Stompers
May 30 — Peter Lamb & the Wolves
June 6 — Marcus Anderson
Pickin’ in the Pines
Aug. 29 — Grassstreet
Sept. 5 — Kaylin Roberson Band, Victor Dimarko
Sept. 12 — Garrett Newton Band
Sept. 19 — Diamond Creek
Sept. 26 — Johnny Folsom 4, Canady Thomas’ Patsy Cline Tribute
North Carolina Museum of Art
Museum Park Amphitheater, 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh.
919-715-5923 or ncartmuseum.org
June 8 — First Aid Kit, Jade Bird
June 16 — Shovels and Rope, Son Volt
June 23 — Mandolin Orange, Charlie Parr
July 12 — Lake Street Dive
July 28 — The Mavericks
Aug. 1 — Father John Misty, Jenny Lewis
Aug. 3 — Kishi Bashi, Jake Shimabukuro
Aug. 4 — Paris Combo
Aug. 18 — Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown
Sept. 7-9 — Paperhand Puppets
Music in the Gardens at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
420 Anderson St., Durham, Duke University
919-660-3348 or dukeperformances.duke.edu
June 13 — Dori Freeman
June 20 — Lydia Loveless
June 27 — The Sadies
July 11 — Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba
July 18 — Anna & Elizabeth
July 25 — Las Cafeteras
Shakori Hills
1439 Henderson Tanyard Road, Pittsboro
919-542-8142 or shakorihillsgrassroots.org
May 3-6 — Grassroots Spring Festival: Steve Earle, Rising Appalachia, Chicano Batman, Donna the Buffalo, Ibibio Sound Machine, Driftwood, others
Oct. 4-7 — Grassroots Fall Festival: Lettuce, Yarn, Ryan Montbleu, G Yamazawa, others
Oct. 20 — Outessafest: Mavis Staples, Best Coast, Seratones, Bat Fangs, Mary Lambert, Bibi McGill, H.C. McEntire, S.E. Ward
Durham Blues & Brews Festival
Durham Central Park, 501 Foster St., Durham.
durhambluesandbrewsfestival.com
May 19 — Belltown Strutters, Mel Melton’s Wicked Mojos, Selwyn Birchwood Band
Festival for the Eno
West Point on the Eno, Durham City Park, 501 N. Roxboro St., Durham
919-620-9099 or enofest.org
July 4 and 7 — Bowerbirds, Lucy Dacus, Gospel Jubilators, John Dee Holeman, Orquesta Gardel, Boom Unit Brass Band, others
Summer Daze Music Festival
Midtown Park at North Hills
4011 Cardinal N. Hills St., Raleigh, Visitnorthhills.com
Aug. 18 — Shwayze and Cisco, Surfer Blood, Lute, Carter Cruise, Mike’s Left Arm, WONDR, DJ Nevy
Stephenson Amphitheatre
Raleigh Little Theatre, 301 Pogue St., Raleigh
919-821-3111 or raleighlittletheatre.org
Sept. 15 — The Connells, Dillon Fence, Mayflies USA
Sept. 16 — Raleigh Symphony Orchestra (rain date: Sept. 23)
Sept. 22 — Groove in the Garden: Lydia Loveless, Loamlands, Pie Face Girls, Kate Rhudy, ZenSoFly, Tres Chicas, New Reveille, Reese McHenry, Blue Cactus, Kamara Thomas, Emily Mussolini
Hopscotch Music Festival
Venues in downtown Raleigh. hopscotchmusicfest.com
Sept. 6-8 — Miguel, Liz Phair, Grizzly Bear, others
Dreamville Festival
Dix Park, Raleigh. dreamvillefest.com
Sept. 15 — Lineup to be announced.
Art of Cool
Venues in Durham. Aocfestival.org
Sept. 28-29 — Maxwell, Nas, Erykah Badu, Damien Escobar, Sons of Kemet, Iman Omari, Sango, Meshell Ndegeocello
FREE CONCERTS
North Hills
Raleigh, Visitnorthhills.com
Midtown Park
4011 Cardinal N. Hills St., Raleigh
May 5 — Midtown Music Fest: Who’s Bad, Adelie, Leah Blevins, The Shakedown, DJ Forge, Lockdown Blues Band, Retro Candy
May 20 — Midtown Bluegrass Series: Lil’ Smokies, Big Fat Gap
June 2 — Kickin’ It Country: Walker McGuire, Towne, Ray Fulcher
June 10 — Sunday Funday: The Brevet, Dead Sea Sparrow
Sept. 16 — Midtown Bluegrass Series: Lonely Heartstring Band, Circus No. 9
Friday Night Tributes — Every week, Aug. 25-Oct. 12; acts TBA
North Hills Commons, 4191 Main at North Hills St., Raleigh
April 26 — Tams
May 3 — North Tower
May 10 — Band of Oz
May 17 — Liquid Pleasure
May 24 — Jim Quick & Coastline
May 31 — Catalinas
June 7 — Chairmen of the Board
June 14 — Bantum Rooster
June 21 — Fantastic Shakers
June 28 — Legacy Motown Revue
July 5 — Steve Owens & Summertime
July 12 — Blackwater Rhythm & Blues
July 19 — Too Much Sylvia
July 26 — North Tower
Aug. 2 — Band of Oz
Aug. 9 — Liquid Pleasure
Aug. 16 — Embers featuring Craig Woolard
LIVE@Lake Raleigh
Lake Raleigh, at the corner of Main Campus and Campus Shores drives on Centennial Campus, Raleigh.
May 10 — Holy Ghost Tent Revival
Durham Central Park
501 Foster St., Durham.
June 8 — Gabriel Garzon-Montano
June 15 — Laura Reed
June 17 — Project 919 Band
June 22 — Aztec Sun
June 29 — Valerie June, Kamara Thomas
July 6 — Mamis & the Papis, Gemynii
July 13 — Joshua Gunn
July 20 — Devon Gilfillian
Aug. 3 — Al Strong & the Fresh Five
Aug. 10 — Kyshona Armstrong
Back Porch Music on the Lawn
American Tobacco Amphitheater, 318 Blackwell St., Durham.
May 24 — Crucial Fiya (Tyler’s Taproom Down Under Patio)
June 14 — Nikki Hill
June 21 — Will Hoge
Aug. 23 — Yarn, Songs from the Road Band
Aug. 30 — Lilly Hiatt
Sertoma Amphitheatre
Bond Park, 801 High House Road, Cary.
May 12 — The Monitors
June 9 — Wood Robinson’s New Formal
July 14 — All-Nite Public Radio
Aug. 11 — Shana Tucker
Freight Train Blues Music Series
Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro
May 18 — Cool John Ferguson, Pee Wee Hayes
May 25 — Ernie Vincent, Guitar Lightnin’ Lee
June 1 — Eastern NC Gospel Jubilee: Glorifying Vines Sisters, Albert Harrison & the Gospel Tones, James Barrett & the Golden Jubilees, Dedicated Men of Zion, Branchettes
June 8 — A.J. Ghent, Harvey Dalton Arnold
Music in the Park
Indian Creek Park, 101 Town Hall Drive, Morrisville.
May 17 — Mel Melton and Wicked Mojos
June 21 — Shriya Komaragiri
Six Sundays in Spring
E. Carroll Joyner Park Amphitheater, 701 Harris Road, Wake Forest.
April 29 — The Connells
May 6 — Capital Transit
May 13 — Spongetones
May 20 — Caribe Vibe
May 27 — Melissa Reaves
June 3 — John Brown Quartet
Aug. 5 — Emily Mussolino
Sept. 2 — Ellis Dyson & the Shambles
Music at Midday
Centennial Plaza, 221 Brooks St., Wake Forest.
May 10 — Honey Magpie
May 17 — Freddy Green Trio
May 24 — DRL Band
May 31 — Big Bang Boom
Friday Nights on the Tar
Downtown Louisburg Amphitheatre, 116 N. Main St., Louisburg
May 18 — East Coast Rhythm and Blues Band
June 15 — Tyson Brothers
July 20 — Shine
Aug. 17 — Sleeping Booty
Sept. 21 — Night Years
Mill Music Sessions
Rocky Mount Mills, 1151 Falls Road, Rocky Mount
May 19 — Dillon Fence
June 9 — Music Maker Blues Revue
Sept. 14 — Connells
Oct. 13 — John Howie & Rosewood Bluff, Magnolia Collective
FESTIVALS
Moogfest
Durham. moogfest.com
May 17-20 — The 2018 schedule features night concerts plus daytime panels and workshops. Performers include Kelela, Mouse on Mars, KRS-One, Suzanne Ciani, Psychic TV, Jon Hopkins and keynote speaker Chelsea Manning.
May 19 — American Tobacco Complex free outdoor stage with Pete Rock, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Moses Sumney
Artsplosure
Fayetteville and Morgan streets, downtown Raleigh.
May 19 — Last Bandoleers, Ranky Tanky, David Myles, Old Time Ramblers, Squonk Opera’s “Cycle Sonic”
May 20 — Wailers, John Papa Gros Band, Onyx Club Boys, Squonk Opera’s “Cycle Sonic”
Mondo Roots Cultural Arts & Music Festival
Main Street, downtown Clayton. mondoroots.com
June 2 — Nappy Roots, Terminator X, New Kingston, DJ Jedi, Africa Unplugged, Echelon Youth Brass Jazz Ensemble
IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass
Downtown Raleigh. wideopenbluegrass.com
Sept. 28-29 — Acts TBA
This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 12:41 PM.