2022 Don’t Miss Hot Tickets List

Events are back—and bigger & better than ever. We round up the best of the best—from comedy and music to fests and philanthropy and more. Plus, worth traveling for!

If we learned anything in the last two years it’s that life’s short (and unexpected)—so, for one, buy the damn tickets. If you thought 2021 was gonna be Raleigh gone wild before the pandemic got all Contagion-style part II variant, just wait for ’22. Events are back for real this time—and bigger and better and cooler than ever. Think best names. Biggest acts. And people are amped up and willing to drop all the dollars. 

Says Vine Rich Events & Experiences Creative Lead and founder Catrina Vienrich, “Everyone’s event schedules have been cleared for so long that we’re seeing not just a drive for people who need to have in-person events coming back, we’re seeing a drive of attendees wanting to come back to events… in droves!”  

And the planners are here for it. The smart companies and orgs took this hiatus to strategize how to come back bigger and better, adds Vienrich. “And boy are they! We’re seeing folks really going the extra mile to make sure their event is a true experience, with goals to stake claim on attendees’ and sponsors’ calendars for years to come.” 

Events are providing a “more engaging [experience] while strategically trying to gather new support and provide real value for that support.” At both the local and national level, everyone is blowing it out and people are just happy to be out and about living and experiencing (!), and together again. 

So get ready, Raleigh… it’s about to be lights out. Here’s your preview of where your paycheck will be going this year—and they’re totes worth the splurge (and the wait).

Here for the Beats

• April 9, Bon Jovi, PNC Arena
• April 15, Yacht Rock Revue, The Ritz
• May 7, AJR, Red Hat Amphitheater
• May 20, Old Crow Medicine Show, NCMA
• May 21, Tim McGraw, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• May 24, The Lumineers, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• May 31, Jesse McCartney, The Ritz 
• June 3, Morgan Wallen, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• June 24, H.E.R., Red Hat Amphitheater
• July 8, Luke Bryan, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• July 15, Big Time Rush: Forever Tour, Red Hat Amphitheater
• July 22, Dave Matthews Band, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• July 22, NKOTB, Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley, En Vogue, PNC Arena
• Aug. 13, Keith Urban, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek 
• Sept. 1, The Black Keys/Band of Horses/Early James, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• Sept. 22, Alice in Chains w/ Breaking Benjamin + Bush, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
• Oct. 18, Greta Van Fleet, PNC Arena

Comic Relief 

• April 16–17, Chris Rock, DPAC
• May 22, John Mulaney, PNC Arena
• June 11, Chelsea Handler, DPAC
• Aug. 20, Kevin Hart, PNC Arena

The World’s a Stage

• April 19–24, Pretty Woman, DPAC
• May 19–22, Giselle, Carolina Ballet
• October 11–16, Sister Act, NC Theatre, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
• Jan. 27 & 29, 2023, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, North Carolina Opera, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

Best Fests

• April 3–4, Dreamville, Dix Park
• Sept. TBD, Hopscotch, DTR
• Sept. 30–Oct. 1, IBMA Bluegrass Live, DTR

Pour on the Fun 

• April 22–23, Brewgaloo, DTR
• June 4, Brisket & Bubbles, Smoky Hollow
• Sept. 24, Festa Italiana, DTR
• Aug. 8, NCRLA Chef Showdown

Benevolent Benefits

Sept. 11 | Rock Your World, Fenton

Rock out for charity. The Embers, Band of Brothers, Tommy Niemann and other bands/artists are taking the stage at Rock Your World to benefit the Hope for Haiti Foundation of Raleigh and the U.S. Veterans Corps of Raleigh. Honor the troops via live tunes, food from Fenton restos (!), photo ops, a silent auction, a kids area with face painting and picture booths, VIP experiences, and more. fentonnc.com

Sept. 10 | Hops for Hope, North Hills Midtown Park

Don’t worry, be hoppy! Children’s Flight of Hope’s brew-tiful fundraising event is back on tap at North Hills Midtown Park, inviting attendees (and judges) to sip their way through signature beers concocted by teams of corporate and brewery pairings. Last year, 31 palatable pairings dreamed up the likes of Lab to Lager, JaggaerWeizter, Malt This Way and more—to the tune of a whopping $290,000 raised to fund flights for specialized care for children in need. Cheers to upping the ante this year! childrensflightofhope.org

Oct. TBD | Band Together, Red Hat Amphitheater

Party with a purpose via the Southeast’s largest charitable concert. Since its founding in 2001, Band Together has used the power of live music to donate over $11 million to local nonprofit orgs. Stay tuned for the big campaign and benefit concert announcement for 2022. Rock on! bandtogethernc.org

Jingle in July + Jingle Ball, TBD

Jingle ball, jingle ball, jingle all the way… Capital City Clauses’ 29th annual Jingle Ball promises to put you in the holly jolly spirit with food, live bands, raffles and unlimited drinks (you heard that right). But wait—there’s myrrh. All funds from the event go toward the purchase of toys for Wake County children, as well as provide grants to various orgs like InterAct, Zach’s Toy Chest and Transitions LifeCare. But if you can’t wait until Xmas, CCC’s Jingle in July will put you in a joyful state of mind—regardless of how hot it may be outside.  capitalcityclauses.org/jingle-ball

February 2023 | Igniting Hope + Evening of Hope, Angus Barn

After raising a whopping total of $969,000 between the two events (of which Igniting Hope started this year) in 2022, Foundation of Hope’s annual two-night glam gala returns in February 2023 to continue its mission to expanding hope for those who deal with mental illness. Don your swanky party dress (or suit!) and nip, sip and sway the night(s) away to stamp out the stigma. walkforhope.com

Goal-Getters 

• NHL Playoffs | May 2 + Outdoor Game | February 2023

Take Warning! The NHL playoffs are back (!) and our very own Bunch of Jerks are primed to stage a Caniac Attack and make a run for the Stanley Cup—pretty much promising, then, that next February’s Stadium Series outdoor hockey game at Carter-Finley will rock you like a hurricane. Puck yeah! nhl.com/hurricanes

• NC State v. Virginia Tech | Oct. 27

Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, bye! In one of the biggest home games of the season, look for a packed house as State takes on Virginia Tech under the lights on the national stage. gopack.com

• CLT FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC | May 29

Squad goals? A road trip to peep Charlotte FC—NC’s very own Major League Soccer team (!)—in its inaugural season as they take on the currently top-ranked Seattle Sounders FC in a matchup you’re sure to get a kick out of. charlottefootballclub.com

Box-Office Biggies

• Morbius, April 1
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, April 15
• Top Gun, May 27
• Elvis, June 24
• Legally Blonde 3, May TBD
• Avatar 2, Dec. 16 expected

Tried & True

Here we round up our city’s top time-tested events—the must-do bucket list you burn through to punch your “Raleighite” ticket.

Tickets Worth Traveling for:

• Justin Bieber (Greensboro) – April 5
• Elton John (Greensboro) – April 19
• Billy Joel (Charlotte) – April 23
• Kenny Chesney (Charlotte) – April 30
• Paul McCartney (Winston-Salem) – May 21
• Tame Impala (Wilmington) – May 24
• The Black Crowes (Wilmington) – June 18
• Garth Brooks (Charlotte) – July 16
• Lady Gaga (DC) – Aug. 8
• The Weeknd – (Atlanta) – Aug. 11
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (Charlotte) – Sept. 1

Comedy Worth traveling for:

• Steve Martin, Greenville, SC, Aug. 19 (or see them in Durham! New show just added at DPAC, Oct. 16)

Theater/Arts Worth traveling for:

• Ain’t Too Proud, Greenville, SC, Aug. 2–7
• Mean Girls, Greensboro, Sept. 13–18

Food/Bev Worth traveling for:

• Chow Chow, Asheville, NC; June 23–26, Aug. 4–7, Sept. 8–11
• Euphoria, Greenville, SC, Sept. 16–19
• Fire, Flour, Fork, Richmond, Nov. TBD
• Savannah Wine & Food Fest, Savannah, Nov. TBD

Fests Worth traveling for:

• National Cherry Blossom Festival, DC, through April 17
• Spoleto, Charleston, May 27–June 12 
• Azalea Festival, Wilmington, April 6–10
• Carolina Renaissance Festival, Charlotte, Oct. 1–Nov. 20