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Carter-Finley is set to be a part-time music venue.
Carter-Finley is breaking its silent streak. Pre-2025, the last time the stadium hosted an artist was Beyoncé in 2016. Fast-forward ~nine years, and the venue turned up the nonfootball volume with a sold-out Chris Brown show Oct. 14, leaving every Raleigh concertgoer wondering: Is Carter-Finley bringing live music back?
The answer is yes—big names are returning, and regularly. NC State has officially partnered with Oak View Group, a global venue booking and live entertainment leader, to turn the stadium into a true live music destination with multiple large-scale stadium shows a year—kicking off with Guns N’ Roses July 23.
So, why now? Naturally, it’s money making the concert world go round. “We’re in a time right now with college athletics where we’re really having to find additional revenue streams,” says NC State Assistant Athletic Director for New Business Kyle Fiala. “There’s just an added emphasis on generating revenue, and concerts are a great way to do that.”
In short, the unused real estate is there—outside of seven home football games, the 56,919-seat stadium sits empty. “There’s people that will come to a concert at Carter-Finley Stadium who might have never been inside before,” remarks Fiala. “Being able to give them an experience is a great way to get them in and put on a great show for the community.”
The notoriously congested Chris Brown concert drawing 42K attendees was scheduled pre-partnership, but Oak View assisted with execution. “We learned a lot about how to operate an event of this size,” reflects Fiala. “There are things we can directly point to and say, ‘Hey, we can change this.’”
Still, football remains the priority. “We’re never gonna do anything at the stadium that puts our football program in a bad spot,” he maintains, confirming concerts won’t mess with gamedays. Big acts have played here before—and they’re coming again. And, so, Carter-Finley is officially (back) in its live music era.
Quick Flex
Carter-Finley’s Résumé
2016
Beyoncé with
DJ Khaled
2015
The Rolling Stones with The Avett Brothers
2009
U2 with Muse
1998
George Strait Country
Music Festival
Jimmy Buffet
1994
The Rolling Stones
with Lenny Kravitz
Pink Floyd
1990
Grateful Dead
Paul McCartney
1989
The Rolling Stones
with Living Colour
The Who
1979
Van Halen with
The Outlaws
Sound Check
A look at the kinds of acts hitting stadium tours in 2026—offering a glimpse of what could soon land closer to home (and save you the drive to Charlotte or beyond). Stay tuned
for announcements.
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Foo Fighters
Luke Bryan
Pitbull
Post Malone
The Weeknd
BTS
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