A Guide to Charlotte's Performing Arts Venues
Charlotte is a city that is home to all levels of entertainment with venues that fit your favorite performers just right.
Charlotte’s performing arts venues offer something for every audience, from open-air spaces for summer concerts to intimate settings for ballet, spoken word and comedy. Here are some of the Queen City's music halls, theaters and arenas for your next performing arts experience.
Arts Factory
Neighborhood: West Charlotte
Located in the historic West End, Arts Factory is a local hub for community-based performing arts. Home to all Three Bone Theater productions, Arts Factory also hosts plays, comedy shows, live music and more from local creatives.
AvidXChange Music Factory
Neighborhood: Uptown
AvidXchange Music Factory is home to three music venues of different sizes, along with a comedy club. Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre is an outdoor pavilion with gorgeous views of the Uptown skyline. The Fillmore Charlotte is housed in a converted textile mill and hosts popular touring acts. The Underground, the most intimate venue, lets you get up close and personal with your favorite performers. Some of the country’s top touring comedians take the stage at The Comedy Zone.
The Amp Ballantyne
Neighborhood: Ballantyne
South Charlotte’s Ballantyne is now home to one of the most exciting new outdoor music venues in the city. The Amp Ballantyne has already hosted signature shows from The Beach Boys, Ziggy Marley, Cypress Hill and many more.
Blumenthal Arts Center
Neighborhood: Uptown
Blumenthal Arts Center houses three performance spaces. Belk Theater attracts several high profile musicians, as well as musicals, theater and much more. Both the Booth Playhouse and Stage Door Theater are smaller venues that offer a more intimate setting.
Bojangles Entertainment Complex
Neighborhood: East Charlotte
Two of the most historic live music and entertainment venues have been neighbors for more than 70 years. Bojangles Coliseum has hosted legendary names like Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix throughout the years and continues to do so with today’s popular performers. Historic Ovens Auditorium is home to top comedy acts, musicals and theater, in addition to shows by performers of all genres.
Carolina Theatre
Neighborhood: Uptown
For more than half a century, Carolina Theatre was a marquee attraction and the city’s cornerstone cultural center. In 2025, Carolina Theatre was reborn, serving as Charlotte’s “community living room” while hosting a variety of live music, feature-length films, comedy, public discussions and more.
The Evening Muse
Neighborhood: NoDa
One of the beating heartbeats of the neighborhood for more than 25 years, The Evening Muse hosts countless shows from a wide variety of artists, both local and touring, that are the anchor to many unforgettable nights in Charlotte's arts and entertainment district.
ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center
Neighborhood: Uptown
Family-friendly productions take center stage at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center. This 102,000-square-foot facility situated between Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte features two theaters that host shows for even the youngest theatergoers.
Knight Theater
Neighborhood: Uptown
Part of the Levine Center for the Arts, Knight Theater is home to the Charlotte Symphony as well as performances from Charlotte Ballet. This space holds 1,192 seats within its orchestra, grand tier and mezzanine levels.
The Milestone Club
Neighborhood: West Charlotte
Opened in 1969, The Milestone is exactly the kind of rough-around-the-edges music venue that you would expect to have hosted pre-MTV fame Nirvana in the early ‘90s. Much of the graffiti, stickers and other wall art from that era are still up today, a living testament to The Milestone’s longevity and uncompromising nature.
The Music Yard
Neighborhood: South End
Situated between SouthBound and Mac’s Speed Shop, The Music Yard is an outdoor music venue that hosts acts ranging from reggae and funk to electronic and house music. Themed nights, such as Girls Room and Emo Night are also popular tickets.
Neighborhood Theatre
Neighborhood: NoDa
Neighborhood Theatre offers a much larger capacity attracting louder shows with bigger bands. Neighborhood Theatre has played host to some of rock’s biggest names over the years, from Dickey Betts to Lindsey Buckingham, in addition to local bands and festivals.
Petra's Bar
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood
Locally owned and operated music venues like Petra’s are the heart and soul of any music scene. The bar’s weekly lineup includes local and regional performers and DJs, as well as karaoke and local favorite The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session.
Snug Harbor
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood
Snug Harbor provides a mischievously ideal stage for some of Charlotte’s best local talent to showcase their musical treasures. Don’t let the kitsch fool you, however, Snug Harbor is an essential piece of the live music landscape in Charlotte.
Spectrum Center
Neighborhood: Uptown
This Uptown arena is the home of some of the brightest stars and biggest names in the entertainment industry. Expect national shows and tours coming to this 20,000 seat arena to perform under the brightest lights in the big city.
Theatre Charlotte
Neighborhood: Myers Park
For almost 100 years, Theatre Charlotte has put on accessible productions for all ages that are designed to engage and inspire. This volunteer-based theater company produces shows year-round from a 226-seat auditorium.
Truliant Amphitheater
Neighborhood: University City
A signature venue of the summer music season, Truliant Amphitheater comes to life during the warmest months of the year to welcome the most popular touring acts. This 18,745-seat venue will provide you with memories of the Queen City that will last a lifetime.
VAPA Center
Neighborhood: Uptown
As a space for local artists, VAPA Center welcomes creatives perform their respective art. Arts enthusiasts can watch these creatives in action at one of VAPA’s events, including the free Night Market that features live performances of music, dance and theater the second Saturday of each month.
Visulite Theatre
Neighborhood: Elizabeth
A multi-tiered setup, the historic Visulite Theatre is an excellent space to watch musicians perform, with multiple sightlines and different ways for you to experience the music, with excellent reverberating acoustics.
Article originally written by Andy Goh. Updates by Arielle Patterson in June 2026.
