NOAH’S ARC: Musician Noah Kahan, captured here delivering a performance at OVO Wembley Arena on February 14, is one of the headline acts at the inaugural Lovin’ Life Music Fest in Charlotte. (Getty Images)
Fresh Festival Expands Southern Entertainment’s Reach in the Carolinas
Southern Entertainment has broadened its array of events with the introduction of the Lovin’ Life Music Fest, a new festival spanning three days in Charlotte, North Carolina, the very city where the organizers are based.
With just two months remaining, the festival scheduled for May 3-5 in uptown Charlotte has finalized its lineup featuring approximately 40 performances, headlined by Stevie Nicks, Post Malone, and Noah Kahan.
Among the final dozen artists revealed in late February were The Avett Brothers, originating from Concord, North Carolina, situated about 25 miles northeast of Charlotte.
Other artists slated to perform at Lovin’ Life include Maggie Rogers, The Chainsmokers, Dashboard Confessional, Dominic Fike, Mt. Joy, Young the Giant, The Struts, and Charlotte’s own DaBaby, representing a diverse range of musical genres.
Bob Durkin, co-owner of Southern Entertainment alongside Rob Pedlow, originally from New York and a resident of Charlotte for over 25 years, has a history of managing restaurants and bars in the city, such as Black Finn, Whisky River (a collaboration with former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.), and Dixie’s Tavern, where live music events were held in the parking lot.
Previously, they organized festival-style shows like Gravedigger’s Ball and Uncle Sam Jam in Charlotte.
A decade ago, Durkin and Pedlow established Southern Entertainment and ventured into producing multi-day festivals, commencing in 2015 with Carolina Country in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Since then, the company has expanded its reach to curate country festivals in Greenville/Simpsonville, North Carolina; Marietta, Georgia; and Wildwood, New Jersey. Additionally, Southern Entertainment is involved in booking talent for music series at Symphony Park in south Charlotte. This year marks the launch of “The Citadel Live” at Johnson Hagood Stadium, the football venue of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.
In Charlotte, where a multi-day music festival in uptown has been absent since CityFest in the early 2000s, Durkin aims to establish Lovin’ Life as a long-standing event. He envisions leveraging the rapid growth of one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities and its youthful demographic to transform the festival into an annual attraction. Charlotte’s vibrant music scene, including two bustling amphitheaters operated by Live Nation each summer, further supports this vision.
LOVIN’ IT: Southern Entertainment’s Lovin’ Life Music Fest marks the return of a multi-day music extravaganza to uptown Charlotte after two decades. (Facebook)
Despite its swift sell-out of three-day plus general admission tickets since the early December announcement, upgraded packages offering exclusive access to bars, food services, and restrooms are still available. Three-day tickets for general admission, VIP, and Super VIP categories are currently on sale, ranging from \(300 to \)1,300 per person, with early bird GA tickets priced at $200.
Durkin believes the ticket prices are reasonable for a three-day music-filled experience. While single-day tickets are not part of the current plan, this approach may be reconsidered closer to the event.
Describing the lineup as top-tier, Durkin emphasizes Noah Kahan’s rising prominence and diverse collaborations with artists like Post Malone, Zach Bryan, Kasey Musgraves, and the Lumineers. He anticipates that Kahan’s performance at the festival will garner him a dedicated fan base. In addition to national acts, a stage will be dedicated to showcasing around a dozen local and regional bands, a crucial element in nurturing the festival’s growth.
Durkin underscores the significance of providing a platform for young artists to showcase their talent and potentially launch their careers. The culinary offerings at the festival will feature a mix of portable stands and food trucks, with efforts to incorporate local brands that have contributed to Charlotte’s burgeoning culinary reputation over the past decade.
Sponsorship for the event includes prominent brands like Coors Light, Jack Daniels, Tito’s, and Monster Energy, with ongoing negotiations for a presenting sponsor. Southern Entertainment anticipates employing 500 individuals for the festival and is collaborating closely with local authorities and organizations to ensure a safe and successful event for all attendees.
“We’re thrilled about this event as it celebrates music for everyone in our hometown, which holds special meaning for us,” Durkin expressed.