First round of Lovin’ Life Music Fest artist announcements is small — but boasts big names
Ever since the organizers of the 2024 Lovin’ Life Music Fest announced that the event would be returning to Charlotte for a sophomore year, an army of prospective ticket-buyers has eagerly awaited the announcement of next May’s lineup.
Well, on Thursday morning — a day after the public on-sale opened up — they finally got some answers.
On the heels of a successful inaugural event that featured Post Malone, Stevie Nicks and Noah Kahan as the major draws, Lovin’ Life has revealed the identities of two headliners and one co-headlining act for its May 2-4, 2025 edition: Topping the three-day festival’s bill will be jam-rockers The Dave Matthews Band and pop icon Gwen Stefani, while it’s also been confirmed that rising pop star Benson Boone will perform.
Lovin’ Life organizers say they plan to add one more headliner and “a lot of other big acts” to a lineup that will eventually grow to more than 50 national, regional and local artists, across multiple stages in around First Ward Park in uptown.
This past May, upwards of 30,000 people set foot on the festival grounds on each of the event’s three days. “The event was sublime in its execution, all things considered,” we wrote in our wrap-up of the inaugural festival, “and in its ability to create a consistently safe and immensely pleasurable experience for (those) who passed through the gates each day.”
Thursday’s announcement reaffirms the festival’s ability to attract marquee talent.
2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dave Matthews Band, a frequent visitor to PNC Music Pavilion (and an act that sells it out every time), is well-known for never playing the same setlist twice — even if its most mainstream fans are always hoping for “Crash Into Me” and “Ants Marching.”
Stefani, the 55-year-old lead singer of the band No Doubt, will bring with her a cache of hit songs that includes “The Sweet Escape” and “Hollaback Girl.” By next May, it will have been nine years since the Grammy Award winner performed a show in Charlotte.
And Boone, who is just 22, has had a breakout year with his smash “Beautiful Things,” which he closed his show at uptown’s Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre with exactly one month ago.
It’s not yet clear which nights will feature what artists; also, single-day tickets aren’t being sold at the moment.
Currently, the only passes on sale are good for all three days of the Lovin’ Life Fest, and will cost you $269-$299 for general-admission; $499-$529 for VIP tickets; and $1,199-$1,299 for “Super VIP” access. (Prices, of course, do not include ticket fees, which will add at least $25 to each one.) For details: lovinlifemusicfest.com.
“Coming off last year’s sellout, we are absolutely amazed by the incredible support from the Charlotte community,” Bob Durkin of Southern Entertainment said in a statement. “The enthusiasm from fans during the presale has surpassed our expectations, cementing this fest as a cornerstone of the Queen City’s vibrant culture. ... We’ve worked hard to craft a lineup that reflects Charlotte’s energy and diversity.
“And this is just the beginning — we can’t wait to share more talent updates in the coming weeks.”
The Charlotte Observer will keep you posted as those are announced...
This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 8:00 AM with the headline "First round of Lovin’ Life Music Fest artist announcements is small — but boasts big names."
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