Giant glowing bunnies invade Uptown kicking off ambitious 13-day Charlotte SHOUT! festival

Charlotte SHOUT!, a 13-day festival celebrating art, music, food and ideas, is currently underway through May 11 in Uptown.

Inspired by citywide festivals like Austin City Limits and Vivid Sydney, leaders in Charlotte set out to create a signature event for the city.

The 2019 lineup features more than 75 concerts, installations and performances during a two-week period in Uptown’s public spaces and theaters. While most attractions are free, tickets are also on sale for the larger headlining acts.

“After we wrapped up our three-year Breakin’ Convention International Hip-Hop Festival, we were eager to find an even bigger project to take on,” said Blumenthal Performing Arts President Tom Gabbard. “Charlotte SHOUT! is going to blow people away with fresh new ideas that will engage everyone.”

Two eye-catching outdoor installations announced the arrival of the festival this week — giant bunnies and glowing musical seesaws.

“Intrude,” an exhibit by Australian artist Amanda Parer, features a small army of giant inflatable rabbits invading The Green, a half-acre park at 400 S Tryon Street. Bunny hours are daily 10 a.m. to midnight through May 11 and they illuminate after dark.

“Impulse,” an interactive light and sound display, features glowing seesaws that make music when you play on them. They’re located in the middle of the street on Levine Avenue of the Arts.

Even more large-scale public art displays are on the way in week two, including colorful pivoting prisms that transform the street into a kaleidoscope and thousands of stylized glowing stalks that will turn First Ward Park into a shimmering wheat field. (See more details below.)

The rest of the Charlotte SHOUT! lineup is stacked with engaging panels, family-friendly entertainment, live performances, large-scale art displays, tastings and more.

Here are some highlights to put on your radar…

Music: Headliners include GRAMMY winner Anthony Hamilton (May 9, $35 tickets), rock band Umphrey’s McGee (May 10, $35 tickets) and indie pop act Bleachers (May 11, $35 tickets). See the full music lineup.

Speakers: Leaders heading into Charlotte for the festival include Radha Agrawal (May 9), CEO and Chief Community Architect of Daybreaker; Kai Kight (May 10), a violinist and keynote speaker; and Rohit Bhargava (May 11), founder of the Non-Obvious Company. Katie will join Radha Agrawal and local leaders for a panel on building authentic community at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 9 – register here for that free event. See the full ideas lineup.

Art: In addition to the giant bunnies and glowing seesaws, keep an eye out for these stunning public displays on the way May 9-11. Entre Les Rangs will feature thousands of glowing stylized stalks of wheat dancing and shimmering to a musical score in First Ward Park, Prismatica’s 25 pivoting prisms will transform the block at 5th and 6th streets into a kaleidoscope and Constellation, a star-shaped canopy made of 5,400 LED lights, will turn heads at the convergence of Trade and Tryon. See the full art lineup.

“Charlotte SHOUT! is going to be nothing like this city has ever seen,” said Robert Krumbine, Chief Creative Officer for Charlotte Center City Partners, which is producing the festival.

“We are so excited to celebrate our amazing local talent and allow all Charlotteans to experience incredible artists and thought leaders from around the world.”

Agenda related guide: 30 coolest things to do this spring in Charlotte