Uptown will see huge crowds this weekend from Lovin' Life and Kendrick Lamar concert
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The crowd at Lovin' Life in 2024. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios
Thousands of people will descend upon Uptown for a weekend of massive events, including Lovin' Life Music Fest at First Ward Park, Kendrick Lamar at Bank of America Stadium and Charlotte Knights games.
Why it matters: This could be a record-breaking weekend for foot traffic in Uptown, which is still rebounding from the pandemic.
Fun fact: Uptown's biggest day in 2024 was Oct. 26 — the day of Concert for Carolina and the Charlotte Hornets home opener — when 266,000 people visited, according to Charlotte Center City Partners.
By the numbers: Lovin' Life Music Fest, a three-day event starting Friday, May 2, is anticipating about 20,000 attendees per day based on the pace of ticket sales, said festival director Gregg McConnell.
Flashback: Last year's inaugural, sold-out event drew more than 86,000 attendees. At this point last year, organizers were estimating around 25,000 people a day.
- That led to initial concerns about whether Charlotte was ready to handle such crowds, but the weekend went smoothly.
What they're saying: City officials are again confident in Charlotte's ability to safely pull off multiple large-scale events simultaneously.
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has restricted vacation days and will be all hands on deck.
- "Pretty much, if you have a uniform and/or if you're a detective, you're working this coming weekend," CMPD Deputy Chief Jacquelyn Bryley said at a safety briefing Monday.
- Bryley said CMPD is building on successful security measures from last year's event, such as improving its contact with First Ward neighbors.
- The city's command center will be fully operational and staffed, with a dispatcher assigned exclusively to the festival.
Other info to know:
Road closures start Tuesday: 7th and 8th streets, between Brevard and Caldwell, will close on Tuesday night.
- Other necessary road closures start on Thursday at 9am.
- Most roads will reopen Tuesday, May 6, before morning rush hour.
- A list of road closures will be available on the MyCMPD app and social media platforms.
Charlotte Area Transit System ramps up service: CATS will run "express bus service" for passengers heading to University City Boulevard, JW Clay and I-485 park and rides after the concert each night. Signs will direct attendees to the buses outside the festival.
- Transit ambassadors will be available to answer questions along the Blue Line.
- CATS will operate extra light rail vehicles and adjust the frequency according to demand.
- CATS is selling a discounted, $12 transit pass for the three days through Thursday. The price will increase to $15 on Friday.
