CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Uptown Charlotte will once again come alive with art, music, food, and ideas as Charlotte SHOUT! returns April 4-20, 2025. Produced by Charlotte Center City
Partners and presented by Atrium Health and Bank of America, Charlotte SHOUT! is a beloved, annual celebration of the city’s art, culture, and community. Built on the pillars of art, music, food, and ideas, Charlotte SHOUT! is an inclusive and inspirational sensory feast for all ages, with more than 200 events and attractions taking place over 17 days in Uptown, Charlotte.
“Charlotte SHOUT! continues to elevate the vibrancy of Uptown, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors and creating unforgettable moments,” said Robert Krumbine, festival producer and Chief Creative Officer at Charlotte Center City Partners. “This festival is a celebration of Charlotte’s creative spirit and its ability to bring people together through art, music, food, and ideas. We can’t wait to see how this year’s lineup inspires and engages our community.”
Charlotte SHOUT! will kick off with a ticketed event on April 3 rd at 7:00 PM, at the newly restored Carolina Theatre, marking one of the first major events held at the historic venue since its closure on
November 27, 1978. Open to the public, this special evening will showcase all pillars of SHOUT!, featuring a dynamic lineup of performances that celebrate art, music, food, ideas and fashion. The night will end with a compelling keynote speech by Noelle Russell, an industry leader in artificial intelligence, who will explore the implications and future of AI.
The 2024 festival saw record engagement, with over 642,000 attendees and a $17.1 million direct spend economic impact for Uptown businesses. Artists, musicians, and local entrepreneurs all benefited, with
$650,000 paid to local creatives and 28 food trucks serving festival goers. In addition, 1,200 students participated in educational and artistic activities. New and Returning Experiences for 2025
New this year:
- CanStruction – A live competition where engineering and design industry groups create
stunning CanArt® sculptures using full cans of food, later donated to Second Harvest to help
feed the hungry. - Queen’s Greens – A completely reimagined space featuring nine fully functional mini golf holes
with obstacles designed by local artists. - Oracle – Larger-than-life inflatable characters that interact with visitors using AI-powered voice
features. - EdgeFest – A celebration of spray paint, local artists, and community, where artists create
stunning masterpieces live. - Mi Casa, Your Casa 2.0 – A vibrant, interactive installation by Esrawe + Cadena featuring glowing
red-frame houses with swings, inviting visitors to engage with public spaces in a unique way. - A Stitch in Time Fashion Film – Located in the SHOUT! Lounge or WFAE For the entirety of
Charlotte SHOUT! Festival. We invite you to view the first of its kind, “A Stitch in Time” a Fashion
Film produced by fashion designers, Alex Lieberman and Will White featuring the looks on
display during this year’s Fashion Row located in the Overstreet Mall. It will be a fabulous show!
Returning this year:
- Eggs on Parade, a baker's dozen of beautifully and uniquely designed, larger-than-life Easter eggs created by 13 different local artists.
- Pianodrome, the first amphitheater in the United States made completely out of 40 recycled
pianos will host concerts, piano lessons, and more at a brand new home inside the Wells Fargo Atrium. - E/motion, interactive light up see-saws that mimic the sensations of surging water. E/motion
was created by Olivier Landreville in collaboration with Serge Maheu. - Musical performances by dozens of Charlotte- and North Carolina-based musicians or bands in two locations, including the main stage at Victoria Yards.
- Surprise installations and activations in secret alleys, iconic public spaces and all manner of locations in between. At Charlotte SHOUT!, every day is different and you have to look up and all
around, because you never know what you will see. - Fashion Icons – The first of its kind public installation of ornately adorned mannequins featuring
signature looks from the best of the best design talent in Charlotte is back. This year’s theme, “A
Stitch in Time”, allows the designers to use their talents to display works on the mannequins
supplied to them while drawing inspiration from a specific period of time relevant to fashion
past, present, or future. Located in the Over Street Mall, aka the SHOUT! HUB. - !cons – These giant exclamation points, each designed by a local artist, showcase bold creativity
and unique interpretations of the Charlotte SHOUT! theme: conservation. Find 7 !cons located
in Fifth Third Bank Lobby. - Temple of Change – At Bank of America Plaza, you will find the Temple of Change is an
interactive art project designed to honor the changes in our world and personal lives. A non-
denominational temple, adorned with stained glass-like windows, lush greenery and lighting. A
place where participants can leave their hopes, dreams and remembrances to honor loved ones. - SHOUT! Lounge – Step into the SHOUT! Lounge, a nostalgic nod to the lively 90s mall
experience, reimagined with local flair. Browse 16 artist-run shops, enjoy small bites, and
experience live entertainment, face painting, and interactive art. With a looping movie
projection and an art vending machine, it’s a vibrant hub of creativity and community! - CMS Art Gallery at UNCC CO-LAB – All that K- 12 CMS Visual Arts has to offer including drawing,
painting, ceramics, printmaking, photography, and digital media art! Thursday-Sunday: 10am-
6pm.
Charlotte SHOUT! also features three festivals-within-the-festival:
- April 12-13, Charlotte StrEATs celebrates the chefs and restaurants that highlight Charlotte’s culinary scene. Also returning this year, StrEATs Uncorked will celebrate North Carolina wine on April 4th. Charlotte StrEATs is hosted by Unpretentious Palate and Carben Events.
- April 4-5, Carolina BBQ Festival, organized by Sweet Lew’s BBQ and Let’s Meet CLT, Enjoy tastings from top pitmasters, live music, local vendors, and an onsite brick pit showcasing whole hog cooking, with drinks available for purchase.
- April 3-8, The Charlotte Ideas Festival, curated by The Charlotte Center for the Humanities and Civic Imagination, the festival will showcase leading thinkers and innovators discussing today’s most important topics. Featured speakers include award-winning technologist Noelle Russell on the future of AI, astrophysicist and musician Matt Russo on the sounds of the cosmos, and bestselling authors Ann Patchett and Kevin Wilson for a special evening conversation.
Charlotte SHOUT! would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners:
- Presenting Sponsors: Atrium Health, Bank of America
- Food Pillar Sponsor: Compass Group
- Ideas Pillar Sponsor: UNC Charlotte
- Activation Sponsors: Steinway Piano Gallery – Charlotte, Music Everywhere CLT presented by AvidXchange
- Community Partners: City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, CRVA
- Official Beverage: Coca-Cola Consolidated
- Official Hotel: The Dunhill Hotel
For more information, visit www.charlotteshout.com.
