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Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: City says Friday's Steve Lacy show is the last at Red Hat's current site

A city post says the original amphitheater closes after Oct. 23 so crews can empty it for demolition. The Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center is slated to expand there. A replacement venue is under construction one block south.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • The City of Raleigh, in an Oct. 21, 2026, news post, said the original Red Hat Amphitheater is preparing to host its final show on Oct. 23 and that a new venue is taking shape one block south.Confirmed by City of Raleigh news post, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The same post said that after Steve Lacy's performance on Friday, Oct. 23, the current venue will be formally taken out of service so equipment and furnishings can be removed and the site prepared for demolition.Confirmed by City of Raleigh news post, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The Red Hat Amphitheater events calendar lists Steve Lacy at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at 500 S. McDowell St., Raleigh.Confirmed by Red Hat Amphitheater events page
  • The News & Observer, writing Wednesday morning, also reported that Lacy's Friday concert will be the last at the current location after an Oct. 27 Victoria Monét date was canceled. This file uses the city's Oct. 23 close and the venue calendar for the time and address. It does not treat the cancelation details as independently confirmed here.Confirmed by The News & Observer, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The city said the emptied site is where the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center will expand, adding 298,100 square feet, including divisible flex halls, an 18,000-square-foot ballroom and 13 new meeting rooms.Confirmed by City of Raleigh news post, Oct. 21, 2026
  • On the replacement site, the city listed recent work that includes structural soil along McDowell Street, underground utility work, roofing, masonry, metal framing, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, concrete for the seating bowl, and construction of the box office and perimeter steel gates.Confirmed by City of Raleigh news post, Oct. 21, 2026
  • The city said a time capsule was buried at the new site on Oct. 5. It said the items mark nearly 1,000 events at the original venue and include signage and artwork, a vinyl record player and records, apparel, concert posters, an original seat and other memorabilia, plus letters from city leaders, photos and notes from current residents.Confirmed by City of Raleigh news post, Oct. 21, 2026
  • Residents may see truck traffic nearby, occasional lane closures or detours, equipment and material staging along McDowell Street, and noise, dust and vibration from active construction, the city said. It said signage and access guidance will be in place.Confirmed by City of Raleigh news post, Oct. 21, 2026

Still unknown

  • When the new amphitheater will open. The city's Oct. 21 post does not give an opening date
  • A total cost for the convention-center expansion. The city's post does not state one
  • Ticket and refund rules for any canceled date. Those questions go to the venue and the promoter

What this means for you

Roads
The city says people may see truck traffic, occasional lane closures or detours, and equipment staged along McDowell Street, with signage and access guidance in place.

Instructions from City of Raleigh; Red Hat Amphitheater

This site is not the City of Raleigh or Red Hat Amphitheater. For the close and the new-site work, use the city's Oct. 21 post. For Friday's show time, use the venue calendar. For tickets, use the venue or the promoter. This site is not an emergency service. If someone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Raleigh, the city says Friday's Steve Lacy concert is the last show at Red Hat Amphitheater's current lot.

Wednesday's municipal post said that after that performance the original venue will be taken out of service, emptied and prepared for demolition. The Red Hat calendar lists Lacy at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at 500 S. McDowell Street.

The News & Observer, writing Wednesday, also reported that Friday is now the last night at that address.

What replaces the current lot

Raleigh said the emptied ground is where the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center will grow. The city listed 298,100 added square feet, including divisible flex halls, an 18,000-square-foot ballroom and 13 meeting rooms.

A replacement outdoor venue is already going up one block south, the same post said. Recent work it listed includes structural soil along McDowell Street, underground utilities, roofing, masonry, metal framing, waterproofing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, concrete for the seating bowl, and a box office and steel gates at the perimeter.

A time capsule was buried at that new site on Oct. 5, according to the same notice. It described the items as a marker of nearly 1,000 events at the original amphitheater.

That write-up gives no opening date for the new stage and no dollar figure for the convention-center work.

Traffic near McDowell Street

People nearby may see trucks, occasional lane closures or detours, gear staged on McDowell, and noise, dust and vibration, officials wrote. They said signs and access guidance will be posted.

This site is not the city and not the box office. For the close and the construction list, use Wednesday's municipal page. For Friday's start time, use the venue calendar.

Why it matters

Friday is the last scheduled show at the current Red Hat lot downtown. After that, the city says the site is cleared for a convention-center expansion, and a new outdoor venue is already going up nearby. Drivers on McDowell Street should expect construction traffic.

Updates

  1. Oct 21, 2026, 9:55 PM

    The city says Steve Lacy's Friday show is the last at the current Red Hat site, then the lot is emptied for demolition ahead of a convention-center expansion. A new venue is under construction one block south.

Sources

  1. Big Changes Ahead for the New Red Hat Amphitheater (Oct. 21, 2026: original venue's final show Oct. 23; new venue one block south; after Steve Lacy on Friday the current site is taken out of service for removal and demolition; Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center expansion 298,100 square feet, 18,000-square-foot ballroom, 13 meeting rooms; construction list including McDowell Street structural soil, utilities, seating-bowl concrete, box office and gates; Oct. 5 time capsule; nearly 1,000 events; truck traffic, lane closures or detours, staging, noise, dust and vibration)

    Official sourcePublished by City of Raleigh · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 9:50 PM

  2. Red Hat Amphitheater events calendar (Steve Lacy, Oh Yeah? Tour, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, 8:00 p.m., 500 S. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC 27601)

    Official sourcePublished by Red Hat Amphitheater · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 9:50 PM

  3. This concert was going to be the last at Red Hat as we know it. Now it's canceled (The News & Observer, Oct. 21, 2026: current address 500 S. McDowell St.; Steve Lacy Friday, Oct. 23, listed as the last show at the current spot; venue moving one block. This file does not use the N&O's convention-center dollar figure, spring 2027 opening, or capacity line, which the city's Oct. 21 post does not state)

    Published by The News & Observer · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 9:50 PM

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