- Guides & Events
Live Music Happening in Charlotte: August 5-August 18, 2026
Soundwave by Queen City Nerve The Soundwave is Queen City Nerve’s comprehensive guide to live music happening in Charlotte every night of the week. This list is pulled together by our editorial team every other week from combing through Charlotte music venue calendars and separated by genre. None of these…
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Summer 2026 Events in Charlotte You Won’t Want to Miss
Things are heating up in more ways than one. We’re here to provide you with reasons to get outside and touch some grass. Just make sure you stay hydrated. LIVE MUSIC Charlotte’s summer concerts range from classic rock and metal to hip‑hop and Symphony Pops, with big shows at amphitheaters,…
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2026 Spring Guide: 150+ Outdoor Events to Check Out in Charlotte
The weather is warming up, flowers are blooming and spring events in Charlotte are kicking into high gear. Spring starts on Friday, March 20, with the local festival season including Charlotte SHOUT!, BOOM Charlotte, Tuck Fest and the return of the Kings Drive Art Walk. It’s not just the festivals,…
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A Cheap Guide to New Year’s Eve 2025 in Charlotte
It’s been a rough year in Charlotte as our fair city has found itself the subject of more national news stories than we’re comfortable with — especially when they’re for all the wrong reasons. New Year’s Eve 2025 is a time to leave it all behind, turn over a new…
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Local Holiday Gift Guide for Charlotte 2025: Shopping, Markets & Pop-Ups
Skip the online shipping delays and support local this holiday season. We’ve rounded up Charlotte’s best locally owned shops, pop-ups, and holiday markets — from South End to Matthews to NoDa — to help you find unique, handmade gifts while keeping your dollars in the community. Online shopping, while convenient,…
Read More » - Food & Drink
Need Food Assistance? Where to Get Help in Charlotte After SNAP Funding Cuts
After Congress failed to agree on federal funding allocations for the new fiscal year on Oct. 1 — resulting in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) told state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agencies that the government would discontinue allocation of benefits…
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The Best in Charlotte: Best in the Nest 2025
Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member Winners: Download your award graphics here The Seventh Wonder We made it this far thanks to community As we prepare to send out our 7th annual Best in the Nest issue and look back on seven years in business coming up in December, this…
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City Life Critics’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
Every day there are folks working hard to ensure a better future for our city. This is for them. Back to all categories Winners: Download your award graphics here Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: James “Fergie” Ferguson II “We weren’t practicing law in the abstract,” said James…
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Arts & Music Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
***Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks are chosen exclusively by readers through a one-month nomination process followed by a one-month voting process. The nominations were not tampered with by Queen City Nerve staff at all. In other words, if you disagree with these ones, that’s on your fellow reader, not…
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Hall of Shame 2025: The Charlotte Area’s Worst of the Worst
We hate to be downers but there are some folks out there who tried their hardest to make this year worse rather than better and they deserve to be called on it. Back to all categories Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member LEAST TRANSPARENT: Johnny Jennings When news broke…
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Closing Time 2025: RIP to the Charlotte Restaurants We Lost
Each year Charlotte loses dozens of culinary establishments that began with a dream. Here, we list those we will remember most fondly. Back to all categories Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member The Good Wurst Company (September 2020-February 2025) Queen City Craft & Gourmet (September 2018-February 2025) Bryant Seafood…
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Music Critics’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
Every year needs a good soundtrack, and the winners below helped make that happen. Back to all categories Winners: Download your award graphics here Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL/EVENT: Springadelia For the second time in two years, Snug Harbor presented Springadelia, a curated, three-day multisensory experience…
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Arts & Entertainment Critics’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
Creatives continue to act as the heart and soul of our city, and therefore the heart and soul of Queen City Nerve. Back to all categories Winners: Download your award graphics here Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Morris Costumes Morris Costumes launched 60 years ago, but the…
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Consumer Culture Critics’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
We can’t buy time but what else is for sale? Back to all categories Winners: Download your award graphics here Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member BEST LOCAL PRODUCT: Sorce Perfume Sorcellerie Apothecary, or Sorce, is a local artisan-owned business based in the Elizabeth neighborhood with a mission to “create…
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Consumer Culture Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
***Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks are chosen exclusively by readers through a one-month nomination process followed by a one-month voting process. The nominations were not tampered with by Queen City Nerve staff at all. In other words, if you disagree with these ones, that’s on your fellow reader, not…
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In Memoriam 2025: Charlotte Community Leaders Who Have Passed On This Year
We lost many great people in Charlotte this year. Here are memorials to just a few. Back to all categories Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member John Holmes III (March 21, 1995-December 29, 2024) The unexpected passing of John Holmes III, a tireless advocate for safer cycling and pedestrian…
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