Raleigh is building a permanent home for Red Hat Amphitheater, with an opening planned for 2027. The move will relocate the concert venue one block south, allowing the convention center to expand onto the original site.
On October 5, the city buried a time capsule at the future location, collecting posters, records, apparel and other items documenting nearly 1,000 events at the existing amphitheater.
Sixteen years at an interim site
The amphitheater opened in 2010 on land designated for the convention center’s eventual expansion. Concerts provided an interim use for the property, but the temporary venue remained for 16 years.
Its origins were practical: the site could host performances while awaiting another development. The relocation now clears that land for the expansion originally envisaged.
Visit Raleigh, the tourism organization, reported the following results for the amphitheater in 2025:
- 44 shows
- 245,497 concertgoers
- More than $33 million in downtown economic impact
The economic impact estimate measures neither venue profit nor a financial return to taxpayers. The attendance total documents the audience using the existing venue ahead of its replacement.
Facilities planned for the permanent venue
The successor amphitheater is planned to include permanent bathrooms, better sightlines and improved backstage facilities. The city’s design criteria specify at least 6,000 seats and call for attention to artist needs and operational safety.
Those changes follow years of operation at the original location, where staff have observed crowd gathering patterns and artists’ experiences with backstage facilities.
The time capsule buried at the future site is scheduled to be opened in 2076.
