Photos by Amanda Daubert – The second year of the Lovin Life Music Festival is officially in the books! This incredible three-day music festival, set in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, offered the perfect backdrop for over 50 artists, across three stages, ranging from local bands like Charlotte’s own Austin McNeill to 90’s-00’s rock legends Weezer. The festival worked hard to live up to its name, aiming to ensure every attendee was truly Lovin Life, and from our lens – they did just that!
First and foremost, the multi-genre line-up offered something for everyone! It was like putting the ultimate party playlist on shuffle. If you were checking out the Carolina Ascent FC Stage, set amongst an incredible food vendor area, you witnessed 18 local and regional acts, including Battle of the Bands winners High June, Secret Formula, and Too Hot for Leather, plus country rock standouts Chandler Carpenter & The Reckless Souls. Next you made your way over to the Happy Thursday Stage where the vibes were always up! Here you found yourself rocking out to Costa Rica’s The Saint Cecilia, New Orleans very own The Revivalists, rap superstars Petey Pablo and Ludacris, and rising star – arriving on a motorized pink pony – the amazing Alex Warren, who fought his way through laryngitis to deliver an incredible set! Lastly, the Miller Lite Headliner Stage showcased a wide range of tomorrow’s future stars and all of the biggest names including Third Eye Blind, Teddy Swims, Sammy Rae & The Friends, The 502’s, Benson Boone, and Pit Bull. From the pit to the streets, fans were singing, dancing, and enjoying the non-stop party that is Lovin Life!
With over 20,000 fans in attendance each day, everywhere you turned you could witness someone lovin’ life! Whether they were enjoying a delicious free Coca-Cola or Monster Energy Drink, tasty offerings from the wide array of food vendors, checking out the variety of interactive sponsor set-ups, or just enjoying the music with friends; good times and kindness were plentiful. And that’s part of the goal of the Lovin Life Festival. Their initiative #Love2BKind isn’t just a marketing campaign, it’s a mission. For the fans, the artists, the businesses, the residents, and the city – the festival aims to spread love all the way around. Just ask Co-Founder Bob Durkin, he’ll tell you “Lovin Life was built to stand up for Charlotte – to shine a national spotlight on the heart, talent and generosity of this incredible city.” This heart included non-profit organizations like Katie Blessing Center and Teen Health Connection, hundreds of tickets donated to support community raffles and fundraisers, plus a $10,000 donation to West Charlotte High School’s Marching Band. Lovin Life…you lived up to your mission!
If you want to love life next year, mark your calendars! The Lovin Life Music Festival will be back May 1-3, 2026 showcasing all of the love that The Queen City has to offer!
