Stormy weather could soak Charlotte's Lovin' Life Music Festival weekend
The Queen City is in for a classic case of springtime whiplash. Toasty summer-like temperatures are dominating the forecast for the next couple of days, with highs soaring near 90 degrees on both Wednesday and Thursday. But that heat is just the warm-up act.
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A cold front pushing through the Carolinas this weekend is expected to bring widespread rain and scattered storms beginning Saturday, turning what was expected to be a high-energy outdoor celebration into a weather-watching event.
Showers could linger into Sunday before conditions finally start to clear later in the day.
By next week, temperatures will cool significantly, dropping to the more seasonable mid-70s, offering some relief after the muggy, stormy weekend.
MORE: Lovin' Life Music Fest 2025 releases schedule
Despite the soggy forecast, Charlotte city leaders and public safety officials say they're ready. With more than 80,000 people expected to attend the three-day festival in Uptown's First Ward, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has restricted officer vacation time to ensure full coverage, not just for Lovin' Life, but also for Kendrick Lamar's concert at Bank of America Stadium and two Charlotte Knights games.
Road closures in the First Ward began Tuesday night, affecting 7th and 8th Streets between Brevard and Caldwell. CMPD promises a strong presence in the area to manage traffic and keep the weekend flowing as smoothly as possible, rain or shine.Meanwhile, organizers remain optimistic, saying they've applied lessons learned from the inaugural festival, especially around crowd and traffic management.
'Events like Lovin' Life are a gateway,' said Steve Bagwell, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. 'A way for people to discover the Queen City, to fall in love with its vibe, its food, its people, and its neighborhoods. They may come for the music, but they leave with a new favorite brunch spot, or a great local coffee shop, or plans to come back with friends and family.'
MORE: Charlotte city leaders say they've learned valuable lessons and are ready for year two of the Lovin' Life Festival
To make it easier for attendees to navigate the city during the busy weekend, CATS is offering discounted light rail and express bus passes for festivalgoers.
Rain or not, the show will go on in Charlotte, with a little extra splash.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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