Rock Your Next Date Night at Carowinds Summer Music Fest

Whether you’re planning a first date with a new flame or an umpteenth date with your soulmate, there’s never been a better time to shake up your date night routine with a visit to Carowinds. Now through August 10, Carowinds is hosting an incredible lineup of live performers in the first-ever Carowinds Summer Music Fest, capping summer’s sunshine-filled days with the sounds of your favorite musicians.

And Carowinds Summer Music Fest is included free with your park admission, meaning that for the price of dinner and a movie, you could instead spend an entire day enjoying thrilling rides and top-tier live performances.

Recently, I took the opportunity to do just that, planning the ultimate date at Carowinds with my favorite person—who just so happens to love live music. Planning a date shouldn’t be a competition, but I think you’ll agree that this is a winning date formula:

Late Morning / Early Afternoon: Get Ready to Ride

While zig-zagging over the state line, I’m pretty sure the only time I stopped smiling was to let out an ear splitting scream on some of the park’s mega coasters. Digging into our competitive nature, we kept daring each other to ride them all. From the pint-sized rush of Kiddy Hawk to Thunder Striker’s breathtaking first plummet, the challenges grew grander by the hour. By the time we faced the wrath of Fury 325, our adrenaline levels were off the charts. Finally calling a truce, we switched gears to enjoy the park at a more relaxed pace, taking in the sights and sounds around us.

Mid Afternoon: Discover Your New Favorite Artist

In addition to the headlining performer and opener at the Paladium, you’ll find regional and emerging artists performing in the park throughout the day at the Thrill Zone Stage and Thunder Road Stage. We found the perfect excuse to plop down and calm our racing hearts by listening to the songs of Mark Blomsteel, but you can find the day’s in-park artist lineup on the Carowinds Summer Music Fest page to start planning your own musical interludes.

Evening: It’s Showtime, Baby

Well, almost! The gates to the Carowinds' Paladium Amphitheatre open at 5 p.m., and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Refreshingly, guests trickled through the gates in comfortable waves, finding seats, grabbing beers, and taking tons of photos.

We joined them over at the beer garden for a matching pair of local beers and a tray of Terminal A-style Loaded Waffle Fries (to share, of course!). The snack-style concessions throughout the Paladium area are a great fit for the concert since everything is designed to be so portable. While grabbing a bite, stop to take a commemorative photo of your concert date at the marquee or pick up some fun merch as a souvenir. Judging by the number of matching tees and flashing lights walking by, the limited-edition Carowinds Summer Music Fest tees and Glow to the Beat necklaces are the must-have accessories this season!

Fueled and ready for the evening’s acts, we found a pair of seats in the shade in the front right section of the theater. Despite the all-day Carolina sunshine, the theater felt surprisingly cool as we recounted the day’s adventures while waiting for the opening act.

At some point, I stopped mid-conversation to marvel at the venue’s historic status. I mean, we were sitting in the seats where thousands have sat before to witness legends like Bob Dylan, James Taylor, and Billy Joel perform. Truly mind-blowing.

Right on time, the opener Austin Williams took to the stage, and I found a new favorite artist to add to my music streaming accounts. Every time I turned around, I was amazed by how large the crowd was and by how many people the stadium can hold. You think you know what 13,000 seats looks like until you see the sea of faces singing along and realize just how large that number really is.

All too soon, it was 8:30 p.m. and time for the headlining performer. Brantley Gilbert put on a phenomenal show—a jam-packed ninety-minute performance filled with high energy, musical prowess, and pyrotechnics. Yes, pyrotechnics. Would you expect anything less than spectacular from a performance at Carowinds?

We spent most of the evening out of our seats and on our feet like the rest of the crowd, which had filled in even more as the show played on. Without a drop of exaggeration, it was truly an unforgettable evening.

Luckily, there are more perfect date night opportunities ahead, and I’m so excited for the remaining lineup in this series, with a diverse set of artists ranging from Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra to Flo Rida. Each is going to be yet another night to remember.

But don’t wait too long to send an invite to your soon-to-be date, because the curtains close on the Carowinds Summer Music Fest on August 10. Impress your date even more by reading up on The Ultimate Guide to Carowinds Summer Music Fest and get ready to have the most thrilling evening in the park.