Red Hat Amphitheater hosts final concert before Raleigh demolition

The Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh held its final performance on Friday, October 23, with a sold-out Steve Lacy concert. The venue, which has operated at its current site since 2010, is closing to make way for a $387.5 million expansion of the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center.

The redevelopment project will add approximately 298,100 square feet of new convention space, including divisible flex halls, an 18,000-square-foot ballroom, and 13 meeting rooms. The project also includes the addition of an Omni Hotel, a move city leaders say is intended to boost tourism and attract larger events to the region.

Following the final show, crews will begin dismantling the amphitheater, removing equipment and stripping furnishings to prepare the grounds for heavy demolition. While the current site is being demolished, a replacement venue is already under construction one block south.