Missed first day of Lovin’ Life Music Fest? Here’s what to know for festival weekend
The first day of Lovin’ Life Music Fest is officially in the books.
The new three-day music festival kicked off on Friday with tens of thousands of fans who came to uptown Charlotte to see the first wave of more than 40 artists performing all weekend.
Soon, more people will be packing the streets of uptown for day two and three of the festival to see Stevie Nicks, Noah Kahan and other pop, rock and rap artists.
If you missed the first day of Lovin’ Life here’s what to know about getting to and from the first-of-its kind music festival:
Parking, rideshare and public transportation options for festival
Getting through a busy uptown can be pretty difficult, and with a Charlotte FC match and several Cinco de Mayo events this weekend, it’s best to give yourself extra time to get to the festival — whether you’re driving or getting dropped off at the festival.
Lovin’ Life is held in First Ward at 300 N Brevard St. There is not a designated parking area for fans, but there are paid parking spaces and lots nearby that you can check for on www.parkme.com, like:
Though some fans left a little early Friday night, I’d say it’s helpful if you park a bit further away from the festival grounds to find a spot and beat the post-festival traffic if you plan to stay until it ends.
If you’re taking an Uber or Lyft, the official drop-off location is 406 N. College St. For the light rail, the festival is between the 7th Street and 9th Street stations. Tickets can be bought at a ticket vending machine at each station platform or on the CATS-Pass mobile app.
Getting in and out of festival gates
Gates at Lovin’ Life open at 1 p.m. and close at 11 p.m. but you can enter and exit as you wish as long as you have your wristband. On Friday, there weren’t really any lines getting in and out of the festival grounds, but organizers are encouraging fans to try to arrive at least two to three hours early for any artists they want to see.
Lovin’ Life Music Fest schedule: Check set times for more than 40+ performing artists
Charging stations and cell service
As it is with any big event with a large number of people, the cell service was a bit spotty for some fans on Friday so be mindful if you split up from any friends or family at Lovin’ Life.
If you think you’ll need to charge your phone at the festival, there are charging stations if you reserve a locker on-site.
Heading to Lovin’ Life Music Fest? Here’s what you can bring, and what to leave at home
Food, drink spots in and around festival
Once you’re inside the grounds, there are several food trucks and vendors open during the entire festival, from burgers and pizza to ice cream and slushies. But to say the lines are long is an understatement. (To give context, the Bojangles line was a steady 45 minutes to an hour wait.)
Luckily, the festival grounds aren’t too far from several food spots in uptown, particularly The Market at 7th Street food hall right next to the festival.
So as I see it, you have three options: Eat a bigger lunch beforehand, take a field trip to a nearby restaurant or jam out in the long lines while you wait for a bite to eat.
Navigating the concert crowd
As expected, tens of thousands of people showed up to Lovin’ Life on Friday. Though that may not be the case Saturday and Sunday because of some potential storms, it’s still a good idea to plan ahead and grab a good spot early if there’s an artist you’re most excited to see.
Rain, clouds or sunshine? Check out the weather forecast for Lovin’ Life Music Fest
There are three different stages at the festival, and (luckily) the sound from different performances doesn’t really bleed into the others at all.
But depending on if you have general admission or VIP tickets, you should still be mindful of getting a good spot depending on which stage section you have access to.
You can find more information about Lovin’ Life online at lovinlifemusicfest.com.
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