Downtown looks especially beautiful during a concert at Red Hat Amphitheater. | Photo by RALtoday
Lace up your boogie shoes and plan for a good time — the Triangle has quite the lineup of live music this summer. We found 60 local shows and organized them by genre so you can find your tunes (and new artists) vivace.
Country + Folk
Luke Bryan | Saturday, June 7 | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Outlaw Music Fest with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan | Sunday, July 27 | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Mumford and Sons | Tuesday, July 29 | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
The Soccer Tournament | Through Monday, June 9 | WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary | $40+ | Watch 134 matches between some of the world’s best teams in this 7v7 soccer festival.
Raleigh Brewing Run Club with Fleet Feet | 6:30-8 p.m. | Raleigh Brewing Company | Free | Run three to four miles with this friendly group — and grab a brew after.
Samara Joy | 7:30 p.m. | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $66+ | Relax to the tunes of this acclaimed jazz singer.
Friday, June 6
Raleigh Ghost Walk | 10-11 p.m. | NC State Capitol | $15 | Explore the facts + fiction behind some of Raleigh’s creepiest folklore.
“The Color Purple” | Through Sunday, June 29 | Times vary | $30-$34 | Raleigh Little Theater | Watch the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the healing power of love.
Saturday, June 7
2025 Down Home Concert Series: North Carolina Heritage Awards | 2:30-5 p.m. | A.J. Fletcher Theater | $16+ | Celebrate folk arts’ highest NC honor at this uplifting afternoon of music and community that includes on-stage interviews, film presentations, musical performances, and displayed artwork.*
85 miles of picture-perfect beaches and 11 waterfront communities? Count us in. | Photos via Crystal Coast NC
With 85 miles of shoreline and 11 walkable waterfront towns, North Carolina’s Crystal Coast blends natural beauty with laid-back charm to create “paradise on Earth” (they call it the Southern Outer Banks® for a reason).
This summer, trade city crowds for:
Wide beaches at Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle, perfect for shelling or sunset strolls
Wildlife encounters, from ferry-accessible Shackleford Banks (home to wild horses) to the sea turtles of Cape Lookout
Hands-on history at Fort Macon and the North Carolina Maritime Museum
Relaxed stays everywhere from cozy downtown B&Bs to waterfront resort suites
Clyde Cooper’s Barbeque announced it has sold its space and will continue operation on Wilmington Street through the end of the year before moving to its new space. A hibachi restaurant will open in its place, and the new location will be about five minutes away, according to the owner.
Biz
Two businesses headquartered in Raleigh made this year’s Fortune 500 list. First Horizon Bank came in at No. 293, and Advance Auto Parts made No. 389 on this ranking of the biggest US companies by revenue. Plus, Durham’s IQVIA came in at No. 282. Ka-ching.
Open
Indian restaurant Amrut is now open at 120 E. Martin St. near 42 & Lawrence and Beasley’s Chicken + Honey. Expect multi-regional Indian cuisine, including thukpa, a northeast Indian noodle soup, and faves like mango lassi and butter chicken.
Sports
You might not see the Canes in the Stanley Cup, but there’s a cutie repping Carolina in the Stanley Pup. A friendly Fido competition on Friday, June 6 will feature a rescue dog from each NHL team to promote adopting dogs. The Canes’ pup is named Taylor Howl after Taylor Hall.
Pets
In more pet news, Wake County is urging residents to foster + adopt cats during kitten season. To sweeten the deal, Wake County Animal Center is reducing adoption fees to $5 for any cat six months or older — there are a total of 23 feline friends ready for adoption. Meet the cats.
Transit
NCDOT + NC by Train want to hear about your experience with traveling by rail. Let these groups know what you want to see more of while using NC trains, including new food options, additional stations, and increased frequency of routes. Take the survey through Monday, June 30. (The News & Observer)
History
Learn more about the history of Raleigh’s LGBTQ+ history with this free History @ High Noon lecture from the NC Museum of History. Expect to learn about historic LGBTQ+ spaces, laws, and the history of Pride gatherings in Oak City.
Giveaway
New giveaway alert: We’ve teamed up once more with Tri Pointe Homes to give one lucky reader $1,050 in outdoor gear, goods, and games to celebrate Elm Park — Raleigh’s brand-new greenway-adjacent community. Enter to win before Monday, June 9 at 12 p.m.‡*
Seasonal
Summer’s more fun when you can actually hear it. Whether it’s ocean waves or outdoor movies, get back in the moment with this crowd-favorite hearing aid that packs dual processing tech for the ultimate clarity. Bonus: The 45-day trial means no risk if you’re not into it.*
Active
Challenge your mind and body with a class at BK Pilates in their newly opened Raleigh location. We recently got a sneak peek of a class — check out our reel for things to know before you go.*
Pets
Sundays For Dogs began when a veterinarian couldn’t find food she trusted for her own dog — so she made one. Try real, clean dog food for 50% off.*
City
Raleighite
🗝️ A key to the city
Who is worthy of a key to Raleigh? | Photo by @raleigh.good, graphic by RALtoday
Cities often give symbolic keys to special visitors, standout residents, or folks who’ve made a significant local impact. Charlotte bestowed a key to NBA player + Charlottean Stephen Curry in 2022, Wilmington gave Stephen King a key in 2013, and Taylor Swift is the recipient of four keys while touring.
But it seems Raleigh has never given out a Key to the City — so we’re asking: If we could hand one over, who’s worthy of this honor in Oak City? Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.
Rod Brind’Amour | As if leading the Canes to their 2006 Stanley Cup win wasn’t enough, Brind’Amour has sent the team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs seven times in his seven years as head coach. Maybe we’ll trade a key for the cup?
Scotty McCreery | This “American Idol” winner is still a fervent fan of local sports and can be spotted repping the Wolfpack and Hurricanes. While he’s originally from Garner, we think he’s still worthy of a key to Raleigh.
Petey Pablo | Pablo taught generations to raise up for North Carolina, and we think if “Raise Up” becomes NC’s official hip-hop song, a key should come with the honor.
A really good electric bikini trimmer. Its stainless steel ceramic blades provide a smooth shave free of nicks, razor burn, and ingrown hairs. Bonus: It’s waterproof + boasts up to five hours of battery life.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
I’m going to be honest with you — I ran this guide to summer concerts to try and manifest the 2025 Hopscotch Music Festival lineup. The fest is approaching Sept. 4-6. We’ll be sure to let you know who to see when it drops.
Rock out in September at Hopscotch Music Festival.
Photo by Garrett Poulos
^This content was created by our Client Success Team. Let’s work together — explore affordable advertising options at advertise.6amcity.com.
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