Charlotte SHOUT! Returns: What’s New in 2024 – Charlotte Magazine

Spring brings not only a renewed energy and vibrancy to Uptown Charlotte but also a sprawling, transformative experience in Charlotte SHOUT!—a 17-day festival that offers a sensory feast around every corner. This year, you’ll find both returning favorites from past years and entirely new adventures throughout. And, as always, one visit isn’t quite enough to see and do it all.

This year, the annual celebration of the city’s art, culture, and community runs March 29-April 14. Charlotte SHOUT!, presented by Atrium Health and Bank of America, was built on the pillars of art, music, food, and ideas. SHOUT! once again tapped both local and international talent to create these new activities and events under these umbrellas, and this year, you’ll also find an evolution in the event’s broader structure.

One immediate change you’ll notice all over this year’s SHOUT: a new “zone” approach to the map that makes it easier to navigate the wide range of offerings. Zone 3, for instance, includes the Charlotte SHOUT! Hub, which includes the Overstreet Mall, where the entirely new pillar of fashion will take life. (More on that new pillar below.) You’ll be able to chart a course to maximize an entire day or evening spent in Uptown Charlotte, moving across zones for new experiences and flavors.

Meanwhile, First Ward Park hosts a new SHOUT! Beer Garden, where craft beers and various wines are available Thursday through Saturday throughout the festival. The park also hosts the Daybreaker CLT Peace Tour on the Ally Main Stage on March 30 at 9 a.m. This is where the global group Daybreaker, focused on promoting “peace, compassion, understanding, and harmony,” holds a two-hour dance party with performance artists, aerialists, fire-spinners, and breakdancers—a morning session that sets the tone for a day within the SHOUT! experience.

As for what else is new this year, we look at that pillar-by-pillar below. Click on each pillar title to see everything planned so far for that category in 2024:

Visual art is always a major component of SHOUT! One new work at Levine Avenue of the Arts: “Sonic Runway,” a light-art installation that converts audio signals into patterns of light that shoot down a 350-foot corridor of LED-lined arches at the speed of sound. Elsewhere, the Urban Conga installation “Optik” features ten 6-foot, gyroscope-like forms. Each offers new, everchanging opportunities that reflect any rays of light during the day, while refracting the inner rings lighting at dusk. As the audience rotates each unit, they create their own endless cascade of colors. See more of the visual art, all sponsored by Lowe’s, coming to SHOUT! at the link above.

The music programming at the festival is sponsored by Ally. You’ll find those performances at the aforementioned Ally Main Stage at First Ward Park, Victoria Yards, lunchtime concerts at Cafe 400, and much more. Performers include Tuba Skinny, Sonic Butterfly, Gino Vanelli, Brittney Spencer, Dana Fuchs, Robert Randolph Band, Ghost-Note, Jay D Jones, Doubting Thomas, and Of Good Nature. Also new this year: The Luminous Lane Soundtrack brings a stirring score to the murals of Luminous Lane, curated by local songwriter and soundscape artist Emily Sage. One popular musical event making a return is “Pianodrome,” is the world’s first amphitheater made entirely from upcycled pianos. Charlotte Shout’s Pianodrome is the first to be built in America, and it’s hosted at Grace A.M.E. Zion Church. Pianodrome hosts several musical events throughout the festival, including performances by Ethan Uslan and Dane Page.

The SHOUT! food experiences, sponsored by Compass Group, include the return of the Charlotte StrEATS Festival. New to the festivities this year is the inclusion of the Carolina BBQ Festival on April 9, which includes 15-plus pitmasters from the Carolinas and beyond and raises money for Operation BBQ Relief, Hungry Heroes, and Folds of Honor. On April 3, Charlotte StrEATs Uncorked highlights North Carolina’s unique wine regions and regional cuisines, with food pairings and more. There will also be an array of food trucks along South Tryon Street throughout the festival’s duration.

UNC Charlotte sponsors SHOUT!’s Ideas pillar. Charlotte Ideas Festival, from the Charlotte Center, is at the center of the pillar. This year’s speakers include David Pogue of CBS Sunday Morning, Kelly Corrigan of PBS’ “Tell Me More,” and performer Haleh Liza Gafori, among other panel discussions and events. Those panel discussions include conversations on the intersection of humanities and hospitality, design, finance, and healthcare.

Now, let’s dive into the new pillar. SHOUT! Chic will be offering a host of fashionable public-facing events, installations, workshops/demos, and pop-up shops showcasing some of the best and brightest design talent the Queen City has to offer. SHOUT! Chic activities are hosted inside the Overstreet Mall.

Now, it’s time to plan your SHOUT! experience. Do so by heading to the official Charlotte SHOUT! website, which has the full, most up-to-date calendar and tips.