Red Hat Amphitheater move approved by City Council

The Raleigh City Council on Tuesday approved the plan to move Red Hat Amphitheater.

City Council approved the plan in a vote during their afternoon work session. The city announced plans to move Red Hat Amphitheater in 2023. The move is part of the city’s expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center.

City council approved funding the $387 million project in August of 2023.

As part of the convention center’s 300,000-square-foot expansion, the city would move the amphitheater one block south of its current location at 500 South McDowell Street.

The new location for the venue will be at 205 West Lenoir St. by the start of the 2026 concert season. The theater would also get up to 1,000 more seats with its relocation.

The move would permanently close South Street between Dawson Street and McDowell Street. Some residents have called for the city to halt its plans to relocate the concert venue, adding the permanent closure of the portion of South Street would make navigating downtown more difficult.

“People in southeast Raleigh have a direct route here,” Jay Spain said. The buses come right down here from Western Boulevard. They pull up [and] pick up somebody right here at the corner.”

Some residents suggested moving the venue to Dix Park. However, city officials said the park isn’t surrounded by the same amount of businesses as it would be in downtown.