If you’re a live music fan in North Carolina, the one can’t-miss event I can think of is the Hopscotch Music Festival! Conveniently scheduled for the first weekend after Labor Day (Thursday to Sunday, September 10 to 12), Hopscotch is an amazing and fun live music that is built for true music fans. Hopscotch was conceived way back in 2010 by local newspaper, Indy Week, and features a huge slate of indie music acts. From rock to ska, rap, hip-hop, emo, metal, and more, the groups are well-curated, which means you don’t really have to know much about the group, just take a chance, go and enjoy! But plan ahead and move quickly to get in, hence the “hopscotching”!
2026 Hopscotch Music Festival venues
- City Plaza – Main stage
- Moore Square – Main stage
- Kings
- Lincoln Theatre
- Nash Hall at Church on Morgan
- Neptunes
- The Pour House
- Slim’s Downtown Distillery
When I go, I usually take the lazy way out and follow my more musically-inclined friends. Which means I never know what to expect! Loved local favorites Sylvan Esso right at the front of the stage along with Solange. I stumbled onto Har Mar Superstar at the Raleigh Convention Center. His shtick as a 70s lounge lizard was hilarious, but he can sing!
The powers to be at Hopscotch are really good at identifying musical talent and give you an opportunity to see rising artists and groups. From Lizzo to Future Islands, Run the Jewels and more, sometimes they will have more established artists like Public Enemy, Gary Clark Jr., and the Flaming Lips. Check out their past lineups for a little Hopscotch history!
Single day tickets are available but for most people, the 3-day GA wristband is the way to go, you just need to figure out if you want to upgrade to VIP ($159 and $349 for the 2026 Hopscotch Music Festival), which gives you fast-pass access along with a kick-off party and other amenities. Sometimes shows do get filled to capacity and you’ll miss out without a VIP wristband.
Around the outdoor main stages, the area will usually feature a variety of local businesses, beer gardens, food stands/trucks, and more. Hopscotch is not only a music festival but also a social and community event that brings everyone together. And even when there isn’t an evening show going on, there will be day parties with smaller musical acts and activities like Gouge Wrestling. All in all, the city of Raleigh comes together and celebrates hard for Hopscotch! I’ve spent many an evening sitting by the fountains at City Plaza and just marveling at the community coming together for three days.
So are you ready to Hopscotch?! Bring some comfortable shoes, some caffeine and get ready to party hard! You’ll need to keep your energy up for three straight days but you know what? It’s not hard when you’ve got some amazing music to listen to and enjoy. And that’s what Hopscotch is really about: music fans of North Carolina uniting and just doing the thing they love to do, jamming out with their heads bobbing to the beat.
Hopscotch Music Festival
Downtown Raleigh, Various Venues
Map of key Hopscotch venues, recommended restaurants and bars!
Take on the NC Barbecue Trail for a Plethora of Delicious Pork