Three of the biggest music stars North Carolina has ever produced — Luke Combs, Eric Church and James Taylor — will headline a special benefit show for victims of Hurricane Helene on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
“Concert for Carolina,” announced Monday morning, also will feature bluegrass musician Billy Strings, a Michigan native.
In a news release, Live Nation said: “The Tar Heel State is a profoundly special place for all four artists, as it is where Combs, Church and Taylor grew up and first discovered their musical interests, and where Strings has performed many, many times over his career and holds an extra special place in his heart.”
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday; details are at www.concertforcarolina.com . Prices were not immediately available. Ticketmaster lists 5 p.m. as the start time for the Oct. 26 show.
The release said additional featured artists will be announced in the coming days.
Where will Concert for Carolina funds go?
All proceeds from the event will be split evenly between Combs and Church’s Chief Cares Foundation , to be distributed to organizations of their choosing in support of relief efforts across “the Carolina region.”
The 34-year-old Combs — born in Huntersville and raised in Asheville — announced that his dedicated charities will be Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, and one more organization to be revealed soon.
Church’s Chief Cares will help “established charities and organizations that are well managed, organized and can expedite aid directly to the families affected by Hurricane Helene.”
Of the four men atop the bill, only Combs has headlined BofA stadium before. In July 2023, he sold it out on back-to-back nights.
Church, 47, just last week released a new song, “Darkest Hour,” that the Granite Falls native said was dedicated to “the unsung heroes , the people who show up when the world’s falling apart.” He plans to donate all of his publishing royalties for the track to hurricane relief efforts.
In a separate statement on Monday morning, Church called North Carolina “my home.”
“It’s in every fiber of who I am,” he said. “Our family members, friends, neighbors and communities are in dire need. I’m honored to share the stage with an incredible lineup in order to help meet those needs. Through the dark, light will shine.”
Taylor, a 76-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, has a long association with Chapel Hill and has written many songs influenced by his childhood experiences in North Carolina — most famously, “Carolina in My Mind.”
Meanwhile, Strings is the baby of the group at 32, but has built an impressive resume over the past decade. His album “Home” won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021. Although he’s not from the area, Monday’s news release stated that “Strings’ life and career has been deeply impacted by the state of North Carolina both personally and professionally, as it is home to some of his most passionate and supportive fans.”
How Concert for Carolina came together
“Concert for Carolina” — presented by Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority — will be hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley.
“This concert took so much planning, work, and coordination from so many people,” Combs posted on X alongside the announcement. “I’m so thankful to everyone who helped make this a possibility on such short notice.”
David Tepper (owner of the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC and Bank of America Stadium) and his wife, Nicole Tepper, said in a statement that it was Combs who first approached them about the idea for the event, adding, “We felt compelled to open the doors of Bank of America Stadium for this special moment.”
“Every day,” they said, “we are more inspired by the strength and resolve of our Carolina community, and we are grateful to join Luke, Eric and our fellow Carolinians as we embark on the road to recovery together.”
The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation — along with the Teppers’ two local sports organizations — already have distributed $3.85 million to provide immediate assistance to those impacted by the deadly storm that swept through the Carolinas on Sept. 26 and 27.
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