The Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium has strictly been used for football and soccer, but now, they’re heading back into the concert business with a Billy Joel gig in 2020.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will play at the venue on Saturday, April 18, 2020 and will mark the stadium’s first concert in almost eight years. Previously, country stars Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw performed at the venue in 2012 on their Brothers of the Sun joint tour and The Rolling Stones took the stage back in 1997 when it was dubbed Ericsson Stadium. However, Joel’s show will be something different – marking a new era of shows for the Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina Panthers’ President Tom Glick said that the team has been determined to bring more events to the venue for both citizens and the region. Their partnership with Live Nation will help put the venue back on the live event map.
“Live music has been high on our list,” Glick said in a statement. “It’s been our priority. And so we’re incredibly excited to announce this morning that we’re back in the concert business at Bank of America Stadium.”
Back in 2016, Panthers’ president of operations Scott Paul told the Charlotte Observer that there were many reasons why the stadium was extremely selective with concerts, noting “we’re in the business of football, and that’s what we want to do.” However, this shift now opens up a lot of opportunities for Charlotte, allowing the stadium to compete alongside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and allow high-profile artists to visit the venue.
Wilson Howard, the chief operating officer for Live Nation in the Carolinas and D.C./Virginia/Baltimore markets, told the Observer that “we’ve waited a long, long time for this.”
“We believe Bank of America Stadium will become a must-play venue for major stadium tours.”
Joel has played a few stadiums this past year, including Boston’s Fenway Park, Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and Coors Field in Denver. He’s also slated to play at New York City’s Madison Square Garden this fall – a staple venue in his itinerary.
