Charlotte is ready for anything during Lovin’ Life Music Festival, including Taylor Swift

Charlotte officials say they’re prepared for anything as tens of thousands come to uptown for the inaugural Lovin’ Life Music Festival, including traffic, inclement weather and, potentially Taylor Swift.

The new three-day music festival, scheduled for May 3-5 in uptown, will feature more than 40 artists, including Post Malone, Stevie Nicks, Noah Kahan and The Beach Boys.

City and festival leaders gathered Monday to preview road closures, special public transit deals and other logistics. Uptown residents will see traffic impacts in the days leading up to the festival and the days after, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.

Organizers estimate between 25,000 and 30,000 people will attend the event, Southern Entertainment CEO Bob Durkin said.

Here’s what to know about attending the 2024 Lovin’ Life Music Festival:

What can you bring to Lovin’ Life

CMPD Deputy Chief Jacquelyn Bryley encouraged all attendees to review what they can and can’t bring into the festival.

Permissible items include:

• Phones

• Sunscreen

• Blankets

• Festival flags without metal or wooden poles

Prohibited items include:

• Fireworks

• Outside food or drinks

• Kites

• Coolers

• Umbrellas

• Professional video, recording devices or photography equipment

• Tents

• Chairs

• Laser pointers

• Pets

For the full list of what you can and can’t bring to the festival and a complete overview of the event’s bag policy, visit lovinlifemusicfest.com/faqs.

Lovin’ Life Festival security

Attendees will go through a security screening area when they enter the festival. They’ll also have festival wristbands scanned. You can leave the festival and return, but your wristband will be scanned each time you enter and exit.

CMPD will have a command center staffed throughout the event, Bryley said, and “extensive staffing” within the festival grounds and around uptown.

“All 911 calls related to the event will be dispatched,” she said.

Can you bring water into Lovin’ Life?

Attendees are allowed to bring empty reusable water bottles into the festival site, Durkin confirmed.

Organizers announced previously they’d offer free water to attendees after some fans expressed concerns about limited water.

There will be four medical tents spread throughout the grounds for anyone who has medical issues, Charlotte Fire said.

Inclement weather plans for Lovin’ Life

CMPD has evacuation and shelter-in-place plans prepared in the event of severe weather, Bryley said. There’s a 50% chance of rain in Charlotte on Saturday and a 40% chance Sunday, according to the National Weather Service’s Monday forecast.

“We always work with the promoters and the local meteorologists,” she said.

Road closures in uptown for Lovin’ Life

CMPD says it started “soft” road closures on Monday around the festival site, which runs down N. Caldwell Street from E. 6th Street to E. 9th Street, according to Bryley.

All roads around the festival site will close by 10 a.m. Wednesday, she said, and everything will reopen by May 7.

Visit charlottenc.gov/Streets-and-Neighborhoods/Parking-and-Streets/Street-Closings for an interactive map of all street closures.

Rideshare, public transit options for Lovin’ Life

People who use a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft to get to and from the festival, should plan to be picked up and dropped off along College Street between 7th and 9th streets, Bryley said.

Attendees are encouraged to use Charlotte Area Transit System services if possible. CATS will be increasing service along the Blue Line and bus service to accommodate large crowds, interim CEO Brent Cagle said. Multiple stops have parking facilities where you can leave your car and catch transit. For the full list of park and rides, visit charlottenc.gov/CATS/Rail/LYNX-Stations-and-Park-and-Rides.

Festival goers can pre-purchase a three-day pass that will give them unlimited transit rides during the festival for $9. Additional CATS staff will be stationed at Blue Line stops to help people buy tickets and navigate the light rail, Cagle said.

Lovin’ Life parking

People who drive to the festival should reserve a spot ahead of time at one of the uptown parking lots listed at lovinlifemusicfest.com/plan/where-to-park, organizers recommend.

Lovin’ Life Music Fest ticket prices

Three-day general admission tickets start at $319 for the three-day festival. VIP packages range from $669 to $1,299.

Single day general admission tickets start at $149, with single day VIP tickets going up to $499.

Lovin’ Life Music Fest lineup, schedule

Concerts kick off at 1 p.m. Friday, with more than 40 pop, rap and rock artists slated to perform across multiple stages during the three-day weekend.

Headliners include Post Malone, Stevie Nicks and The Beach Boys. Acts with North Carolina roots including The Avett Brothers and DaBaby.

Some in the Swiftie fandom have even speculated that music megastar Taylor Swift could make a surprise appearance in uptown.

Is Charlotte prepared for a surprise Taylor Swift appearance?

Asked whether CMPD is prepared for the craziness that could ensue if Swift, fresh off the record-breaking release of her newest album “The Tortured Poets Department,” shows up in Charlotte, Bryley said she wasn’t aware of the rumors circulating online about the pop star.

“I think if we can handle sitting presidents and vice presidents coming to Charlotte with last-minute notice, I think we can handle Taylor Swift,” she said.