Better than Coachella? Charlotte’s 2025 Lovin’ Life Music Fest has strong start

If I’m being honest, I thought Lovin’ Life Music Fest was over before it even really got started. That is, until the workday officially ended, bringing in droves of music fans to uptown for the three-day music festival.

I have only been to a handful of music festivals (this is my third, to be exact), but with a chance of storms, competition with a Kendrick Lamar concert and a compilation of new and older artists on the lineup, I wasn’t really sure how the first day would turn out.

But in the end, it was being boasted as having a better crowd than Coachella — at least according to headliner Benson Boone, who said the California festival’s crowd was not even half of what Charlotte’s was like Friday night.

When I first got to the festival grounds around 2:30 p.m., the area looked and felt noticeably empty. But that definitely didn’t last long, even in the scorching 80ish-degree weather that hinted at some showers.

Fans slowly began filling into the makeshift festival food court area of First Ward Park, watching local musicians including Bailey Marie — in a Panthers jersey and bedazzled cowboy boots — along with opening lineup artists on the other two stages.

So many fans trickled in by the evening that there was a seemingly never-ending line, with dozens of people wrapped around the box office building.

While some waited until they could get off work and others just wanted to pregame, Lovin’ Life’s crowd appeared to almost size up to what it was like during its first-ever night in its inaugural year.

Coming into the festival, there’s been a lot of chatter about mixed opinions on this year’s lineup. But giving the organizers the benefit of the doubt, the festival has been marketed as catering to multiple genres and generations.

This year, that seemed more evident with kids bopping around on shoulders, older fans dancing to classic hits and even some families that were a mix of both.

Amanda Dudek, who is most excited to see Dave Matthews Band on Sunday, brought her daughters to see Benson Boone right after middle school let out.

“I just think it’s fun seeing them grow and have fun with the music and just have a good time,” she told CharlotteFive. “I think it makes it feel like a big family feel. Like, we’re just all connected. It’s a fun thing to do. A fun family activity.”

Even between sets, you could hear the melodies of fans singing along to popular hits over speakers around the site, like “Dancing Queen” by ABBA and Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”

Not even half an hour before Benson Boone’s performance on stage, people were already lining up to get the “perfect” view of the main stage, with some trying to strategically get through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in hopes of an eye-level shot or settling for a spot further back on the hill of the park for a visible view of the 21-year-old singer-songwriter.

With just a minute to go, you could hear giddy groups across the crowd eagerly taking guesses on which of his songs he’d sing.

‘Just you and me’

The crowd erupted as Boone, wearing a custom-made glittery green vest and pants, kicked off his set with “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” — and, of course, his signature backflip move — followed by four (yes, four!) more throughout his time on stage.

In more heartfelt moments, Boone also captivated the audience. Like when he dedicated “Pretty Slowy” to a fan who had a sign that said, “Your music gives me strength through cancer,” and later when he asked the crowd to put up phones to be present during “In the Stars.”

By his last song, “Beautiful Things,” it’s not an exaggeration when I say that it looked like every single fan in the crowd was either singing along with him or capturing the moment on camera. Wrapping up with an epic ending of circling those in VIP with “hellos” and hugs, in true Benson Boone fashion, he ran up back on stage for another flip (the fifth to be exact) before his final bow... and final show before leaving the Queen City to perform on “Saturday Night Live.”

‘Tonight is all about me loving you’

Though there was a 30-minute break between Boone’s performance and Gwen Stefani’s, the crowd was nearly just as electric when the pop star came out, bursting into squeals at the intro of “Sweet Escape” hitting the speakers.

Rocking a plaid two-piece set with a sleek ponytail, the award-winning artist carried the crowd through an hour and a half of some of her early-career singles and newer releases, including “Rich Girl,” “Just a Girl” and “Somebody Else’s.”

Between the breaks with her dance crew, a mid-show outfit change and moments to bring fans on stage (including one dressed just like her), the headlining show had fans of all ages jamming at the main stage and throughout the festival grounds — especially at the end of night with “Hollaback Girl,” a hit she teased several times in between songs.

“I’m not doing shows all the time because I have children, and I’m a mama,” she shared on stage. “It’s a miracle that you heard my songs. I have no idea how I got chosen, but I’m so grateful.”

If there’s one thing I took away from Friday, it’s that whether you like the lineup or not, are worried about the weather or not, had to wait ‘til you got off work to get there or not, it’s magical to see music fans of all ages come together to just have a good time in the heart of the city.

This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 5:13 AM.

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription