8 great sporting events in Charlotte this summer you need to check out
The Charlotte sports scene always has something going on, but the months from June to August sometimes can seem a little slow. There are no Carolina Panthers games until September — or at least not any real ones. There aren’t any Charlotte Hornets games over the summer, either. And by June, Charlotte Motor Speedway will already have run its biggest race of the season (the Coca-Cola 600 over Memorial Day weekend).
But that doesn’t mean there are no great sporting events to attend in the Queen City. Some of them are even in Carolina’s home stadium, which is used far more often for non-Panthers events than it used to be.
Here’s a chronological list of eight events you can sample without leaving Charlotte over the summer.
Savannah Bananas (twice)
Date: June 6-7.
Event: Baseball, The Savannah Bananas.
Place, time: Bank of America Stadium, 7 p.m. each night.
Synopsis: The Bananas are a cultural phenomenon, playing to sold-out crowds around the country with their special “Banana Ball” rules that remove the boring parts from baseball. Among the rules: No bunts, no stepping out of the batter’s box and no games longer than two hours.
Tickets: Sold out and difficult — although not impossible — to get on the secondary market. However, be prepared to pay $150 and up for an upper-level ticket if you buy on the secondary market and make sure the ticket is verifiable.
Lacrosse Chaos
Date: June 6-7.
Event: Professional lacrosse. Carolina Chaos.
Place, time: American Legion Memorial Stadium. The Chaos play at 6 p.m. June 6 and at 7 p.m. June 7.
Synopsis: Are you a lacrosse fan? Did you know that Charlotte has a team in the Premier Lacrosse League? The Chaos will be the headliner of a lacrosse doubleheader on both nights, and American Legion Memorial Stadium is a beautiful venue if you haven’t been.
Tickets: To watch all four games over the weekend, a pass is $55. Single-game tickets are about half that price.
Ascending toward the goal
Date: June 8.
Event: Women’s professional soccer, Carolina Ascent.
Place, time: American Legion Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.
Synopsis: Do you like to see women’s soccer played at a very high level? Check out the Carolina Ascent, who had the best regular-season record in their league and have clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. This match will be a league semifinal.
Tickets: $16 and up.
Real Madrid in Charlotte
Date: June 22.
Event: Professional soccer. Real Madrid vs. CF Pachuca.
Place, time: Bank of America Stadium, 3 p.m.
Synopsis: The first of four FIFA Club World Cup games to be played in Charlotte this summer features Real Madrid, one of the most well-known teams in the world, against a strong Mexican club team.
Tickets: Selling quickly, but a number of upper-level seats are still available from Ticketmaster. Most tickets are $100 and up. If you want to see high-level soccer at B of A at a lower price point — often around $40 — check out a Charlotte FC game instead.
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Baseball and fireworks
Date: July 3.
Event: Minor-league baseball, Charlotte Knights.
Place, time: Truist Field in uptown Charlotte, 6:05 p.m.
Synopsis: The Charlotte Knights play baseball all summer. And much like any minor-league game, the boys of summer are pretty much always worth the money. Their ballpark is a jewel. On this particular night, the Knights will have a postgame “SkyShow Fireworks Spectacular” (why July 3? Because they are on the road July 4).
Wrestling at home plate
Date: July 25.
Event: Professional wrestling.
Place, time: Truist Field in uptown Charlotte, 8 p.m.
Synopsis: Wrestling on a baseball field? Absolutely. There will be eight wrestling matches in a ring positioned on top of home plate. WWE Hall of Famer Sting will make an appearance. Gates open at 5 p.m., with wrestlers available for autographs. The matches begin at 8 p.m. and end about 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: $25 and up.
Keep Pounding, teenagers
Date: Aug. 22.
Event: High school football. Hough vs. South Pointe (S.C.), followed by Greensboro Grimsley vs. West Charlotte.
Place, time: Bank of America Stadium, 4 and 8 p.m.
Synopsis: The Keep Pounding High School Classic has become an annual event, this year presented by Belk. All four teams had double-digit wins in 2024 and will contend for state championships this year.
Tickets: One of the best bargains on this list, you can watch two high school football games at an NFL Stadium for $8 per ticket (not including service fees). These games won’t sell out, so tickets can be purchased at the last minute.
App State vs. Charlotte 49ers
Date: Aug. 29.
Event: College football. Appalachian State vs. the Charlotte 49ers in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
Place, time: Bank of America Stadium, TBA.
Synopsis: This annual early-season college game always has a lot of appeal. With the Mountaineers coming down from the mountain in Boone and the 49ers merely traveling 10 miles away, both schools will be heavily represented by fans in this regional rivalry. Both teams, incidentally, also have new head football coaches.
Tickets: Around $50 apiece. They can be bought in a few different ways, including at this site.
