Some CMS graduations will move to northeast Charlotte after board OKs contract
Graduations for eight Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will be held at one of the city’s largest music venues in June, following consternation over limited tickets in 2025.
CMS board members approved a nearly $466,000 contract Tuesday, allowing the district to host graduations and rehearsals at Truliant Amphitheater, previously named the PNC Music Pavilion, from June 11-13.
CMS recently posted which schools will have their graduations at the venue, located in northeast Charlotte near the University City area:
- Harding High School
- Hough High School
- Garinger High School
- Philip O. Berry High School
- Julius L. Chambers High School
- Butler High School
- Independence High School
- East Mecklenburg High School
District leaders indicated in a document shared with the board that the venue choice was, in part, an effort at “ensuring adequate capacity for graduates and guests.”
The event space has a capacity of 20,000 – larger than the 17,000-seat Spectrum Center, which has previously been used for graduation ceremonies for CMS’ largest high schools, including Ardrey Kell and Myers Park. Last school year, Ardrey Kell had slightly over 3,000 students, including around 885 seniors, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last year, while the Spectrum Center underwent renovation, graduations were hosted at the 10,000-seat Bojangles Coliseum, and families were limited to seven tickets.
“We understand that this may present a challenge for some families, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to accommodate everyone within the limitations of our venue,” the district said in a May 5 message to Ardrey Kell families. “We encourage you to begin communicating with other families early if you anticipate needing additional tickets.”
Some large families were left scrambling.
“It makes me sad that, as a family, we have to navigate who gets a ticket versus who doesn’t,” Jennifer Black, an Ardrey Kell parent, told The Charlotte Observer last June. “I think it’s kind of a slap in the face to large families, and it kind of makes me feel that our families are maybe devalued by CMS in some manner.”
The amphitheater is located near the U.S. Route 29/Interstate 485 interchange. In the past, concert-goers have complained of heavy traffic, including sometimes hourslong backups.
CMS has not yet responded to questions about traffic management plans around graduations planned at the venue.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
