Highlighting artists and events throughout North Carolina
Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival
October 1-3, 2026, Downtown Raleigh, Raleigh, NC
This 3-day Bluegrass/Americana-centric music festival hosts a bevy of NC artists, and all for free! A few standouts include: The Carolina Cutups, Alice Gerrard, Hank, Patty & The Current, and The Tan and Sober Gentlemen. Doors: Noon
Certain Seas, Stray Owls
October 10, 2026, Sidetrack, Chapel Hill, NC
Certain Seas brings their melodic brand of indie folk to Chapel Hill’s latest bar to add live music on the weekends. Mebane psychedelic folk duo Stray Owls opens. Doors: 6pm
Neon Ruins, Scivic Rivers, Megayacht
October 24, 2026, Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
Chapel Hill’s Neon Ruins melds the psych guitars of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse days with the soulful lyricism of R.E.M. Durham’s Scivic Rivers brings their brand of likable indie rock. And Chapel Hill’s Megayacht, hot off the release of their second LP, opens with their mix of upbeat harmonies and guitar rock. Doors: 8pm
Sabrosura
October 29, 2026, Yonder, Hillsborough, NC
Durham’s Sabrosura brings the Latin Jazz to Hillsborough and sparks up everything from Cuban classics to Tito Puente. Doors: 7pm
Monster Wave
October 30, 2026, Eda’s Hide-A-Way, Weaverville, NC
With opening stints for Messer Chups and The Phantom A.D. under their belt, Asheville’s Monster Wave brings their own brand of haunted surf-goth to Eda’s. Doors: 7pm
Zombie Fest 2026
October 31, 2026, The Eagle’s Dare, Wilmington, NC
Screamin’ Rebel Angels headlines as Wilmington’s The Phantom Playboys and Greensboro’s The Tremors throwdown the monsterous sounds of NC rockabilly. Doors: 6pm