April 3-8, 2025

The Charlotte Ideas Festival is a 5-day festival within the larger 3-week Charlotte SHOUT! festival that celebrates Food-Art-Music-Ideas. We bring leading thinkers to Charlotte and share local thought-leaders with the world! You won’t want to miss it!

Join us as we launch Charlotte SHOUT! with an unforgettable evening celebrating the festival’s four vibrant pillars: Food, Music, Arts, and Ideas. This kickoff at the newly restored Carolina Theatre will set the stage for two weeks of creativity, culture, and community. The evening will culminate with the official launch of the Charlotte Ideas Festival, featuring a timely keynote presentation by AI leader Noelle Russell on the crucial intersection of innovation and ethics. Tickets: $40

How might we preserve the city’s history in the places we eat? Join us for an evening with Jamie Brown, co-founder of Supperland, Haberdish, Ever Andalo, Growlers Pourhouse, and Reigning Doughnuts, for an intimate conversation about how food and historic preservation intersect. With a passion for restoring historic buildings and transforming them into beloved dining destinations, Jamie has reimagined old spaces—like a former church turned award-winning steakhouse and a textile mill reborn as a Southern kitchen. Tickets: $20

How do ideas evolve? How does history shape the present and future? Join us in partnership with UNC Charlotte for Timelines, a day of panel discussions, interviews, and creative activations featuring local and regional thought leaders who challenge conventional wisdom and explore the ever-changing landscape of knowledge. Throughout the day, engage in conversations that examine shifting narratives, breakthrough innovations, and transformative practices. Join us for one session or the whole day! All Day Pass: $50

Join us at the Carolina Theatre for an exclusive lunchtime conversation with Rick Schnall, co-chairman of the Charlotte Hornets, and co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice private equity firm, as he takes you behind the scenes of the sports industry. From the complexities of managing an NBA franchise to the business strategies that drive team success, this discussion will provide a unique look at the high-stakes world where athletics and business intersect. Tickets: $25

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation invites you to join us for a remarkable literary evening at the Carolina Theatre featuring two of today’s most celebrated authors, Ann Patchett and Kevin Wilson, as they come together for an intimate and engaging conversation. Tickets $35/$50 - Available March 1st!

Why The Festival?

There is power in coming together as a community. We hope to embody the humanities in an immersive experience that contributes to a flourishing city. Our programming strengthens connection and spurs innovation so we might lives our best lives.

“AN IDEA IS SALVATION BY IMAGINATION.”

–FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

2023 Schedule

2022 Schedule

2022 Event RecORDINGs