PNC Music Pavilion

Stop complaining about traffic/​parking until u realize that there are thousands of people trying to leave at the same time on a two lane road where ur only option is to go right or left! The facility is clean and well maintained. Excellent place to enjoy an outdoor concert!

Went for Dead and Co. And arrived three hours early and I have to say very sketchy traffic direction to park. The lawn was in AWFUL shape for the beginning of concert season, it looked like a defunct football field lawn. Short of a tremendous artist coming there again I wouldn’t make the three hour trek for the venue again. Raleigh has a fantastic amphitheater set up similarly and much better managed/​taken care of.

Parking situation sucks if you get stuck in the F lot you’re pretty much stuck after the concert not moving at all

If you are taking a taxi/​über… leave at least an hour before your show. Traffic is very disorganized. But once inside… not half bad. Beer is about $ 12 for a double duce… and IF you get a liquor drink, you have to drink it infront of them! Seating was fair priced compared to other outdoor arena’s I have been to… Lot of lawn seating. but not much hiding space if it decides to rain. They tell you go back to your cars. Bathrooms are usually good. and plenty of port-​a-​potties.

I was very worried about going here with some of reviews about parking. Our first visit here to see Journey. We actually arrived at 8 pm. The show opened at 7 pm. No lines at all getting into the place, parking, buying tickets and security. Most people arrived earlier. The place was packed.
As far as leaving we wanted to avoid the long wait to get out parking lot that I read. So we left about 25 minutes before the concert ended. There was police officers directing traffic. No traffic for us leaving early.

We arrived at about 6, thinking we would need to be in line when the gates opened at 6:30. We tailgates for a bit but turns out no one really goes in until much closer to show time. Getting in was totally painless. Like many other posters have said, the drinks are VERY expensive. $ 14 for a 24oz beer, $ 10 for a glass of wine, and $ 4 for a Busch light. Outrageous. I understand supply and demand but still. I think pretty much everyone in the audience had a good view of DMB and the atmosphere was pretty good, although not as good as some other shows I’ve been to at other venues. Getting out of the parking lot took about 30 – 45 minutes but was no worse than at any other crowded event. Just be patient.

PNC Music Pavilion and OUR Jimmy Buffet experience from April 23 2016.
Just going to lay it out there!
We drove and arrived to our spot (pavillion side) with plenty of time to tailgate. It was our second time experiencing PNC Music Pavillion parking, bathroom options and seating.
With a half hour to go before Huey Lewis and the News started, we packed up and we were making our way to the entrance. Not remembering any different to entering, we came upon a HUGE line and had to make our way to the back of the line (towards the woods) to get in, ‘HOLY COW, it’s going to take forever to get in’.
There was only 1 port a potty at this end of the parking lot, so in having to go, I got in this line while my husband was in the HUGE line to enter the pavillion. While waiting for the port a potty, I hear Huey Lewis and the News begin their music. Finally making it to the front of the port a potty line, I find out that the toilet is full to the rim. YUK and so disappointed that Huey had begun.
BTW, so MANY people ran to the woods to go to the bathroom, again, YUK!
As we finally were making our way towards the front of the entrance line, we found out, that there WERE MANY MANY other ways to get into the Pavillion and that this line was created for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. We totally totally missed Huey because we didn’t know better and had followed the people.
My ADVICE: Don’t follow the people!
There are many many entrances into the pavillion from the parking lots. If you are in a line, move to another line, don’t get in a line if you can help it!
THE REASON THERE WAS A HUGE LINE, IS BECAUSE NO ONE KNEW BETTER! THERE WAS NO ONE REPRESENTING THE PAVILLION TO TELL THE MASSES OF PEOPLE IN LINE THAT THERE WERE OTHER WAYS TO ENTER.
My biggest disappointments were:
1. No information online on how the Pavillion actually works and how to park, get in, etc.
2. Lack of port a potty’s in the parking lots.
3. Lack of people directing the masses in entering the pavillion.
4. Lack of being able to see online the view from your seat to the stage before purchasing.
Thank goodness for websites like Unilocal to help others, so that they aren’t disappointed.

Really nice venue! It’s in an excellent location and the stage is set up so that everyone can have a good view (even on the lawn). Of course, the food and beverages are insanely high ($ 12 for a can of Bud Light), so unless you are planning on spending a ton of money, I’d stay away from the concession stands.
Only thing I didn’t like is that all of the seats are not covered. Only the ones directly infront of the stage. I think if you pay for a seat, it should be covered. We got soaked lol. But it was a great experience. I’ll be back in August!

Venue really need to get their traffic issues together. How’s does it take 2 hours to go 1 mile. The panther stadium clears out quicker then pnc. Why doesn’t traffic go one direct and have a continuous flow until the lots are empty. This place is a disaster.

Physically a great venue. However it is the most poorly run venue in America. The police that have to work traffic must hate it too because they are rude. Violated numerous ADA requirements. Never again.

Knew there would be a ton of traffic for the Lana Del Rey concert so we left really early. Sat in traffic (really violent/​aggresive traffic) for over 2 hours to get into venue. After concert waited 3 hours to be let out of our parking lot. Not even kidding. (Our lot remained «gated» until the other lots had disbursed thus not allowing us to leave.) I eventually got out of our lot when one a pickup truck tore down a gate allowing us to drive out. You can’t make this stuff up!
I live 5 miles away and will never come back here under any circumstances. I wouldn’t wish this experience on an enemy. Good luck if you go. I would suggest leaving 3 hours early and tailgating AFTER the concert while you wait to be unleashed.

I wish I could give them 5 stars because the concert I went to see was a 10 star concert. It was the legendary Janet Jackson… Ms. Jackson if ya nasty :) A group of friends and I decided we had to see the «Unbreakable» tour. Janet is a legend and I grew up listening to her music and this would be my first and probably last time to see her in concert. I almost went to the «Velvet Rope» tour, but my Mom said I was too young. So, I was making up for lost time. We actually had lawn seats that were amazing. We could see the stage and there were two big screens that showed us anything we missed. Plenty of snacks, refreshments and restrooms. So why 3 stars you ask, well. The parking was a NIGHTMARE! It took us hours to exit the pavilion parking lot. No kidding. I even think this was a news story. We parked in lot D and I believe the public safety officers were releasing traffic by lots, but there was no one helping drivers get out much liked they helped us get into the lots. We were scrambled all over the gravel lot. There was no flow. People were cutting in front of one another and blocking others. It was crazy. Good thing it happened after the concert. Janet’s show was so amazing. I couldn’t let the parking mishap get me down. PNC Music Pavilion Parking Staff, do better.

I attended this venue for a Janet Jackson concert. Our seats were great and the show was phenomenal! There were so many vendors and convenient restrooms around the amphitheater. We paid for premier parking, which was the best decision ever! Getting in and out of the venue was a breeze. I would definitely see another show here. Previously, I saw Janet in Ohio at the PNC, very different setup but the show was still fantastic!

This venue has a grease festival feel. Getting in the gates was a breeze. My friends and I went to this venue for the Janet Jackson concert. Fun!!!
Please please please obtain parking attendants and officers that can successfully manage parking. The parking was free (we rode über) but parking was the worst ever. Emergency vehicles were stifled in responding due to the congestion. Cars parked anywhere they found a space. And getting an über to leave was another monster.

For my birthday this year as a gift from my mother, I received tickets to Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable World Tour in Charlotte. What are the odds that my birthday falls on a month when my favorite entertainer’s concert tickets are on sale??? King Jesus was looking out for me this year!!! The concert was on Friday, September 18, 2015 at 8pm.
My mom and I drove to Charlotte from Augusta and spent the weekend here for the concert. Fast forward to the actual time for the show, we left the hotel 1 hour early to make it on time to see the concert. We should have left 2 or 3 hours earlier. The drive to the arena was fine until we got 2 or 3 miles away from the place. Traffic was backed up for that stretch of road. It took us about till 9:30pm to get to the actual gate of the arena. We missed some of the show.
I was so surprised that I was so calm because if it was any other time I would have been cussing everybody out who looked at me wrong!!! I guess that prayer I prayed in the car really worked!!! We had to park in one of the huge parking lots that was a ways from the arena, walking through rocks, trees, hills, and bushes but we made it!!!
Entering into the arena it was swarming with people coming to see a great show!!! We couldn’t make it to our seats because the lawn area was so packed that we stayed in that area. That was fine with me, we still enjoyed ourselves!!! I stood, danced, sang, and recorded the whole time while my mother chilled on the sidelines. For Janet to be gone as long as she had been from the entertainment world, she surely didn’t miss a beat, and to be 1 year from 50 that’s pretty f’n amazing. Her body looked right, her voice was perfect, her dance moves were in sync, and her hair was INSANE!!! I wanted to wear my unit like that but I knew that I would be a sweaty mess with all that hair!!!
The weather was amazing for the concert, nice and cool. The only reason I don’t give this place 5 stars is because of the parking situation and how the attendants were rushing people out of the venue after the concert. We couldn’t go nowhere anyway so why rush us out!!! The concert was over at 10pm but we didn’t leave the actual parking lot till about 12:15am. It was insane!!! It was also very hard to remember where we had parked because the parking lot was just an empty, unpaved lot. We did find the car for about 15 minutes of searching. A lot of people had this same issue after the concert!!!
Some people made the best out of the situation by opening their car doors and playing music and dancing in the parking lot. In my younger I would have partaken in that as well but I’m much more cool nowadays. The concert was great and Janet hasn’t lost her touch. This was my 4^th time seeing her and it was worth everything to me. While she was performing her song ‘Throb’ I almost broke down crying. The moment was so surreal. I remember seeing her do the same song live when I 1^st saw her live and it just made me appreciate her special gift for entertaining!!!
I’m scouting out tickets for her show in Columbia next year! I have to be in the building again, the way she made me feel is such an addictive feeling and I want to feel that way as much as possible!!! Bravo Janet!!! You get all 10’s across the board!!! This was the best birthday present EVER!!! It’s pretty hard to top this one!!!

Came to see Janet Jackson and while I must say the venue itself was super cool (great sound, good view of the stage even from lawn seats)…the parking situation was realllllllllyyyyy bad. There were sooooo many people at the venue and I just don’t think they worked through the logistics of people parking and how to get everyone out once the concert was over. The road that the venue sits on has one lane each way and everyone was just stuck for an hour plus. It was very frustrating and I don’t think that had enough staffing (parking attendants or police officers) to guide people safely out the venue.

Been coming here forever and the shows they bring in are always amazing.
Last show I went to here was Incubus and I had a blast.
The parking is TERRIBLE. The prices are OUTRAGEOUS.
Go see your favorite bands here but don’t get your alcohol and food inside.

Bring your patience because depending on the crowd, you will need it. Attended the J. Cole concert last week. Not a big fan, but he’s from NC, his music isn’t trash, and a friend invited me with tickets being under $ 30. NEVER again will I get lawn seats here to a concert that might attract a younger crowd. It was a MESS with drunk teenagers everywhere, bumping into you every other minute. This continued as he performed. I mean, don’t they want to sit still and watch the concert???
As far as getting into the venue, I arrived about two hours after the show started and traffic was backed up from the time I got off the exit, which took 20 minutes in itself. Parking was a cinch, as it seems they reserved parking close to the front for latecomers or maybe I just got lucky. The will call line moved slowly, partly due to LiveNation, partly due to people not having their ID or confirmation numbers handy. One worker was extremely rude to a guy who had unknowingly bought fake tickets. She treated him as if he made them.
Overall, a lackluster event. Please note you can bring in an unopened bottle of water and food that can fit in a 1 gallon plastic bag.

A different type of venue to enjoy concerts — not your typical indoor venue. You have the option of buying a reserved seat (most of which is under a roof type contraption) or a lawn area for seats. Not sure if there is a difference in pricing (I’m assuming there is) for a reserved seat or lawn seat (where you would bring a blanket or chair of your choosing). I’m not sure if this is true, but my one friend had mentioned if you do partake in the lawn seating, you may not be able to bring in a stadium chair to sit in, only beach chairs, but I (and some other attendees) were able to bring in stadium seating. I also noticed some lawn seT attendees that had rental beach chairs — not sure what the cost is as well as if you need to reserve in advance or you can do day of concert.
Food wise, you probably get the same type of food as if you were going to an indoor venue and same high prices. It looked like there might have been some additional options if you ventured to the area behind the stage.
Someone had posted about port a potties for bathrooms and did seen them in the area outside the gates, but once inside, there were non port a potties in the Lowe area to the sides of the stage.
One thing to keep in mind that this is an outdoor venue. According to the tickets, shows are rain or shine. I’m not sure if there would be conditions (like lightning or other extreme weather conditions) that would cause the show to be cancelled. I do not know for certain, but they probably are only open during spring /​summer /​fall months when it’s not too terribly cold outside. Also, at least in the lawn area, you are able to smoke (I’m not a smoker so this one bothered me somewhat. (On a side note relating to tickets, you may want to print out if your tickets were sent to you electronically — I was ble to get in with my electronic Groupon, but may be a better bet to have a hard copy handy).
Now onto parking. They have ample, free parking, which is a plus, and it’s near the venue so you are not walking all over creation to get from parking to venue. Also, it looks like you are able to tailgate as well. Major minus, there needs to be better coordination on flow of traffic at end of convert. It looked like the local PD tried to make convert lanes that would typically go one way go another way, but everything was still backed up. Got to my car shortly after 11, and it was easily 11:45 until I was on the main drag and moving at normal speed — and I still had a two hour drive back to Columbia, SC!

Terrible experience just now, had to share. To be fair, the seating/​accoustics/​performers are always fine. The experience is always hampered (upon arrival and departure) by the parking situation!
We had such a poor experience — and the biggest complaint is how poorly they accommodate fans who wish to have a fun family tailgating experience. Essentially, your options for this are very limited!
This was such an abuse of power and such idiocy. They greeted us with… Intimidation and anger! (Bizarre to say the least) On this day, parking opened ONE HOUR BEFORE THE EVENT??? A few hours ago the «day of website» said 3pm so we planned accordingly… Ready to tailgate before the Oddball (Comedy) Festival, we checked it again at noon, still said 3pm. There should be a way to subscribe for updates…
We planned and checked the «day of» link, arrive only to find it had again been updated and get aggressive personnel tell us to turn around, and leave right away. What? Event is at 5, now parking doesn’t open till 4pm? The officer, frankly, was a jerk too! (Ok, the time changed, but handle it better!!!)
We had just pulled in, we’re asking the parking lot attendant when it changed and up comes a macho police officer (so he thought he was), stomping up to our car to interject. What was odd, is he came out of nowhere, we had been there for about 35 seconds, seated and buckled talking through our window, and up comes this officer with Napoleon Complex — or some issue… He quickly waddles up — like he’s chaeffed or something — and before my husband (driver) can turn his head to look at him he yells, «TURN AROUND!» Then walks up to his window and yells it again. Annoyed, but knowing not to do anything stupid, my husband says «Yes, sir» and still, this officer is yelling, turn around. I have to imagine he had JUST come off of a case or some issue — nothing could explain his approach, aggressiveness and anger. Becuase you never know how crazy people are or when they will chose to abuse their power, we did as asked and left — and then SAT IN A PARKING LOT A MILE AWAY FOR AN HOUR! Stupid! If we had the time, I would have gotten this guy’s name and badge number to file a formal complaint. Since I didn’t/couldn’t, I’m venting here.
TIP FOR «SECURITY»: How about, I don’t know, you speak in a normal tone and explain the schedule changed. It was interesting watching the the attendant’s emotions go from angry and annoyed, while sitting, to STANDING (remind you, we’re seated in our car), with a red face and teetering angrily like he’s going to fight or have an accident in his pants??? This is so bizarre, and frankly pitiful. Especially since we paid a lot of money for VIP parking and box seats.
Reconsider the next time you attend an event here, my husband swears he won’t return. PNC/​LiveNation, revisit your parking policy, your hours, your communication of last minute changes, and add some bathrooms throughout the parking lot.
Had to share our experience. From reading other reviews, their whole parking situation, unprofessional parking staff’s and police’s manner of handling parking, the admission process and exit procedures have cost them some well earned negative reviews and a poor reputation.
Also, I’ve noticed they don’t adhere to the «no tall camping chairs» in the lawn rule. So if you go, be prepared to be treat poorly, wait forever to park, if you’re in the lawn just know you cannot see over the tall chairs, and know it takes a good 1+ hour to exit while nearly getting hit by aggressive drivers trying to cut in front of you (or drunkenly into the side of you)… oh, and don’t bother paying extra for VIP parking (there’s nothing VIP about it). VIP seats are fine, but don’t pay for the parking «upgrade.» Tsk tsk PNC!
The learnings for PNC/​LiveNation: Provide updates on changing parking lot times, allow MORE time so families CAN tailgate (you’re not using the lot anyway, let guests in and get settled), provide restrooms/​porta-​potties in the lots, make parking & LEAVING much safer and more efficient. Lastly, teach your staff and the hired help some manners. As for the performers — they always provide a great experience! As I hope would be expected, this is a review on the services and the venue itself only. Don’t bother doing lawn seats unless you don’t mind having some big guy in a large camping chair sitting in front of you either… if you can, pay extra for seats.