Just two days after another major headliner filled Carter-Finley Stadium, fans packed into the stadium on Saturday for the Noah Kahan concert.
Ahead of the concert, there were some concerns that the rain would put a damper on festivities at the concert, with forecasts calling for rain as fans were getting ready to enter the venue, but most of the rain cleared out about an hour before the concert.
Police officers were also prepared to handle the large groups of people for the sold-out show. Several people WRAL News spoke with said they were prepared for both the weather and the traffic.
“We got here at 1:30 p.m., when the gates opened,” said Emily Fahringer, a Noah Kahan fan. “We wanted to get a good spot. We heard him preparing, playing his songs already. So, we’re warmed up and ready to go.”
The concert is also expected to bring impacts well beyond Raleigh, as the tour website had a list of places around the Triangle to where they were promoting the show.
Second major concert in days at home of the Wolfpack
This is the second big concert at the venue in just as many days, as rock and roll fans filled Carter-Finley to watch Guns N’ Roses perform.
While there were also concerns about traffic and the weather ahead that night too, many told WRAL News that they came early and had a plan to make sure they could not only get into the show, but get out smoothly as well.
The arena also had three additional parking lots open to accomodate the larger than normal group of people.
Carter-Finley’s history of large concerts, even bigger traffic headaches
Carter-Finley Stadium is no stranger to massive concerts and the traffic headaches
that come with them. The stadium’s notorious traffic reputation started
in 2009, when U2 came to perform. The event drew about 60,000 people to
the stadium. However, some fans missed the concert, while others told
WRAL News that they never made it inside.
One ticket holder told WRAL News that a state trooper told
them the parking lots were full, and another said that traffic was
backed up for six miles on Interstate 40.
In 2025, the stadium hosted Chris Brown for its first major concert
since Beyoncé in 2016. The concert led to massive traffic problems in
and around the stadium. NC State University said it and the Raleigh
Police Department are working to prevent similar issues between the two
concerts this week.
“We worked with the police department to make sure that we’re
as prepared as we can be, to make sure that it’s a big event for the
city and for NC State and for the residents,” said Boo Corrigan, NC
State’s athletic director.
Three additional parking locations were added near the stadium
to help alleviate traffic concerns.
