The first major benefit concert to support North Carolina storm relief has been announced. Luke Combs, Eric Church, Billy Strings, and James Taylor will headline “Concert for Carolina” on Oct. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. All proceeds from the concert will be split between Combs and Church — both Tarheel State natives — to distribute to organizations serving areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
Combs is earmarking the funds raised to groups like Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC; Church’s balance will be distributed via his Chief Cares charity to orgs that directly help those impacted by the storm.
According to a release, the group of artists approached the owner of the Carolina Panthers, David Tepper, about hosting a concert at Bank of America Stadium. With the Panthers playing the Broncos in Denver that weekend, the venue was available, setting the stage for the A-list lineup. Additional artists are expected to be announced, and ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley will serve as the concert’s hosts.
Both Combs and Church have been spreading the word about the flooding that has decimated the western portion of their home state, especially Asheville and its surrounding communities. Combs, an Asheville native, first alluded to the benefit concert in a social media post late last month. “Absolutely heartbroken for everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene. Especially my folks in Western North Carolina. Me and my team have been making some calls and I think we’ve got something really special lined up to help the Carolinas as much as we can,” he wrote on Sept. 28. “More details to come ASAP.”
On Friday, Church surprise-released the new song “Darkest Hour (Helene Edit),” an anthem of unwavering help in times of need, and pledged all publishing royalties from the track to the state of North Carolina. “I spent half my year in the mountains of North Carolina. It’s a refuge for me, a place I’ve always said where my soul is at rest,” Church said in a video message. “Hurricane Helene came through and it devastated it. There are places that are just biblically gone.”
Tickets for “Concert for Carolina” go on-sale Thursday, Oct.10 at 10 a.m. ET. For more information and to help donate, fans can visit the event’s website at www.concertforcarolina.com.
“When Luke first approached us with the idea for a concert benefitting relief efforts in the region, we felt compelled to open the doors of Bank of America Stadium for this special moment,” Tepper and his wife Nicole said in a statement. “Every day, we are more inspired by the strength and resolve of our Carolina community, and we are grateful to join Luke, Eric, and our fellow Carolinians as we embark on the road to recovery together.”