Country Stars’ Concert in North Carolina Raises $24.5 Million for Hurricane Relief

(L–R) Luke Combs and Eric Church speak during a press conference for the Concert for Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 26, 2024. Jeff Hahne/Getty Images

Country stars Luke Combs and Eric Church headlined the Concert for Carolina on Oct. 26, which raised $24.5 million for Hurricane Heline relief in western North Carolina and surrounding regions.

Performing for more than 82,000 people at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Combs and Church were joined by other artists, including six-time Grammy Award winner James Taylor, bluegrass star Billy Strings, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sheryl Crow, and Australian American country legend Keith Urban.

“My goodness, what a night!” Combs said in an Instagram post. “This will undoubtedly go down as the night I am most proud of in my career. Being able to give back to the place that gave me so much.

“We were able to raise 24.5 million dollars for the people of western North Carolina and I’m so thankful and humbled to be able to be a part of that. There were countless friends, family, and neighbors there and you could truly feel the love in that stadium last night.”

Blueprint for the Blue Ridge

While performing, Church, a North Carolina native, played a prerecorded video announcing that his charity, Chief Cares, plans to rebuild houses for 100 families.

“I come from the mountains of North Carolina,” Church said in the video. “It’s what made me. It’s my home. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for the people there and the influence they had on me. I wouldn’t make the music that I make if it weren’t for the people there and the influence they had on me.

“When Hurricane Helene happened, it devastated those communities. These are hard-working, poor communities that rely on each other. And any time a community needs help, it’s always the community next door that comes running in to help. And there are no communities next door. They’ve all been devastated.

“We made it our mission at Chief Cares that we’re going to be the community next door.”

Through a plan called “Blueprint for the Blue Ridge,” Chief Cares plans to build homes in Avery County and the surrounding areas and address long-term needs concerning jobs, schools, and local businesses. According to its website, the charity has built temporary shower trailers and provided essential supplies for hard-hit communities.

“In an area that I spent half of my years, an area I’ve had a lot of inspiration and gained a lot of inspiration, in an area I’ve made five records in. And we’re going to go and keep those people in their community, put a roof over their heads, let them interact with their community, let them be a part of their community, and let them help rebuild the community,” Church said. 

Weather Delay

Hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley, the show was scheduled to start at 5 p.m., only to be delayed for two hours due to severe weather. Concertgoers were warned to “seek cover” by stadium officials, according to The Charlotte Observer.

“Very heavy rainfall rates up to 2 inches per hour will be possible in these areas,” NWS meteorologists said in a statement. “Wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph also may occur with the rainfall.”

Doppler radar revealed a downpour from eight miles northwest of uptown Charlotte to five miles southwest of Gastonia, moving east at 25 mph. Affected areas included Charlotte, Gastonia, Matthews, Mint Hill, and Mount Holly.

Stadium officials lifted the seek-cover protocol at 6:22 p.m.

“It is safe to return to your seats,” they announced on X. “The show will begin shortly.”

The show kicked off at 7 p.m.