On Tuesday, the Raleigh City Council decided to block a section of South Street in order to make room for Red Hat Amphitheater relocation. The entire city will be impacted by that choice for a long time.

The entire council chamber was decked up in red, with everyone wearing red hats and t-shirts that said "Save Our Amp."  When the council decided to close the block of South Street, they cheered.

The CEO of PineCone, among the groups that has long assisted in organizing a worldwide bluegrass event at Red Hat Amphitheater, is David Brower. The festival injects thousands of tourists and thousands of dollars to the city each year. According to Brower, "supporting the relocation and Red Hat Amphitheate expansion is a vote for joy." Additionally, he stated that Downtown should be more than just a collection of offices that people visit once or twice a week. We have a strategy. Now that we have an audience, we need your help.

Businesses and employees in the downtown area pleaded with the council to accept the shutdown, claiming their success depends on it. The Raleigh Convention Center's expansion is being ushered in with this relocation. It has long been planned for the conference center to replace the existing amphitheater.

The venue would remain downtown, at its present dimensions, and with a $40 million budget if Red Hat Amphitheater moved one block south. The relocation takes place at a time when the Historic Downtown Raleigh Alliance and the city are investing large sums of money to reopen downtown's businesses and foot traffic. In addition to preserving the Red Hat Amphitheater renovation, Council decided to close South Street in order to make sure their efforts to rekindle downtown wouldn't be in vain.

To help drivers get around the shutdown, the city is currently preparing to build a new road. Early in 2025, construction of the new facility and the closing of South Street are anticipated to begin. It is anticipated that the facility will reopen in time to host the 2026 season at its new location.