Festival of India in Charlotte: dates, tickets, parking and what to expect

Thirty editions in, the Festival of India is the big Indian weekend on the Charlotte calendar: classical and Bollywood dance on the Belk Theater stage, a bazaar and food vendors along a closed-off Tryon Street, and a Charlotte Symphony finale. This page keeps the facts that do not change from year to year, the dates of past editions with their sources, and the live listing as soon as the next one is announced.

Updated Oct 4, 2026Free to be listed

In short

The Festival of India is the India Association of Charlotte's two-day celebration in Uptown Charlotte, held on a mid-September weekend at Belk Theater and on Tryon Street, 130 N Tryon St. The Tryon Street vendors, bazaar and outdoor performances are free; shows inside Belk Theater cost $5 a ticket and kids under 10 are free. The 30th edition ran on September 19 and 20, 2026. No 2027 date has been published yet; this page is updated when the organizer posts it.

Good to know

About the festival

The India Association of Charlotte (IAC) presents it every year. IAC is an independent nonprofit formed in February 1995 with no paid staff; the board and committees are all volunteers. The 2024 edition was the 28th, 2025 the 29th and 2026 the 30th. The Arts and Science Council reported more than 20,000 visitors to Uptown in 2023, with festival traffic generating an estimated $30,000 in ticket sales and $20,000 in parking sales, and vendors averaging $6,000 in sales. It started at Spirit Square and now fills Belk Theater and the street outside. IAC is an official partner of the Charlotte International Arts Festival (CIAF), which lists the festival in its programme. IAC also runs a free Regional Festival of India at Stumptown Park in Matthews in the spring; the 2026 one was on April 11.

When it happens

A September weekend, noon to 8 pm, with the exact dates posted by IAC a few months ahead. Known editions: 2026, the 30th, Saturday and Sunday September 19 and 20, both days at Belk Theater and on Tryon Street, Charlotte Symphony concert on the Sunday at 7 pm. 2025, the 29th, Saturday September 20 at Belk Theater and Sunday September 21 at Ballantyne's Backyard in south Charlotte. 2024, the 28th, September 14 and 15, Saturday at Belk Theater and Tryon Street, Sunday at Ballantyne's Backyard. 2027: not announced as of October 2026. When IAC posts it, the live listing appears at the top of this page and on the events board.

Where and how to get there

Belk Theater is at 130 N Tryon Street, Charlotte NC 28202, at the corner of Fifth and North Tryon. The stretch of Tryon Street outside is closed to traffic during the festival for the stalls and the outdoor performances, so do not drive to the door. Blumenthal Arts points patrons to the Bank of America Corporate Parking Garage, entrance on 5th Street between North College and North Brevard, with a $10 preferred rate and prepaid parking through its own site; check its parking page for the current rate. Uptown has many other decks within a few blocks. By rail, the LYNX Blue Line 7th Street station is at 260 East Seventh Street, between 6th and 7th, a few blocks from the theater.

What to expect

On the Belk Theater stage, with a ticket: the programme runs all afternoon with Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak and Odissi, folk dances from several Indian states, Bollywood numbers and a live Indian wedding ceremony staged on center stage. Around the festival: art exhibits, a kids art corner, a yoga exhibit and interactive workshops, henna, saree draping and turban tying, and a food court of regional Indian cooking. Outside on Tryon Street, free: multiple food vendors, the souvenir bazaar of clothes, jewellery and artifacts, an art gallery with more than 100 local artists, and outdoor performances. The Charlotte Indian Idol singing contest and a live kids art competition for ages 4 to 17 run across the weekend. In 2025 the Sunday at Ballantyne's Backyard ran live workshops where you could learn Indian dance moves and try rangoli. The Charlotte Symphony closes it: in 2024 it played Drew Zaremba's Rhapsody in Raag Jog, and in 2026 it played A.R. Rahman alongside contemporary works by Reena Esmail and Kanniks Kannikeswaran with vocalist Vidita Kanniks.

Tips

Belk Theater tickets are $5 including sales tax and fees, bought online through Blumenthal Arts or at the entrance; in 2026 one ticket covered both days and the Symphony concert, and kids under 10 were free. The street part opens at noon in September sun, so come early for the stalls while it is cooler and keep the theater shows for the hot part of the afternoon. If your child wants to enter the kids art competition, or you want to dance, sing in Charlotte Indian Idol, show art, volunteer or take a food, souvenir or mehndi stall, registration is through the IAC festival site and opens well before the weekend.

Other big festivals here

The Festival of India opens the autumn season. Navratri garba nights follow within weeks at the Park Expo and Cabarrus Arena, then Diwali programmes across the metro in late October or November. Each has its own guide: Navratri and garba in Charlotte and Diwali in Charlotte. The events board lists every dated Indian event we can find in Greater Charlotte.

Questions people ask

When is Festival of India Charlotte 2027?

Not announced yet. The India Association of Charlotte has not published a 2027 date as of October 2026. The last three editions ran on a mid-September weekend (September 14 and 15, 2024; September 20 and 21, 2025; September 19 and 20, 2026), so expect September. This page and the events board are updated the day the organizer posts it.

Is the Festival of India free?

The outdoor part on Tryon Street, with the food vendors, bazaar and street performances, is free. Shows inside Belk Theater cost $5 a ticket including sales tax and fees, online through Blumenthal Arts or at the entrance, and kids under 10 are free.

Where is the Festival of India held?

Belk Theater at the Blumenthal Arts Center, 130 N Tryon Street, Charlotte NC 28202, at the corner of Fifth and North Tryon, with the street outside closed to traffic for the stalls. In 2024 and 2025 the Sunday moved to Ballantyne's Backyard in south Charlotte; in 2026 both days were Uptown.

Where do I park for the Festival of India?

Tryon Street in front of the theater is closed during the festival. Blumenthal Arts points patrons to the Bank of America Corporate Parking Garage, entrance on 5th Street between North College and North Brevard, with a $10 preferred rate and prepaid parking on its site. Uptown has many other decks within a few blocks, and the LYNX Blue Line 7th Street station at 260 East Seventh Street is a few blocks away.

Is there food at the festival?

Yes. There is a food court of regional Indian cooking and multiple food vendors along Tryon Street, next to the souvenir bazaar of clothes, jewellery and artifacts.

Who organizes the Festival of India in Charlotte?

The India Association of Charlotte (IAC), an independent nonprofit formed in February 1995 and run by volunteers with no paid staff. The festival is its signature event and the 2026 edition was the 30th. Charlotte Indians lists it as a community service and is not connected to IAC.

What time does it start and how long does it run?

Noon to 8 pm on both days in 2026, and noon to 8 pm on the Belk Theater day in 2025. The Charlotte Symphony concert that closes the weekend was at 7 pm on the Sunday in 2026. Check the current listing for the year you are planning.

Can my child perform or enter the art competition?

Yes, by registering ahead. IAC takes registrations on its festival site for dance performers, visual artists, the kids art competition (ages 4 to 17), Charlotte Indian Idol singers, volunteers, and food, souvenir and mehndi vendors. Registration opens well before the festival weekend.