Khalid graced the stage in Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 15 on his “It’s Always Summer Somewhere” tour. This is his first tour since 2019, and only his fourth time playing in North Carolina ever, with the third time being in Raleigh a week prior. Charlotte was in for a night full of unbelievable music!

The show started after a quick DJ set before the New York based R&B/Dance-Electric duo Lion Babe took the stage. They took over for Lauv after he decided to step back from the tour due to personal mental health struggles. I wish him the absolute best and hope he takes all the time he needs to rest and recover! While many were excited to see Lauv opening the show, fans were able to witness the duo – singer Jillian Harvey and producer Lucas Goodman – give their all! They had fantastic energy and created a safe and loving atmosphere. One of my favorite parts of their set was when they shared the tradition of ending their set with the first song they ever wrote, “Treat Me Like Fire.”  Unfortunately, this was their last night with Khalid, but I look forward to diving into their discography more! 

Khalid hit the stage with a beautiful sunset as his background, starting off the night with “Motion” from his 2018 record Suncity. His show felt like a true summer night, where the heat was finally pleasant, and everyone was excited to be outside. He performed a massive set with 36 songs! Some of those songs included hits like “8TEEN,” “Location,” and “Young, Dumb, and Broke,” off his 2017 debut album, American Teen. He played a large selection off his 2025 album, after the sun goes down, including “out of body,” “in plain sight,” “whenever you’re gone,” and “nah.” He made sure to also sprinkle in some songs off his 2019 album, Free Spirit, like “Better” and “Saturday Nights,” as well as songs off his 2024 album Sincere, like “Adore U” and the title track “Sincere.”

As a performer, Khalid is very enjoyable to watch; he had an infectious smile on his face the whole night. You can tell that he has such a fun time on stage, and he is so happy to be there with everyone. Joining him on stage was a phenomenal quartet of dancers, adding a new dynamic to the show. He took the time throughout the show to really connect with the crowd by reaching out to them, smiling, acknowledging the dancing fans at the barricade, and sharing snippets of information about himself and his songs! His album American Teen was the defining album of my last two years of high school. Unfortunately, I was unable to see him the first two times he played in Charlotte, but tonight felt like a win for 17-18-year-old me! I am so happy to finally get to catch one of his shows! 

Khalid continues his North America tour in Texas, Arizona, and California until the end of June, before playing a show in Mexico in September. He will then start his EU/U.K. run in October before finally embarking on his Australian tour leg in November. Be sure to check out one of his remaining tour dates if you can; this is a show you do not want to miss! Get your tickets HERE!