Live music returns to Raleigh’s Rialto Theatre. Here’s the concert lineup.

Anna Johnson
·2 min read

Live music is back at the historic Rialto Theatre.

Concerts are scheduled for Raleigh’s oldest theater starting in November and include Americana, R&B and holiday music performers.

It will be the first time the Five Points theater has hosted live music since the early 2000s, according to a Wednesday news release. The theater was known for its live music in the 1980s and ‘90s, including performances by Arlo Guthrie, Jane’s Addiction and Widespread Panic.

The theater, at 1620 Glenwood Ave., was purchased earlier this year by a team of local investors, The News & Observer reported. The theater’s longtime owner, Bill Peebles, announced his retirement after 32 years in 2022.

Hayes Permar, one of those local investors and general manager of the theater, said the group hoped to bring back concerts.

“Bringing live music back to the Rialto was the top priority when we were granted the opportunity to take over this iconic Raleigh venue,” Permar in a news release. “Every step of the way we’ve tried to partner with folks who understand the history and importance of the Rialto.”

Bringing music back to the theater is personal, said Zack Johnson, a Raleigh native and co-founder of Cardinal Talent. The Raleigh-based talent agency is overseeing the booking of music venues.

“It’s a great time for the Rialto Theatre and a great time for Raleigh,” he said. “I went to elementary school right next door to the Rialto at Underwood Elementary, and bringing a concert series and live music to this historic venue brings things full circle for me.”

Tickets for the concerts, mostly in the $30 to $50 range, will be available in the coming weeks at TheRialto.com.

Concert Line-Up

  • Nov. 3: Will Hoge

  • Nov. 4: Sonny Miles w/ MMYYKK

  • Nov. 10: The Gibson Brothers

  • Nov. 17: Hank, Pattie & The Current w/ Cane Mill Road

  • Nov. 25: Mountain Goats (solo)

  • Dec. 14: Jazz Night: Aaron McCoy, Peter Lamb, Al Strong

  • Dec. 15: The Durham Symphon Holiday Concert

  • Dec. 22: Jeanne Jolly & The Mistletoes

  • Dec. 29: The Music of Stevie Wonder feat. Gabriel Bello.

  • Feb. 3: That 1 Guy

  • March 2: Rissi Palmer