The Charlotte Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. We are supported by individual donors, grants, sponsorships, and revenue from our programs. We are as strong as the community that supports us. Our programming begins early 2021. Join us as a founding member and sponsor.
2026 | Charlotte Ideas Festival RECAP
Whether you joined us for one event or participated throughout the week, we are grateful for your curiosity, engagement, and commitment to exploring ideas that help us better understand ourselves, our city, and our future.
This year’s festival was filled with thought-provoking conversations and memorable experiences—from an opening evening with bestselling author Derek Thompson exploring the ideas behind Abundance and the pathways to greater prosperity, to a dynamic afternoon of panel discussions examining Charlotte’s evolving identity, urban future, and cultural memory. We were also honored to welcome acclaimed urbanist Charles Montgomery for a fascinating conversation about how the design of our cities shapes human wellbeing, happiness, and connection. The festival concluded with The Trout Who Found the River, an imaginative musical collaboration with 7th Street Concerts that invited audiences to reflect on ecology, storytelling, and our relationship with the natural world.
The 2026 Charlotte Ideas Festival brought together authors, urbanists, artists, scholars, civic leaders, and community members for four days of exploration through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination. Through keynote conversations, panel discussions, artistic performances, and opportunities for connection, the festival celebrated curiosity, encouraged dialogue, and inspired participants to imagine new possibilities for Charlotte and beyond. We are grateful to everyone who joined us in making this year's festival a vibrant exchange of ideas and a meaningful celebration of community.
2025 | Charlotte Ideas Festival RECAP
Thank you for being part of the 2025 Charlotte Ideas Festival community! Whether you joined us in person or cheered us on from afar, we’re so grateful for your interest in big ideas and bold conversations. This year’s festival was filled with energy—from our SHOUT! opening event featuring Noelle Russell on the ethics of AI, to an inspiring talk by Jamie Brown on food and historic renovation, to a full day of discussions with authors, community leaders, and UNC Charlotte faculty. We were also thrilled to host a candid lunchtime conversation with Rick Schnall, co-chairman of the Charlotte Hornets, on the business of sports.
The 2025 festival included keynote presentations from leading national and regional thinkers and performers, including from Noelle Russell, multi-award winning technologist on the intersection between AI and ethics, a panel of bestselling historical fiction authors, a series of partnered talks with professors from UNC Charlotte, and a conversation on the business of sports with Rick Schnall, co-chairman of the Charlotte Hornets.
2024 | Charlotte Ideas Festival RECAP
What a whirlwind! From the future of AI to the timeless poetry of Rumi, to our Big Ideas contest and panel discussions on Humanities+, the 2024 Charlotte Ideas Festival attracted hundreds of curious minds to the heart of Charlotte. Thank you to everyone who participated and to our partners who made it all possible!
2023 | Charlotte Ideas Festival RECAP
Weren’t able to make the festival?
Check out the event recaps here!
Thanks to our partners Charlotte SHOUT! and UNC Charlotte for helping to bring our second annual Charlotte Ideas Festival to life!
2023 Schedule
2022 | Charlotte Ideas Festival RECAP
Weren’t able to make the festival in 2022?
Watch a few of the event recaps here!
We were so grateful to host our inaugural Charlotte Ideas Festival in partnership with Charlotte SHOUT!
2022 Schedule
2022 Event RecORDINGs
“AN IDEA IS SALVATION BY IMAGINATION.”
–FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
Why The Festival?
There is power in coming together as a community. We hope to embody the humanities in an immersive experience that contributes to a flourishing city. Our programming strengthens connection and spurs innovation so we might lives our best lives.
