Uptown Charlotte's free Thursday concert series is getting a civic twist this week. FOMO, the arts-and-culture collective known for its museum block parties, is taking over Uptown Live at Truist Center Plaza on Sept. 17 with an event called Get In The Booth, mixing DJs and food vendors with voter-registration tables and nonprofit activations.
What's Happening at Truist Center Plaza
The free event, set for 214 N. Tryon St., blends FOMO's usual nightlife energy with civic programming, according to clture.org. The outlet reports the plaza program brings together local businesses, artists, cultural organizations and civic groups for an evening built around FOMO's mix of music and community learning. Uptown Live itself lists the night simply as a Charlotte Is Creative and FOMO takeover, according to uptowncharlotte.com.
Manolo's Bakery and Indigo Tea & Coffee are handling pastries and coffee for the crowd, per the same clture.org report, while Upcycle Arts will run a hands-on sign-making station. The night's soundtrack will feature DJs, according to the outlet.
Voter Registration Takes Center Stage
With the 2026 midterms approaching, FOMO is explicitly using the platform to push voter registration, clture.org reports, describing the effort as a way to connect civic engagement with the same culture and community that have built FOMO's audience. The League of Women Voters is expected on site to help people register to vote, while the ACLU of North Carolina, ourBridge for Kids and My Brother's Keeper will also host activations, according to the outlet's reporting.
Timing details vary depending on the source. clture.org lists the plaza program running from 5 to 9 p.m., with additional parties and activations continuing afterward at venues along Tryon Street and in the Fifth Street District. charlotteartsfest.com, however, lists a different FOMO Museum Block Party dated Sept. 17, 2025, running until 10 p.m. and describing that event as a block party with DJs, live music, performances, cash bars, interactive art and photo opportunities.
A Series With Deeper Roots
Thursday's takeover fits inside a broader run: Uptown Live is back at Truist Center Plaza on Thursday nights from Sept. 10 through Oct. 22, according to charlotteonthecheap.com, which describes the series as free live music, DJs and food and drinks for purchase, followed by an official after-party in the Fifth Street District.
FOMO itself isn't new to this format. Back in April, the group staged a similar free block party spanning the Mint Museum, the Harvey B. Gantt Center and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, with no ticket required, per charlotteonthecheap.com's earlier coverage of that FOMO Museum Block Party. That April event ran programming along Tryon Street from 5 to 9 p.m. before handing off to SHOUT! After Dark parties on 5th Street, and was presented in partnership with Charlotte SHOUT!, My Brother's Keeper and the 5th St District, all powered by Sonorous Wave, the site reported.
The Gantt Center's portion of that April lineup included a spoken-word performance by Mia Love Live followed by a jazz set led by trumpeter Braxton Bateman, according to ganttcenter.org. Over at the Mint Museum, organizers also ran a silent disco, though only 250 pairs of headphones were available on a first-come basis, per mintmuseum.org.
Whether this week's plaza takeover wraps at 9 or 10 p.m., the broader pattern is familiar: FOMO pairing free music and art with a push to get Charlotte residents plugged into causes, organizations and, this time, the ballot box.
