Nearly one year after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, Asheville continues to feel the economic fallout. Downtown visits are down by over 16% compared to last year, according to the Asheville Downtown Association, and vacation rental and hotel occupancy are down 4–5% from last year, per the Mountain Express. Thankfully, Widespread Panic came to Asheville late last month for a three-night run at downtown’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena, bringing with it over 19,000 fans and $8 million in revenue to the regional economy.

Widespread Panic’s Asheville run was originally set for July 2024, but was rescheduled to a time when the city needed the band and the band needed fans just the same. Last summer, WSP cleared its calendar so guitarist Jimmy Herring could undergo treatment for tonsillar cancer. By the following February, Panic was back onstage playing again and has been on a triumphant tear, playing multi-night engagements across the country. In the interim between the 2024 run’s cancellation and its 2025 fulfillment, Asheville suffered its worst flooding in over a century and continues to feel the economic sting of a public weary of returning to the tourism-driven mountain town (in case you’re curious, they are definitely open for business).

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Detailed reports from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority found that 19,315 tickets were sold for the shows July 24th–26th, with out-of-market visitors representing 81% of ticketholders. The top five out-of-town visitors came from Charlotte, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, New York, and Los Angeles, but in total, the band attracted attendees from 49 U.S. states, six Canadian provinces, and three countries. These visitors, along with the 19% of regional residents who attended the shows, pumped over $8 million into local businesses, including lodging, food and beverage sales, retail, recreation, transportation, rental space, and business services. Additionally, Widespread Panic’s first Asheville run since 2021 raised $32,944 for local non-profit organizations through the venue’s Community Give Back programs.

“Widespread Panic and the Home Team crowd have always been, and continue to be, one of our favorite events to host.  We hope the band makes plans to return someday in the future,” Chris Corl, General Manager of the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, said.

Widespread Panic’s return to Asheville was well worth the wait. As fans mourned the loss of Ozzy Osbourne, Panic turned in nightly tributes to the Prince of Darkness, culminating with the band’s debut of Black Sabbath‘s “War Pigs” to close out the weekend. Revisit Live For Live Music‘s full coverage of the run: Thursday | Friday | Saturday.