Inside the concert experience at Hellbender, Asheville’s new outdoor music venue

Hellbender by the Orange Peel is officially open to the public. Before seeing a show at the new outdoor venue, read about what to expect from the shuttles, the sound and more.

By Pruett Norris July 21, 2026 5:48 pm

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Hellbender by the Orange Peel is officially open to the public. Before seeing a show at the new outdoor venue, read about what to expect from the shuttles, the sound and more.

Music

As a new music venue, the abilities to hear the music and see the band were the most important things Hellbender had to prove. The venue passed with flying colors. The sound reached every corner of the campus, from the food trucks to the side to the grove of trees in the back. Stepping away from your spot on the grass or from your folding chair is a low stakes gambit during a Hellbender show: the music will follow.

Outdoor festival scene with a stage on the right, tents, and attendees walking among wood-chip ground.

The south gates and box office of Hellbender.

Nighttime concert stage with red and blue lights and a band performing, foreground crowd as silhouettes.

Hellbender lights toward the end of the show.

Raised arm with an orange wristband in the foreground, overlooking a crowded outdoor event with trees in the background.

Crowds at the Saturday, July 18, Hellbender show.

Parking

Hellbender has two primary parking options: pay to park at one of the nearby lots, or take a free shuttle from the Asheville Mall, located about a mile and a half away.

Blue vertical banner with yellow letters fluttering in the wind against a cloudy sky.

Shuttle signage at the Asheville Mall.

Drive through the Belk parking deck to reach the shuttle parking lot.

Cardboard sign attached to a concrete pillar reading 'SHUTTLE PICK UP AREA' with arrows, on a sidewalk near a street and greenery.

Shuttle signage at the Asheville Mall.

The shuttle option was quick, easy and simple to navigate to. Several buses provided transportation between the mall and the venue. Concertgoers were invited to park near the old JCPenney, located past Belk Department Store, and board a bus to a shuttle drop-off zone. The parking was plentiful and the wait times were minimal. After finding a free parking spot and hopping on the bus, the trip I timed took four minutes and 20 seconds.

Large parking lot full of cars under a concrete overpass with trees in the background and a cloudy sky above

There was parking aplenty at the shuttle parking zone.

A woman sits in a folding chair beside a parked white bus with its door open in a lot, near a poster sign.

A Hellbender employee welcomed riders onto the shuttle buses.

The voyage home was a little bit longer. Buses ran throughout the concert, which ensured one arrive soon after exiting the venue. However, the shuttle took a different route back to the mall, looping around the Target and past River Hills Shopping Center before heading back down Tunnel Road. The drive back to the parking lot was closer to 10-12 minutes.

Food and drink

Hellbender will rotate several food trucks through its campus during the season. For the show on Saturday, July 18, Local Pie Pizza Co., The Outpost and Defiance Café were each in attendance. Lines at the trucks were long throughout the show and prices ranged between $8 and $20 for most items. There were several orange tables to eat at, as well as many trash cans around the property for disposing with trash.

Row of colorful beer cans lined up on a bar counter inside a serving window, with a tattooed arm and a person handling a box in the background.

The beer and non-alcoholic selection at Hellbender.

Outdoor bar stalls built from shipping containers with a turquoise marquee reading 'Bar' above; people ordering drinks under trees.

Two of the three bar counters at the venue.

Crowd at an outdoor festival with food stalls and a tall wooden sign listing directions among trees in the background.

Tabling near the south Hellbender entrance.

The drink selection was more limited. Beers and THC drinks were restricted to offerings from the Charlotte-based NoDa Brewing Company, while Devil’s Foot Beverage Company offered several non-alcoholic options.

Seating

Despite the size of the venue, seeing the bands was not difficult in many parts of the campus. For audience members who do not want to pay for premium seating, the stage is far enough off the ground that watching from the grassy meadow was just as experiential as clamoring to the front of the crowd.

Rentable folding chairs were also available for $10 apiece. These chairs were sectioned off to several designated lawns at the venue.

Crowd seated on grass at an outdoor concert, stage with purple lights in the distance. — The view of the Hellbender stage from the meadow toward the back of the venue campus.

Safety protocol

During the show on Saturday, July 18, lightning struck close to Hellbender, giving the venue an opportunity to demonstrate their safety protocols. Most Hellbender shows are rain-or-shine, but in the event of stormy weather, concertgoers are asked to evacuate the venue during the danger period. On July 18, venue staff calmly and clearly explained the protocol to guests over the loudspeakers, and shepherded everyone out of the gates during the 40-minute-or-so rain hold. All guests received wristbands to get back into the venue, and those holding mostly-full drinks were given drink tickets to redeem upon re-entry. No alcoholic beverages were allowed outside of the venue.

Close-up of a pink event ticket being held in the foreground, with a blurred group of people and trees in the background at an outdoor gathering.

Drink tickets were issued during the lightning hold.

Large crowd at an outdoor concert, stage visible on the right with lighting rigs and a cloudy sky.

Hellbender staff clearly explained what to do during the storm warning.

Woman on the right holding a phone to photograph orange sunset clouds over an outdoor concert venue at dusk.

Post storm sunset over Hellbender.

The shuttles were running, giving those who wanted to leave an opportunity to do so, but most of the crowd congregated underneath the nearby warehouses until they received the go-ahead to return. Once again, the venue staff clearly explained what to do: hold your wristband high while entering through the gates.

In the event the show was canceled, guests would be notified via email, in addition to notices posted to the Hellbender website and social media channels.

Bathrooms

There were many bathroom options available at the venue. Near the south gates, a porta-potty zone was erected. Beside the food trucks, several trailer bathrooms were installed. A permanent row of bathrooms was positioned near the north gates.

Row of gray portable toilets with white tops lined up behind a chain-link fence in an outdoor yard, with trees and power lines in the background.

South gate porta-potties.

Outdoor scene with a black trailer and a blue flag reading 'RESTROOMS' near a wooded area; people stand around on a dirt ground.

Food truck trailer bathrooms.

Wide park scene with a curved concrete walkway, green grass, and tall trees under a bright blue sky; a blue construction fence runs along the background.

North gate permanent bathrooms.

For more information

For more about Hellbender, upcoming shows and other FAQs, visit www.hellbenderavl.com.

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Inside the concert experience at Hellbender, Asheville’s new outdoor music venue

Hellbender by the Orange Peel is officially open to the public. Before seeing a show at the new outdoor venue, read about what to expect from the shuttles, the sound and more.