Today in partnership with Major League Soccer and the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Governor Stein announced that Charlotte will host the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game. This announcement was made possible by a new fund authorized by the legislature and offered by the Department of Commerce – the Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund. A grant of $2,028,950 will support the Charlotte Sports Foundation and other local partners as they host this major sporting event next year.
"I am proud that North Carolina has been chosen to host the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Our state’s new Major Events Fund puts us in a stronger position to compete for these highly visible, top-tier events that draw people and their resources to our state. Visitors to Charlotte will see that North Carolina is a great place to live, work, and play.”
“Bringing the MLS All Star Game to Charlotte will showcase the talent of one of the most dynamic and fast-growing sports leagues,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “The selection process for major events like this are very competitive, and we appreciate the General Assembly providing another tool to help the state to win more of these national-level events and attractions.”
In addition to supporting Charlotte’s bid for the 2026 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, earlier in the year the Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund provided a $2 million grant to the City of Winston-Salem in support of the NASCAR Clash race held February 2 at Bowman Gray Stadium. The fund also provided a $1.65 million grant to Richmond County in support of the NASCAR Xfinity, ARCA, and Truck series races held at the Rockingham Speedway in April.
The Commerce Department’s Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund was created as part of a law passed in 2023 that established sports betting in the state (Session Law 2023-42/House Bill 347). Wager activities are subject to a state tax, with 30 percent of the annual revenues from these taxes earmarked to support the Major Events Fund. Local governments and locally authorized organizing committees apply for grants from the fund, which then reimburses qualified expenses incurred in both securing and executing a major event.
More information on the Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund can be found here.