On Dec. 1, 2025, the roof of the Raleigh Convention Center caught fire. Within 36 hours, the city had canceled all events scheduled there for the rest of the month, with others on the calendar in peril depending on how long repairs take.

The convention center calendar was updated to show "no upcoming events at this time" as repair work began.

Other WRAL Top Stories

Two cheerleading competitions scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 6-7, a statewide cybersecurity conference and a trade show were the first to cancel.

Officials with the NCHSAA, which had planned for cheerleading championships at the center, said safety is their priority.

“Our priority is to find a safe, appropriate solution for our participants, coaches, officials, and families. We are actively reviewing available options for the event and will provide an update as soon as plans are confirmed,” officials said in a statement in part.

Organizers of a second cheer event, the CheerSport Raleigh Classic, said Raleigh Convention Center officials told them that the building would not be available through Dec. 7, 2025. Registered cheer teams were offered the ability to compete instead in Greensboro Dec. 14, 2025.

The North Carolina Technology Association’s NC Tech Awards were set to be held at the convention center. They have moved their awards to Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Kerry Painter of the Raleigh Convention Center Authority said crews began trying to plan for the future within hours of the fire. 

"Not a lot has been done or all the complex layers have been been analyzed yet, because we need to make sure we can be there and it's structurally sound," Painter said. "So getting engineers up there has been a big part of today."

According to Raleigh mayor Janet Cowell, temporary roofing will be installed at the convention center to prevent further water damage.

"The fact that there's no interior damage suggests that it's going to be replacement of some pretty major parts, but at least it sounds like it could be expensive, but not as difficult as if it had been throughout the entire interior," the mayor said.

Cowell added that work is still in the reviewing phase, and the city will need "some time to get this reopened to the public on a normal basis."

"This is getting a little more complex, there are a lot of moving parts," Cowell said.

Cancellations cost participants if they can't get refunds

Casey McFarland, whose daughter was set to compete in the cheerleading competition, said she's unsure of what to do next and that the cancellation of events will have a ripple effect.

"We would lose money on the babysitter, because we can't cancel last minute," McFarland said. "We would lose money on hotels ,because we won't get our money back if we don't cancel by tomorrow."

Officials with the North Carolina AI & Cybersecurity Symposium said the event was postponed due to the fire. In a statement, they said they would work to identify a new date to host the event. and will provide an update as soon as possible.

Downtown Raleigh holiday events outside, including Illuminate Raleigh and skating at The Rink at Red Hat Amphitheater, will continue.

The "shimmer wall," downtown Raleigh's signature visual element visible from McDowell Street, was not damaged. "I know that's a beloved feature of the building," Cowell said.