Ziggy’s Greensboro rebrands as The Move, expands downtown music lineup

Downtown Greensboro’s familiar live-music room has changed its name after only about a year, and the owners are treating the switch as a business reset, not an exit. Ziggy’s Greensboro is now The Move, a rebrand that keeps the venue tied to the long-running Ziggy’s name, which dates to 1990, while giving the downtown club a sharper identity for its next phase.

The venue’s owners say the new name fits a room that is still finding its place in Greensboro’s entertainment economy. The Move says it will expand programming for national touring acts and local performers across multiple genres, building on a first year that helped establish the club at 523 S. Elm Street as a small-capacity destination in the middle of downtown. The venue’s website says the room reopened in 2025 and holds about 400 people, a size that makes every booked night matter in a market where clubs depend on consistent traffic, not just marquee shows.

Jay Stephens is shifting his focus to a new venture at Van Hoy Farms and may relocate to Charleston, South Carolina, though he will remain involved in select future events. That change matters because it signals a broader ownership recalibration: the business is not simply swapping signs, it is spreading attention across multiple properties and brands. The venue’s current calendar still reflects that overlap, with The Move and Ziggy’s branding appearing in Greensboro while Ziggy’s events continue at Van Hoy Farms in Harmony, including a summer campout concert series and a Sister Hazel show.

The rebrand also comes at a time when downtown Greensboro is drawing more activity. WFMY reported 11 new businesses have opened downtown so far in 2025, Downtown Greensboro Inc. says the area logs more than 700,000 visits a month, and average visits last about 141 minutes. The Fun Fourth Festival drew nearly 60,000 people, a reminder that foot traffic on and around Elm Street remains one of the strongest assets for a live-music venue trying to build repeat business.

Stephens said Elm Street’s status as Greensboro’s signature street and the nearby college population helped drive the original decision to open downtown. Co-owner Dustine Keene has also pointed to memories of Ziggy’s shows in Winston-Salem, underscoring the brand’s recognition across North Carolina music culture. The new name keeps that legacy in view, but the strategy is clearer now: use a familiar music brand, a 400-person room, and downtown’s steady pedestrian flow to compete for nights out in Greensboro. More show and event announcements are expected in the coming weeks.