The Music City has a full schedule of exciting events all year long, and it can be hard to choose which to attend with such an eclectic mix of events reflecting Nashville’s vibrant culture and traditions. Whether you’re looking for chart-topping music, thrilling races, festivals, local events, or anything in between, planning your itinerary can be overwhelming. Don’t worry, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and made a list of the best events in Nashville that can be enjoyed by everyone, from locals to first-time visitors. Here’s what you’ll find below:
Below, we’re listing the best overall events in Nashville. This is just one writer’s opinion, and there are many more events further down if these aren’t for you.
Date: August 31, 2025 (Labor Day Weekend)
Location: Nashville Superspeedway
The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix is three incredible events: racing, music, and a festival all rolled into one big weekend. This year, the weekend started on Freedom Friday, with an energetic Brantley Gilbert debuting his new album, Tattoos, to over 100,000 fans packing Broadway. The party continued into Saturday with performances by Gary LeVox and Brian Kelley on both ends of a thrilling NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying for the race on Sunday.
On Sunday, fans were treated to a performance by Daughtry before the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, which marks the championship of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Fans witnessed Colton Herta winning his first race on his home track before Alex Palou secured the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. Following the race, Riley Green performed his biggest hits to close out the weekend.
Date: December 31, 2024
Location: Downtown Nashville
Bring in the New Year in style with the New Year’s Eve Bash on Broadway. This completely free event features performances by Keith Urban, Kane Brown, and Jelly Roll on the main stage at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. This event is televised all over the country and is known as one of the best places to celebrate the new year.
See the month-by-month event calendar for our favorite Nashville events.
| Month | Event | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Zoo Run Run | Nashville Zoo | A family-friendly 5K run supporting animal care and conservation. |
| April | Cherry Blossom Festival | Public Square Park | Celebrate Japanese culture with performances, food, and a cherry blossom walk. |
| May to Oct | Full Moon Pickin’ Party | Percy Warner Park | Monthly bluegrass jam sessions under the full moon. Family and dog-friendly. |
| June | CMA Music Festival | Nissan Stadium & Downtown Nashville | A massive, four-day country music event with the biggest names in the industry. |
| July | Music City Hot Chicken Festival | East Park | Celebrate Nashville’s famous dish with tastings, competitions, and live music. |
| August | Big Machine Music City Grand Prix | Nashville Superspeedway | A thrilling NTT INDYCAR SERIES race combined with live music and a weekend festival. |
| August | Tomato Art Fest | Five Points, East Nashville | A quirky community event featuring art, parades, contests, and food. |
| September | AmericanaFest | Downtown Nashville | A festival celebrating Americana music with performances, panels, and conferences. |
| Sept - Oct | Cheekwood Harvest | Cheekwood Estate & Gardens | A fall festival with a pumpkin village, hayrides, and outdoor concerts. |
| Oct | Nashville Whiskey Festival | Omni Nashville Hotel | Tastings from over 60 distilleries, seminars, and a spirits competition. |
| Sept to Jan | Tennessee Titans Home Games | Nissan Stadium | Experience the electric atmosphere of an NFL game at Nissan Stadium. |
| March to Oct | Nashville SC Matches | GEODIS Park | Cheer on Nashville’s MLS team at the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. |
| Nov - Jan | Christmas at Gaylord Opryland | Gaylord Opryland Resort | A winter wonderland with millions of lights, ice sculptures, and holiday activities. |
| Dec 31 | New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash | Broadway, Downtown Nashville | Ring in the new year with live music, the Music Note Drop, and a fireworks display. |
| July 4 | Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular | First and Broadway | One of the largest fireworks shows in the U.S. with live music performances. |
Below, we’ve listed our three best music events of the year. That’s a bold claim for the Music City, but we think you’ll agree with our list.
Date: June 5-8, 2025
Location: Nissan Stadium
The “CMA Fest” is not only the largest country music festival in Nashville but also one of the largest in the entire United States. The four-day festival will feature performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Big & Rich, Clint Black, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Terri Clark, Jordan Davis, Jackson Dean, Billy F Gibbons, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Little Big Town, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Blake Shelton, Brittney Spencer, The War And Treaty, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Lainey Wilson, and Bailey Zimmerman.
Date: September 9-13, 2025
Location: Downtown Nashville
The AmericanaFest is a lively festival held in Downtown Nashville that features a mix of live performances, panels, and conferences celebrating Americana music and culture. The event features hundreds of artists across different genres such as folk, blues, and country, and is perfect for discovering new artists and celebrating the spirit of American roots music. Artists such as Allison Russell, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Joan Baez, Noah Kahan, Robert Plant, and Rosanne Cash are prior performers at the festival.
Next up are our picks for the best local events held in Nashville.
Date: May - October (Monthly)
Location: Percy Warner Park
The Full Moon Pickin’ Party is a monthly event perfect for families, dog lovers, and anyone who wants to sit under the stars and listen to local musicians with the light of a full moon. The series features mostly bluegrass music and local food trucks will be onsite for dinner.
Date: August 2025
Location: Five Points
The Tomato Art Fest is, as you may guess, focused on all things tomatoes. There is tomato art, themed food and games, a parade, and even a large musical lineup. It is a family-friendly event and features fun for all ages, including a 5K, tomato recipe contest, kids art show, biggest/littlest, ugliest tomato contest, cornhole tournament, and so much more.
If food and drink are the key to your heart, check out the following food and drink festivals held annually.
Date: July 4, 2025
Location: East Park
An annual tradition for nearly two decades, celebrate the dish of Nashville Hot Chicken with fellow hot chicken fans. Nashville’s premier hot chicken restaurants will be serving up their version of hot chicken, an amateur hot chicken cooking competition makes for great entertainment, and live music from local bands radiates the grounds all day long.
Date: October 2025
Location: Omni Nashville Hotel
The Nashville Whiskey Festival celebrates our state’s rich whiskey heritage with tastings from over 60 distilleries, including local favorites like Big Machine Brewery & Distillery and Borchetta Bourbon. Come for the Premier Spirits Competition and the Grand Tasting event, which are both designed for the seasoned connoisseur and the novice taster.
Date: September to January
Location: Nissan Stadium
The atmosphere in Nissan Stadium when the Tennessee Titans play at home is electric. The Titans are constructing a new stadium in the heart of Nashville, which will offer fans the same exciting lineup of home games and events for years to come.
Date: March to October
Location: GEODIS Park
Nashville has its own professional soccer team competing in MLS matches, and the team has built a loyal fanbase. GEODIS Park is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States, providing an electric atmosphere for match days. Fans enjoy Nashville SC's home games' chants, energy, and excitement.
Date: April 12, 2025
Location: Public Square Park
This annual festival celebrates Japanese culture with traditional food, art, performances, and a cherry blossom walk. This event includes tea ceremonies, martial arts demonstrations, kid-friendly activities, and, of course, sumo-suit wrestling.
Date: September 14, 2024 to October 27, 2024
Location: Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
Cheekwood Harvest, held at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, is full of fall fun for the entire family. See the pumpkin village with 75,000 pumpkins, three pumpkin houses, more than 4,000 chrysanthemums, and a nine-foot-tall P’mumpkin topiary made of orange mums arranged in the shape of a giant pumpkin. Enjoy hayrides, art workshops, outdoor concerts, and more in one of our favorite events of the season.
Date: November to January
Location: Gaylord Opryland Resort
Each Christmas, Gaylord Opryland transforms into a winter wonderland with millions of lights, ice sculptures, holiday shows, and family-friendly activities. Enjoy riverboat rides, holiday-themed dining, and immersive experiences like "ICE!"—a display of ice sculptures. Other activities include ice tubing, gingerbread decorating, and the Soundwaves water experiences.
Date: July 4, 2025
Location: First and Broadway
On our nation’s birthday, this patriotic celebration is known as one of the largest Fourth of July fireworks displays in the U.S. This event includes live music and family-friendly activities, with Chris Young headlining the 2024 event. The 2025 music lineup has not been announced yet, but we are certain it will not disappoint.
Looking for even more events? Click here to see a full list of Nashville events.
Nashville Superspeedway
4847-F McCrary Road
Lebanon, TN 37090
Copyright ©2024 615GP, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright ©2024 615GP, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
