Hosting a conference in Nashville
What it takes to run an event in Nashville, Tennessee: 61 mapped venues, their stated capacities, and the travel around them. Nashville International Airport is 10 km (6.2 mi) out.
Nissan Stadium states a capacity of 67,700. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
What Nashville has to put people in
Nashville has a recorded population of 704,963 (2024), inside the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area of about 2.2 million people.
As the Tennessee capital it hosts the legislative and association traffic that keeps mid-week meeting space busy year-round.
What is on the books here: 2 exhibition or convention halls, 4 dedicated conference and function spaces, 17 arenas and stadiums, 9 theatres and concert halls and 29 independent event spaces.
By type that is 29 event spaces, 12 arenas, 5 stadiums and 3 performing-arts centres, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (2)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center | convention centre | not published | 9.7 km (6 mi) |
| Music City Center | convention centre | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
Conference and function space (4)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home2 Suites by Hilton | hotel with function space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Tru by Hilton | hotel with function space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| One Century Place Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 9.1 km (5.7 mi) |
| Red Roof PLUS+ Nashville Fairgrounds | hotel with function space | not published | 9.1 km (5.7 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (17)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Stadium | stadium | 67,700 | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| FirstBank Stadium | stadium | 40,550 | 3.3 km (2.1 mi) |
| Bridgestone Arena | arena | 19,395 | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Memorial Gymnasium | arena | 14,316 | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
| Nashville Municipal Auditorium | arena | 9,700 | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Curb Event Center | arena | 5,085 | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Allen Arena | arena | 5,028 | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| Geodis Park | stadium | not published | 4.2 km (2.6 mi) |
| Hyve | arena | not published | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Illume | arena | not published | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
| Odyssey at the Park | arena | not published | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| Muse | arena | not published | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| The Heritage at Broadway | arena | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| The Jesse | arena | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| New Nissan Stadium | stadium | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Gentry Complex | arena | not published | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
| Hawkins Field | stadium | not published | 3.2 km (2 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (9)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| War Memorial Auditorium | performing-arts centre | 2,000 | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) |
| Schermerhorn Symphony Center | concert hall | 1,844 | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Grand Ole Opry House | concert hall | not published | 9.4 km (5.8 mi) |
| Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) | performing-arts centre | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Ascend Amphitheater | concert hall | not published | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
| Ryman Auditorium | performing-arts centre | not published | 9.5 km (5.9 mi) |
| Nashville Repertory Theatre | theatre | not published | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Ryman Auditorium | theatre | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Dark Horse Theater | theatre | not published | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
Independent event spaces (29)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Theatre | event space | 2,028 | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
| Belcourt Theatre | event space | not published | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| Exit/In | event space | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| 14TENN | event space | not published | 5.8 km (3.6 mi) |
| Wildhorse Saloon | event space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Brooklyn Bowl Nashville | event space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Riverside Revival | event space | not published | 6.4 km (4 mi) |
| Saint Elle | event space | not published | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) |
| Bluebird Cafe | event space | not published | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) |
| Café Coco | event space | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| Rocketown | event space | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
| Station Inn | event space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Plaza Mariachi Music City | event space | not published | 10 km (6.4 mi) |
| General Jackson | event space | not published | 8.9 km (5.5 mi) |
| Larry's Grand Ole Garage | event space | not published | 13 km (8.1 mi) |
| Marathon Music Works | event space | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| Rhinestone Wedding Chapel | event space | not published | 14 km (8.4 mi) |
| Robert's Western World | event space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| The Mercy Lounge | event space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Clementine | event space | not published | 5.6 km (3.5 mi) |
| Gaylord Opryland Events Center | event space | not published | 9.4 km (5.8 mi) |
| Lindell Hall | event space | not published | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
| Music Valley Event Center | event space | not published | 9.8 km (6.1 mi) |
| Nelson Andrews Leadership Center | event space | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom | event space | not published | 12 km (7.3 mi) |
| Ruby | event space | not published | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) |
| The Bridge Building Event Spaces | event space | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| The End | event space | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| The Pinnacle | event space | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
Every venue mapped in Nashville appears above. The ones with enough published detail to be worth reading have their own guide and are linked; the rest are named here, which is honest about what the record holds without giving each of them a page made of three facts.
Exhibition-scale rooms in Nashville
2 venues in Nashville are classified as exhibition or convention space. They are the only rooms here designed around a floor plan rather than a seating plan.
- Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Centersize not published
- Music City Centersize not published
Capacities are the figure the venue or an encyclopaedia entry published. They are usually the seated maximum, and the same room in banquet or reception layout can differ by half. Confirm the layout you want before you plan around a number.
Arrival logistics
Nashville International Airport (BNA) sits 10 km (6.2 mi) from the centre, close enough that a same-day arrival is realistic for most of your speakers.
Nashville keeps Chicago time (America/Chicago), which matters most for the remote speakers you are dialling in.
Population density is around 1,482 per square mile, so venues and hotels are spread out. Assume a shuttle or a parking plan rather than a walkable core.
Hendersonville, Franklin and Smyrna are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Nashville has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- BNA
- Nashville International Airport, 10 km (6.2 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−5
- America/Chicago, in September
- City population, 2024
- 704,963
- 2.2 million across the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area
What already comes back to Nashville
CMA Music Festival, Xanadu, Musicon and Hypericon come back to Nashville. A returning show is the best evidence a place has the rooms, the hotel stock and the airlift to carry one.
- CMA Music Festivalmusic festival, since 1972
- Xanadurecurring event, since 1983
- Musiconrecurring event, since 1992
- Hypericonrecurring event, since 2005
- The Constitution or Sharia: Preserving Freedom Conferenceconvention
- Southern Festival of Booksrecurring event
Recorded in Wikidata, which covers event series with an encyclopaedia entry. It is a floor rather than a full calendar for Nashville, and it is not a listing service — check dates with the organiser.
What to check before you commit
The city is smaller than the market
704,963 people live in Nashville itself, but about 2.2 million live in the wider Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN. Your local audience is far bigger than the city line suggests, and so is the commute your day-rate attendees will make.
Choice is not the constraint here
With 61 venues mapped, availability rarely fails. What fails is comparison: shortlist on capacity and distance from the airport first, and only then start touring.
Check the city calendar first
Nashville carries recurring shows including CMA Music Festival, Xanadu and Musicon. Hotel rates and venue availability move sharply around them, so pick your dates against that calendar rather than against your own.
Pricing this against a real Nashville room
A Nashville programme at 950 activated attendees — sized to Nissan Stadium, the largest stated capacity in the Nashville dataset — prices like this. Nothing is charged for the first 50, and nothing at all is charged past 1,000.
- activated attendees
- 950activated attendees
- billable, after the first 50 are free
- 900billable, after the first 50 are free
- for the whole event, at $5 each
- $4,500for the whole event, at $5 each
You are billed for people, not for the venue, so the room you choose in Nashville does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
Matching the room to the format
With a stated ceiling of 67,700 seats, Nashville can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
2 exhibition or convention halls mean a booth plan is possible in Nashville without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 67,700-seat room carries a plenary with breakouts running alongside it.
- association annual meetings
An association meeting needs one big room, several small ones and a hotel block, which is the combination Nashville is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 67,700 takes an audience no conference venue in Nashville can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
Where this data comes from
- GeoNames, CC BY 4.0
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates
- Wikidata, CC0
- Geographic data © GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Venue data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
- US population figures are US Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
- Retrieved 3 September 2026. event67 has no commercial relationship with any venue listed.
Last updated
What it costs
- Free up to 50
- activated attendees, on one live event
- $5
- per activated attendee beyond 50
- $4,750
- the most one event can ever cost, whatever happens past 1,000
Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Questions people actually ask
What does an event app cost for a 950-person event in Nashville?
950 activated attendees means 900 billable after the free 50, so $4,500 for the event. The price is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What is the largest venue in Nashville?
Of the 61 venues mapped in Nashville, the largest stated capacity belongs to Nissan Stadium at 67,700. Capacities in open data are the figure the venue itself published, and they are the seated number rather than a standing or exhibition figure, so confirm the layout you actually want before you plan around it.
Does Nashville have a convention centre?
Yes — 2 venues are classified as exhibition or convention space in Nashville, including Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and Music City Center. Exhibition halls are booked by floor area rather than by seat, so ask for the hall sheet with column spacing and load-in access rather than a capacity number.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Nashville?
Nashville International Airport (BNA), about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the city. It is the highest-traffic airport within reach in this dataset. Local time is America/Chicago; publish every session in that zone and let attendees' phones convert it.
What happens under 50 attendees?
One live event with up to 50 activated attendees costs nothing. Beyond that it is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What events already happen in Nashville?
Recurring shows recorded for Nashville include CMA Music Festival, Xanadu, Musicon and Hypericon. This list comes from Wikidata and covers series with an encyclopaedia entry, so it is a floor rather than a full calendar. Check your dates against it: hotel rates and venue availability both move around a returning show.
Keep reading
Nearby cities
- Holding an event in Hendersonville
2 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Franklin
6 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Smyrna
3 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Gallatin
1 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Lebanon
4 venues mapped
Up a level
Running something in Nashville?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.