Live music
Nashville just wouldn’t be Nashville without its swinging honky-tonk bars. In these unpretentious, stripped-back drinking dens, pianos are reassuringly worn in and wonky, the stage is often sticky with beer, and the ukuleles are always ready to twang some rockabilly tunes. It’s pure ale-swigging, foot-tapping fun. The Bluebird Café
With a capacity of 90, The Bluebird Café is both intimate and social, the perfect place to enjoy acoustic country at its best. By giving a stage to new talent, Bluebird has nurtured some of the genre's biggest stars, including Garth Brooks. Get there early to claim a good pew, and enjoy.
4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville TN 37215. The Station Inn
This iconic inn has been the home of authentic, down-to-earth bluegrass for more than 40 years. It knows the art of self-deprecation too, with a unique, regular musical comedy event which pokes fond fun at the country music industry. Plus it serves up pizza and beer to accompany any performance.
402 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203.
Theaters and shows
From soaring classical music at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center to superb dramatic performances at the Nashville Rep, Nashville is ideal for enjoying an evening of high culture. But the hottest tickets in town are reserved for the lifeblood of this city – show-stopping country music concerts at the Grand Ole Opry. Grand Ole Opry
The grande dame of country music, Grand Ole Opry could well be the greatest country show on earth. Providing a stage for guitar-strumming, piano-thumping performers since the 1920s, Opry continues to move with the times, hosting rising stars alongside the old legends, delighting crowds of thousands at every show.
2804 Opryland Drive, Nashville TN 37214.
Nightclubs
If you want a break from the honky-tonk piano and the strains of bluegrass, then why not get glammed up and hit one of Nashville’s nightclubs? You can party to electro, punk, or drum n bass, in dance clubs which stay open until the early hours. The Lipstick Lounge
This quirky hotspot began as a lesbian bar, but its reputation for killer cocktails and a smoking dance floor means that it attracts a much wider crowd, and it’s at the center of Nashville’s alternative nightlife. You can keep dancing until 3am, and they even offer brunch the next morning to cure your hangover.
1400 Woodland Street, Nashville 37206.
Comedy
After filling all the music venues, from the huge theaters to the small bars, it seems that Nashville still has a surplus of creative energy. What better way to channel it than into comedy? There’s a variety of cabaret-style shows and experimental stand-up, but Zanies is the long-standing leader of Nashville’s comedy scene. Zanies
With a packed schedule of comedy performances from touring stand-up stars, Zanies is sure to give you a laugh whichever night of the week you go. It also has a healthy open mic tradition, giving local hopefuls the chance to try out their material.
2025 8th Avenue South, Nashville TN 37204.
