NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville will host Super Bowl 64 in 2030, a milestone city and state leaders are calling a dream come true — but questions remain about whether Nashville is ready for an event of this scale.
Metro Police Chief John Drake said planning is already underway from a law enforcement standpoint, and agencies from across the country will need to come in to help with manpower and expertise. Big infrastructure projects may also be on the horizon.
"We're celebrating this announcement to bring the largest event in the world, the Super Bowl, to Nashville," Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation President and CEO Deana Ivey said.
Former Gov. Bill Haslam, who serves as co-chair of the Super Bowl Host Committee, said the economic impact will extend beyond the event itself. "When the world comes to Nashville, we collect more sales tax. And then we can pay teachers more, and then we can help more with all of those critical issues," Haslam said.
One of the biggest concerns is traffic. Tennessee residents already deal with congestion on a daily basis, and hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the city for the Super Bowl.
I asked Gov. Bill Lee what investments the state will need to make to handle the influx. "That's a great question. The investments that are going to be necessary to get this done. It's already begun with infrastructure and investments that we've made, even in the last few years. But those will have to expand and they'll have to increase," Lee said.
O'Connell said expanding transit options will also be part of the solution. "This is going to take a lot of work," O'Connell said.
When asked what it will take to handle a crowd of this size, O'Connell pointed to existing partnerships. "You saw WeGo staff and board members here. The Titans have been great partners on transit," O'Connell said.
NFL Executive Vice President Peter O'Reilly expressed confidence in Nashville's ability to pull it off. "Nashville does big events all the time," O'Reilly said.
This will likely be the biggest event the city has ever hosted. In 2024, Las Vegas tourism officials estimated 330,000 people visited the city for the Super Bowl. "We feel real confidence in the infrastructure, we feel real confidence in the continued momentum in this city," O'Reilly said.
Super Bowl Host Committee Co-Chair Jim Nantz said the event will speak for itself. "People are going to walk away and say — 'that's the greatest event I've ever been a part of.' You watch," Nantz said.
Hotel space is not expected to be an issue. By the time the Super Bowl arrives in 2030, another 20,000 hotel rooms will be opening to welcome guests. Leaders will have about three and a half years to make sure the city is prepared for the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to attend.
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