NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — What began as a strategy to boost tourism during a traditionally slow week has grown into one of the country’s largest New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Nashville’s New Year’s Eve concert launched 17 years ago as a modest event aimed at filling hotel rooms and drawing national attention to Music City.
In its first year, 2009, about 12,000 people gathered on Lower Broadway to ring in the new year.
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. was looking for television exposure at the time and pitched CNN on featuring Nashville as one of its Central Time Zone locations for New Year’s Eve coverage.
That partnership helped elevate the event’s profile, with coverage eventually airing across multiple national outlets.
In 2021, the celebration reached another milestone with its own five-hour CBS special live from Nashville, cementing the city’s place as a major New Year’s Eve destination.
Attendance and economic impact have surged alongside the national exposure. By 2024 — the event’s 16th year — organizers reported about 220,000 attendees and an estimated $41 million in direct visitor spending.
Organizers credit the event’s growth not only to star power and television coverage, but also to its layout and accessibility.
“The event space is very festival-driven; it’s an easy place where families can come and spread out,” said Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “We have warming huts, we have food trucks everywhere, we have screens everywhere so you can hear the music, you can see the entertainers on the screen anywhere you go. So, it’s easy to come down and not be like right in the middle of the crowd.”
Ivey said the design allows people to tailor their experience. “If you want to be close to the stage, you can. If you want to be away from the crowd, you can step back and still enjoy it just as much,” she said.
Several traditions have evolved along the way. In 2011, the event shifted from a guitar drop to a music note drop — a nod to Nashville’s identity as Music City. The original music note stood about 15 feet tall and has since become a signature element of the celebration.
Another major change came in 2016, when the event moved from Lower Broadway to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. The larger venue provided more room for stages, viewing areas, and festival-style amenities, helping accommodate the rapidly growing crowds.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
In this job, we have the opportunity to meet truly remarkable people. The Sullivan family has faced incredibly tough times, but time and time again, turn their grieving into giving. What an honor to tell their story.
- Carrie Sharp
