“IT’S A HOT CITY, GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. IT’S AN AFFORDABLE MARKET WITH AN ATTRACTIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE. IT’S BECOMING A ‘DESTINATION’ SPORTS CITY, MUCH LIKE LAS VEGAS”.

Over the past few years, the city’s sports business reputation has grown, as it welcomed NASCAR back after a decade’s absence; saw its minor league soccer team move up to MLS and into the country’s largest soccer-specific stadium; and was only the fourth (and smallest) market since 1957 to host the NFL Draft. With a population of around 2 million, Nashville teams generated a five-year attendance total of 13.2 million, one of the highest ratios in our study. Attendance should continue to grow with a considerable SEC presence: the men’s basketball tournament (15 times, 2013-2030) and the 2026 women’s basketball tournament (eighth time).

Bridgestone Arena Home of the Nashville Predators

Nashville is passionate about hockey and regularly fills Bridgestone Arena with Nashville Predators fans. The facility has hosted more than 13 million guests for such events as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional Tournament, SEC and OVC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournament, as well as concerts for entertainers such as Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, Elton John, Billy Joel, the Rolling Stones, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Jimmy Buffett.

Nashville Soccer Club

GEODIS Park, home to Nashville Soccer Club, is built in the heart of Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, GEODIS Park is one of the premier sports and entertainment destinations in the United States. The 30,000-seat stadium is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, featuring a 360-degree canopy, a 65-foot-wide shared concourse and a safe standing supporter’s section.

The city will host the Formula 1 Red Bull Show Run and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in 2023. Popular annual events like CMA Fest and Fourth of July celebration (with one of the largest fireworks shows in the country) bring tens of thousands of visitors to Nashville. Explore here.