Nashville Municipal Auditorium

What to Expect

Nashville Municipal Auditorium opened on October 7, 1962, on the site of the old Bijou Theatre. Its debut event was a week-long Church of Christ revival that drew more than 90,000 people. The building itself is a 306-foot dome with two tiers of stands and reserved seating for up to 9,654 at concerts. Ticket stubs from decades of shows, dating back to 1962, still cover the concourse walls. It served as Nashville's main arena until Bridgestone Arena opened downtown in 1996, and it's hosted a genuinely wide mix since: the first-ever CMA Awards in 1967, Charlie Daniels' annual Volunteer Jam from 1976 to 1985, and touring rock shows from David Bowie and the Grateful Dead that both later saw releases as live albums. The underground exhibition hall has housed the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum since 2013, the only museum built around the session musicians who played on the hits. Bookings today range from touring concerts and conferences to professional wrestling. Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, the city's only professional women's sports team, also plays its season here every February. A 2017 renovation modernized the seating and dressing rooms. For parking, the venue points visitors to ParkIt Downtown to check real-time options before a show.