Tennessean journalists Marcus K. Dowling and Hadley Hitson discuss Broadway’s big boom
Tennessean journalists Marcus K. Dowling and Hadley Hitson discuss Broadway’s big boom
Ryman Hospitality Properties executives have wanted to run Metro Nashville-owned Ascend Amphitheater downtown since before it opened in 2015, and now, they have their chance.
Nashville officials awarded Opryland and Ryman Auditorium owner Ryman Hospitality a 10-year bid to operate the 40,000-square-foot amphitheater on Friday. Ryman beat out two California-based competitors including current operator Live Nation and AEG, which operates The Pinnacle.
Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman Colin Reed said the company has big plans for the outdoor riverfront concert venue.
“We wanted to get it under our wing 10 years ago, so when it came up this time, given the backdrop of how we think about Nashville, this is a very important, music-centric piece of real estate sitting right on the river there that we believe can, over time, be expanded and developed,” Reed said. “We were pretty aggressive in on our bidding, and we just love the idea of being the stewards of this piece of real estate over the coming 10 years.”
The company committed a significant amount of capital to renovations in its bid, but Reed would not disclose an exact number. The bid still requires the approval of the Metro Nashville Council members.
“We don’t do things third-rate,” Reed said. “We’re in business for the long-term. We will want to bring this amphitheater to a position where the consumer walks away every time they’ve been there and says, ‘This was a very good experience.'”
Should the Metro Nashville Council approve, Ryman will take over the amphitheater from Live Nation effective Jan. 1, 2026. In the meantime, Reed said company officials will sit down with Live Nation executives and outline a transition plan.
“You can’t wait until Jan. 1 to start programming this facility for the next year,” Reed said.
In fact, Reed said Ryman representatives have already begun discussions with the institutions like the Nashville Downtown Partnership, the Titans, the Predators and the Nashville Symphony to fill the amphitheater with more year-round events.
“Under the agreement that’s in place today, I think you can put 35 concerts a year through there through the period of May through September, but de facto, for 331 days a year, the thing sits there hollow,” Reed said. “I think over the next up to three years, once we gain the stewardship of this, you’ll see us coming forward with ideas to activate this beautiful piece of real estate in a more compelling and comprehensive way.”
This deal makes Ascend Amphitheater the third and largest Nashville live music venue in Ryman Hospitality’s portfolio. The company also owns The Ryman Auditorium, which has a 2,362 capacity, and The Grand Ole Opry, with a capacity of 4,372.
Currently, Ascend can host up to 6,800 people.
Including Ryman’s Lower Broadway bars Ole Red and Category 10, Ryman Hospitality Properties will have a total live music capacity of at least 16,000 people across Music City.
“We have the relationship with the artist community. We have great relationships with the management companies, the labels. I think we can progress artists and help build their careers through the physical infrastructure that will be under our control,” Reed said. “The more successful we make this amphitheater, the more we share the spoils with the city. That’s how we think about it.”
The Tennessean’s Nashville Country Music Reporter Marcus K. Dowling contributed reporting. He can be reached at [email protected].
Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at [email protected]. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean.
