This year marks the 100th anniversary of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, a barn dance radio show inside a downtown church that morphed into a show of international stars that today attracts thousands. All year long the Opry will host country music’s rising stars as well as superstars and legends in honor of this milestone.
After all, it is the “Mother Church of Country Music.”
Brad Paisley once said, “Pilgrims travel to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land, and the foundations of their faith. People go to Washington, D.C., to see the workings of government, and the foundation of our country. And fans flock to Nashville to see the foundation of country music, the Grand Ole Opry.”
Grand Ole Opry History
The famous country music show began humbly as “The WSM Barn Dance” on Nov. 28, 1925, with fiddle player Uncle Jimmy Thompson performing for the radio show. The Opry took off from there, performed from an 1892 downtown church that eventually became the Ryman Auditorium. Musicians who have performed at the National Historic Landmark include Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Bill Monroe, not to mention Opry regulars Minnie Pearl (Sarah Cannon), who performed more than 50 years, and Little Jimmy Dickens, who performed 60-plus years.
The Opry Today
Over the years, the Grand Ole Opry became so popular it outgrew the Ryman. Today, the show is performed at the 4,000-seat Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland a short drive from downtown Nashville. The two-hour show, offered Fridays and Saturdays, includes musical numbers, comedians, and special guests. Occasionally, the Grand Ole Opry moves back to the historic Ryman, which seats 2,300. The Opry will be offered at the Ryman Jan. 3-4, 10-11 and 17. It’s an ideal time to witness the show in its original home.
How to See the Opry
Visitors may purchase tickets for general admission online and at the box office, but the Premium Pass Lounge and Post Show Tour allows participants exclusive access to the lounge one hour before the show through the end of intermission. The pass also allows for stage access and visits to the Opry’s themed dressing rooms and the artist entrance where the stars will arrive that night. For information on tickets and performances, visit opry.com.
Where to Stay
The Gaylord Opryland Resort is closest to the venue and offers a host of amenities, from the SoundWaves year-round indoor and seasonal aquatic attractions, an 18-hole golf course, nightly light shows in the massive atrium, riverboat rides in the atrium’s river (yes, it’s that big; the atrium is 9 acres with extensive gardens), spa treatments at the Relache Spa and special events, among many more.
What’s New in 2025
In addition to the Grand Ole Opry’s anniversary, new venues are popping up all over Nashville. Bon Jovi’s venue on Broadway will feature five floors with two outdoor rooftop decks. Garth Brooks opened his Friends in Low Places last year, a 40,000-square-foot venue with nonstop live music. The newly renovated Cannery Hall will be one of the largest independent music venues in Nashville, featuring three stages. Eric Church opened “Chief’s” on Broadway, a six-story property with live events, a broadcasting studio that will include Church’s Outsiders Radio SiriusXM channel and James Beard Award-winning pitmaster and BBQ Chef Rodney Scott.
Nashville Yards, the city’s new gateway to downtown, opens a 19-acre mixed-use area anchored by The Pinnacle, a 4,500 seat music venue which will host its first event in March. Nashville Yards offers retail, restaurant and entertainment space, including an upscale 12-screen cinema and a 1.31-acre green space with a dog park, pickleball courts, courtyard seating and urban farming
