33 Best Performing Arts Venues in Tennessee, USA

Five Points favorite The 5 Spot is a great place to grab a quick drink and an even better spot to catch a show or cut a rug. The venue/bar hosts a bevy of local musical talent, as well as a number of weekly dance nights, including the wildly popular Motown Mondays, which features—you guessed it—a danceable selection of soul and R&B classics.

The Belcourt Theatre is Nashville's only independent movie theater, first established in 1925 as the Hillsboro Theater. Reopened after extensive renovations in 2016, the newly updated and expanded Belcourt plays host to new films, old classics, special events, speakers, concerts, and more. The Belcourt has all kinds of snacks and drinks (including alcoholic beverages) available, so come hungry.

You can't get the full Nashville experience without a visit to The Bluebird Cafe, one of the city's most famous music venues. Catch a show on any given night and you're bound to see some of the world's best songwriters performing new and old material in a truly intimate setting. Be mindful of The Bluebird's reservation policy (online reservations only, seat vs. table reservations), and do your research before you visit.

This is dinner theater on steroids—you (and several thousand other people) get to eat a finger-lickin' good (silverware is optional) four-course meal while animals kick up the dust on the arena floor to the accompaniment of dramatic music, lighting, and pyrotechnics. The pace is quick, and the service is quicker. In a sequence timed as tight as a traffic signal on a four-lane highway, you'll watch rodeo clowns picking on cute girls in the audience, kids chasing chickens running in all different directions, knights jousting on horseback, and a chorus of costumed singers belting out rousing patriotic songs. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available by advance request.

The Grand Ole Opry is the most famous country music show in the world—in fact, it’s the show that made country music famous. They’ve been broadcasting their concerts every week since 1925, making it the longest-running radio broadcast in the United States, and there isn’t a country, bluegrass, or Americana icon who hasn’t performed here. The Opry continues to be a major part of the soundtrack of the region and a destination for country fans and performers alike.

Each year in mid-to-late April, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains Association host the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. It attracts wildflower enthusiasts from all over the country for five days of wildflower and natural-history walks, seminars, classes, photography tours, and other events. Instructors include National Park Service staff, along with outside experts. Most of the activities are at various locations in the park, both on the North Carolina and Tennessee sides, but registration is in Gatlinburg at the W. L. Mills Conference Center adjoining the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Begun in 1951, the pilgrimage has grown to more than 150 different walks, classes, and events. Advance registration online begins in February of the year of the conference, and some events quickly sell out. Check the website for current details and dates.

Hillsboro Village was once a hub for live music, but it hasn't had a proper venue in some years. That changes with the addition of AB, an arts venue and event space that plays host to concerts, community gatherings, pop-ups and more. AB also hosts neighborhood-wide events, like 2023's first annual AB Block Party.

This intimate performance venue—look for the retro marquee outside the Hutton Hotel—hosts multi-genre entertainment throughout the week. Mood lighting, crushed velvet curtains, and comfortable seating options add to the chill vibe.

Affectionately known as \"the Beast,\" The Basement East is an East Nashville offshoot of the long-popular Basement venue located across the river. The midsize venue draws an eclectic array of local bands and national touring acts, hosting shows in an intimate environment convenient to Five Points.

In the second week of June, CMA Fest hosts big-name country music stars at Nissan Stadium, Ascend Amphitheater, Riverfront Park, and Bridgestone Arena. Over the long weekend, Lower Broadway also hosts many free concerts.

While The Cobra is open on non-show nights, too, this East Nashville bar/venue is especially known for its live music. If your tastes venture outside country and Americana, you'll be pleased with the variety of music represented in the nightly lineups, which often include local and national rock acts. The Cobra is also a lively spot for a drink or a quick bite, so stop in early to enjoy the divey atmosphere.

Darkhorse Theater is a meaningful addition to Nashville's independent alternative art scene. Housed in a former church, it's comprised of resident companies who share the performance space, with varied productions ranging from Shakespeare to the work of local playwrights and politically driven shows.

Eastside Bowl is your one-stop shop for music, activities and good eats on the east side. Stop in for a round of bowling and the popular shepherd's pie, or check out the calendar and grab tickets to see local and national touring acts. There's also an arcade on-site, making Eastside Bowl a great spot for fun for all ages.

Visitors are invited to bring lawn chairs and a picnic along to Old Timers' Day at Cades Cove. Held in late September at the Cable Mill area of Cades Cove, Old Timers' Day allows former residents of Cades Cove and their descendants, along with the general public, to reminisce about the old days in the valley. The Cades Cove event is now part of a two-day Fall Heritage Festival at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, just outside the park. At Townsend you can enjoy bluegrass music, clogging and square dancing, arts and crafts demonstrations, and mountain food. Both events are free, though there's a park fee at Townsend.

The Franklin Theatre’s iconic neon sign is the centerpiece of Downtown Franklin. Opened in 1937 and refurbished in 2011, the theater now offers an ongoing lineup of concerts, live theater performances, and movies (mostly second-run and classics). You can purchase beer and wine at the concession stand, as well as Showtime chocolate bars, created exclusively for The Franklin by local chocolatier, Schakolad.

The General Jackson is a Victorian-style riverboat that cruises down the Cumberland River up to twice a day. On board, there’s a two-story theater that showcases a couple of flashy, choreographed, cheesy but fun contemporary country productions—the Tennessee Legends show, which plays during the midday cruise, and the Rollin' on the River show, which takes place as the sun is setting. Special holiday-themed shows are also quite popular. Each show comes with the option to purchase a meal; after the show, you can roam the different decks outside, including a rooftop bar from which you can enjoy views of the sparkling Downtown skyline.

The Memphis in May International Festival salutes the cuisine, crafts, and other cultural offerings of a different country each year over four consecutive weekends. This festival—Memphis's largest—galvanizes the city each year.

Nashville Ballet is Tennessee's largest professional ballet company. Classes and community events are often hosted at the whopping 44,000-square-foot facility in Sylvan Park. Like their neighbors, the Nashville Opera, they also hold performances Downtown at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC).

Performing classic shows for children since the 1930s, this theater company touts the title of the country's oldest continually running children’s theater company. They also host drama workshops.

If jazz is your thing, be sure to check the calendar of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, which offers classes, performances, and various special events throughout the year. There are typically a couple of events taking place each day, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit Workshop's mission of keeping jazz alive in Music City.

This is a perfect antidote for when ultra-cool New Nashville starts to take itself too seriously. This place is just unpretentious, good-hearted country music fun. Join 300 of your closest friends for a buffet-style dinner and an hour and a half of some of Nashville’s most seasoned musicians putting on the best country music variety show in town. The band performs country music through the ages, from Hank Williams to Toby Keith, and you better believe there’s fruit cobbler for dessert. Touring country tribute acts sometimes make stops for special performances, so check the music calendar.

Nashville’s Opera company aims to celebrate a lesser-represented genre in Music City and to make it accessible and interesting to all audience members, including opera newbies. Shows are held at The Noah Liff Opera Center black-box theater each opera season. The company also performs Downtown at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC).

Commonly referred to as Nashville Rep or simply The Rep, this regional company performs original and well-known plays and musicals. The company's Ingram New Works Project fosters new works via a season-long fellowship for playwrights. Nashville Rep's performances are usually at TPAC (The Tennessee Performing Arts Center) Downtown, with occasional shows in other venues like the company's home base in the Nashville Public Television building in Wedgewood-Houston.

This beloved Nashville-based theater company specializes in Shakespeare but also performs modern works. Summer Shakespeare shows in Nashville and neighboring Franklin are popular with all ages; preshow entertainment includes live music and a lecture series. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, or find a seat in the bleachers for these free performances. Food and drinks are available from food trucks, or you can pack your own snacks. The company also stages and/or presents winter and spring productions.

The Orpheum Theatre is a restored 1920s movie house that hosts touring Broadway shows as well as performances by Opera Memphis and Ballet Memphis.

Creativity is uninhibited at Nashville’s foremost destination for contemporary performing and visual art experiences. The expansive venue was repurposed from a cigar storehouse into a cultural institution which hosts local and international artists. From dance and theater to live music and puppetry, nothing appears to be off-limits at OZ Arts.

The Pull-Tight Players formed in 1968 and set up shop in their current location in 1985. They produce six main-stage shows each year in their intimate theater on 2nd Avenue, which in years past has been everything from a church to a grocery store. Between the small size of the theater and the popularity of the productions, it’s best to get tickets in advance.

The splendid home of the Nashville Symphony is a modern take on a great European concert hall. In addition to the symphony, the Schermerhorn hosts many other concerts and boasts an on-site café.