A Nashville Music Midyear Report for 2026

Amid the tidal wave of new things that come with having a new tiny human in the house, my family acquired a coffee mug that reads: “The days are long but the years are short.” Without a doubt that also applies to Nashville music, as I’m astonished to report that we’ve passed the midpoint of 2026. Here’s a brief look back at what’s happened already and a few exciting things to come.

Live music has been bumping at venues of all sizes. Plenty of national and international tours have come our way: Baroque-pop aces Florence and the Machine and Mexican pop star Carín León have stopped at Bridgestone Arena, synth-pop legends The Human League hit the Grand Ole Opry House, and Mdou Moctar played an amazing solo set at Drkmttr. Hayley Williams’ tour behind Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party leveled the Ryman on its homecoming stop. Hip-hop collective Six One Trïbe expanded their 615 Day festivities into a complete 615 Week, hosting shows and other events with members of the crew and lots of friends. The Features and Glossary, two of the finest rock bands to ever call Middle Tennessee home, came out of semi-retirement for a memorable pair of gigs to benefit community and public radio. One-day celebration of indie venues 615 Indie Live had its sophomore run, featuring more than 15 stages jam-packed with simultaneous shows including a strong bunch of local rockers like massie99 and Venus & the Flytraps. Organizers of 615 Indie Live have also announced a showcase series popping up at mom-and-pop spots all over town (which began June 26 at The 5 Spot).

Bonnaroo 2026

Check out all of the Scene’s coverage from this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, running June 11 through 14.

Festival activity has been extensive as well. CMA Fest once again brought the galloping hordes to Lower Broad, while Bonnaroo recovered from last year’s rainout with an enjoyable (if muddy and kinda stinky) return to the Farm with The Strokes, Kesha and lots more. While Pilgrimage announced it would skip this year in order to come back stronger in 2027, Nashville Pride Fest put together a powerhouse lineup with Fancy Hagood and many others for just one day (in spite of sponsorship dollars decreasing amid unease over the Trump administration’s anti-DEI stance). But even smaller-scale happenings like Vladopus9 and friends’ Dumpster Fyre Fest benefit shows have been bringing people out in force. 

Meanwhile, the venue world has kept turning. Indie record store The Groove, which often hosted shows, shuttered (temporarily, one hopes) in December; after the owner demolished the building without proper permits in February, the Metro Historic Zoning Commission ordered him to rebuild it. Ryman Hospitality’s Opry Entertainment Group is amid its first season of operating Ascend Federal Credit Union Amphitheater, having won the Metro contract last year over a much larger rival in international ticketing and touring giant Live Nation. In late June, Ryman CEO Colin Reed confirmed the company is exploring selling a majority stake in OEG, which includes ownership of Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry House. Live Nation finally went to trial in its federal antitrust case, and despite many twists and turns the jury ruled against the conglomerate. Live Nation is still on track to open its 4,400-capacity venue The Truth in October and purchased 7,500-cap outdoor venue FirstBank Amphitheater in May.

Nashville musicians haven’t been slacking on releasing great music either (much of which has been accompanied by kickass live shows). Alt-pop has been having a powerful moment, with help from multimedia mavens like Vivienne Blue and book NOT brooke. Nashville rap elder statesman Starlito teamed up with stellar producer Bandplay for an oops-all-bangers double LP called Not the Country You Know, and Six One Trïbe’s “first lady” Ronni Raxx had a mind-blowing debut with Bitch Get In, though sadly she died just a few weeks after it dropped.

All manner of punks and rockers have offered up great work, running the gamut from literary punks The Sleeveens’ National Anthem to robot rockers’ The Protomen’s long, long-awaited Act III: This City Made Us to Molly Martin’s ripper Accidental Popstar and beyond. Awesome records that are trickier to classify abound as well — see Sean Thompson’s jazz-fusion-y Inner Principles and two records from ever-thoughtful soul-kissed outfit The Altered Statesman, Yestalgia and God’s Own Fool. If you want actual interesting country music, we’ve got that too, from Angie K’s Whiskey & Hemingway to the harmony-infused singles by The Cowgays to Kacey Musgraves’ genre-blending master class Middle of Nowhere.

Meanwhile, there’s a mind-boggling amount of new local music and new shows to look forward to. Multifaceted singer-songwriter Allison Russell is back July 10 with her album In the Hour of Chaos; rock champion and Third Man Records honcho Jack White’s new one Frozen Charlotte also lands that day. Guitar wizard and rocking songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan’s Get Over It, Underdog lands July 17 (and he’ll be at The Basement East Oct. 21). Rockers and fantastic songsmiths Styrofoam Winos play at Grimey’s July 23 and The Blue Room at Third Man Records July 24 following their new LP Any River. Nashville oddball legends Lambchop are set to release their next album Punching the Clown Aug. 21. Accurately self-described torch singer extraordinaire Nicole Atkins has been gearing up for her Sun Records debut Drama, which lands Sept. 18. (Make plans now to see her Dec. 3 at Skinny Dennis.)

And a few “in case you missed it” reminders about big national tours coming our way: Pavement is at the Ryman July 27 and 28, while Chance the Rapper makes his Mother Church debut Aug. 30, and NYC rockstars Geese waddle in Sept. 28 and 29. AmericanaFest is set to spread out across Music City once again for a week in mid-September. Wednesday and Mannequin Pussy’s double headlining Bitch Cabal tour hits The Truth Nov. 2. Brandi Carlile comes to Bridgestone Arena Aug. 29, Sturgill Simpson’s Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds arrive Oct. 2, Phoebe Bridgers’ sold-out two-nighter is Oct. 10 and 11, and Olivia Rodrigo pulls in Nov. 23 and 24. 

We could keep at this all day, but it’s time to get out and enjoy some of this abundance. Keep an eye on our pages and our website for much more.

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