Artist's rendering of forthcoming venue The Truth
With all of Nashville’s dizzying pace of change, one thing seems to remain constant in Music City: People want to listen to live music. The new year promises more of that, with a handful of new music venues, as well as some established venues making upgrades and changes. Here are five venue stories to keep an eye on.
Late last year, the Metro Council approved Opry Entertainment Group taking over what is now called Ascend Federal Credit Union Amphitheater under a 10-year agreement. As part of the deal, OEG will dedicate $12 million for facility improvements. The plan is to host 35 concerts, plus community events during the year. OEG owns the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry and won the contract over current operator and ticketing and touring giant Live Nation.
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But Live Nation will be busy just a mile-and-a-half away. Fall 2026 is the target opening for The Truth, its 4,400-seat venue currently under construction (like seemingly everything else) in Wedgewood-Houston. The three-story venue will feature a number of different spaces, including a whiskey bar, a vinyl room and a listening bar. Some local venue owners are concerned that the latter will compete with small, independent venues already operating at tight margins. The Truth — yes, named in honor of Harlan Howard’s famous quote, “Country music ain’t nothin’ but three chords and the truth” — has partnerships with the Nashville Songwriters Association International and the W.O. Smith Music School.
Hillsboro Village’s Anzie Blue continues to evolve and expand, offering a cross-section of types of events and genres of music. In 2026, the independent venue is adding a recording studio to its space as part of its efforts to offer more services to the local music community.
In the summer, the owners of Broadway staple Robert’s Western World purchased the former home of Jack’s Bar-B-Que next door. Renovations are currently underway to rejoin the historic buildings, which were once connected by archways. The $15 million project includes a bigger dance floor, a bigger bar and more behind-the-scenes work space. A second stage is coming upstairs, but Robert’s iconic first-floor stage and current entrance will not move. Construction is expected to be completed by February.
For several years, there’s been talk about a 110-seat venue coming to the historic renovated Arcade downtown. Well, it looks like 2026 will be the year: Show Stop Nashville is set to open on a date TBA and offer an immersive audio and visual experience with multiple shows per day. Singer-songwriter Daniel Walker’s vision for Show Stop is original music — no cover bands — in a variety of genres.
From midterm elections and the Music City Loop to zoning reform and AI, here are eight stories to watch in the coming year
