Nashville New Year's: Everything You Need To Know

NASHVILLE, TN — Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to fill Bicentennial Mall New Year's Eve to ring in 201 in this year's edition of Music City Midnight, this year featuring plenty of music performances and culminating with the traditional dropping of the eighth note.

Here's everything you need to know:

Where: For the first time, Nashville's New Year's celebration has moved off Broadway and to the Bicentennial Mall north of the Tennessee State Capitol. The stage and music note will be set up on the south end of the park with viewing to the north. A map of the venue is available here.

There was some initial concern from the honky-tonks on Broadway that the move could hurt business, but the owner of Acme Feed & Seed told WKRN that his venue had sold out for its New Year's event, despite the main party being more than a mile away.

Schedule: Bicentennial Mall will open to revelers at 4 p.m., with music continuing for more than eight hours.

4 p.m.: DJ DU

6:15pm: The Raising of the Music Note with Mayor Megan Barry and the Fisk Jubilee Singers

6:30pm: Fisk Jubilee Singers

6:50pm: DJ Robert Luke

6:55pm: Charlie Worsham

7:35pm: DJ Robert Luke

7:50pm: Moon Taxi

8:30pm: DJ Robert Luke

8:45pm: A Thousand Horses

9:25pm: DJ Robert Luke

9:45pm: Styx

10:40pm: DJ DU

11pm: Keith Urban

11:55pm: Confetti, Fireworks, Music Note Drop at the Stroke of Midnight

12:05am: Keith Urban returns and plays until 12:35 a.m.

Parking and Transportation: Check the Nashville Downtown Partnership's web site for full parking details. Historic Buena Vista Neighborhood will have parking at Tenth Avenue North and Scovel Street, with proceeds going to neighborhood association for beautification and other projects.

Taxis can drop off and pick up attendees on Rosa Parks Boulevard near the Nashville Farmers’ Market. For ride-sharing services, pick-up and drop-off is on Fifth Avenue between Harrison and Jefferson Street. Uber also will operate on Junior Gilliam Way between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. Uber is offering new users their first ride free. Use code NASHNYE to get your first ride free, up to $20.

The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office will offer Sober Ride service to anyone needing a free ride home from the event. They should go to the Sober Ride tent located at Fourth Avenue North and Harrison Street from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

All MTA buses will be free starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 until 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1. Additionally, MTA will offer free Downtown Music City Circuit service and shuttles to the event site at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. MTA bus service will operate on its regular Saturday schedule with free extended service from 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve until 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 on 15 routes. Passengers who wish to ride downtown should confirm that their route will be running during MTA’s extended service. Route information is available at nashvillemta.org. Customers also can get more information by using MTA’s real-time information, which will be available until midnight on Dec. 31, or by calling MTA Customer Care at (615) 862-5950.

The Blue and Green Downtown Circuits will run on a regular schedule until 6:15 p.m. (free service every 15 minutes). From 6:15 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. the Green Circuit will run its usual Gulch route with stops at Fifth and Commerce at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel and at Music City Central transit station before going to Bicentennial Mall. The Blue Circuit also will run between Commerce and Bicentennial Mall. Pick-up and drop-off will be on James Robertson Parkway between Sixth and Seventh Avenue.

What You Can and Can't Bring:

Permitted items

• Personal cameras
• Handheld, personal-sized umbrellas (up to 36 inches)
• Small bags with maximum measurement of 16” by 10” by 4”

Prohibited items

• No chairs of any type
• No guns, knives, other weapons or dangerous devices of any kind
• No coolers
• No backpacks or luggage
• No outside alcoholic beverages (only alcoholic beverages purchased from a designated official event vendor are permitted)
• No illegal drugs
• No fireworks
• No laser pointers
• No pets (service animals are permitted)
• No pop-up tents
• No beach or pole-style umbrellas
• No wagons or pull-carts
• No drones or other remote-controlled aerial devices
• No inserting stakes, poles or any other objects into the ground or use of ropes, cords, tape, etc. to reserve space.
• No unauthorized vending, sales, sampling or solicitation (event-credentialed vendors permitted)
• No unauthorized personal transport devices, including bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, Segways, golf carts, mopeds, etc. (event-credentialed golf carts and other transport devices permitted)
• No pedicabs or pedal taverns
• No unauthorized amplification devices that would disrupt event production, including handheld megaphones
• No performances or demonstrations of any type unless authorized by event (event credentials required)
• No hammocks or attaching anything to any park structures or trees
• No audio recorders or video cameras.

Image via Nashville CVC