NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — From record-breaking concerts, major holiday celebrations, and highly-covered athletic events, visitor spending brought in millions of dollars to Nashville this summer.
“The summer was chock-full of live music and brought visitors from all over the world to Music City, helping bolster the city’s economic activity,” said Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation. “The city welcomed stadium tours and music events that drove hotel demand to new heights, along with visitation and exposure for the city.”
According to the corporation and Visit Music City, CMA Fest generated $74.7 million from June 8 to June 11, and had more first-time and international attendees than last year. CMA Fest saw the number of hotel rooms sold increase 3% from last year and hotel revenue increase by 7.4% with an average length of stay of 4.9 nights.
Then, on the Fourth of July, the free concert and firework show Let Freedom Sing! generated $11.6 million in direct visitor spending, another increase from the year before. An estimated 250,000 attendees came to Nashville for the event, driving hotel room demand to an 8% increase over last year.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MAY 06: EDITORIAL USE ONLY Taylor Swift performs onstage during night two of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 06, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management) 
NASHVILLE, TN – MAY 06: Fans wait in line outside of Nissan Stadium ahead of artist Taylor Swift’s second night of performance on May 6, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Thousands of fans traveled from across the country for Swift’s three night stop in Nashville as her “Eras” tour continues. Fans attending the concert dressed according to their favorite Taylor Swift eras before the three hour show, featuring 44 of Swift’s songs from her last 10 albums. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) 
NASHVILLE, TN – MAY 06: Fans make their way across the People’s Bridge to Nissan Stadium ahead of artist Taylor Swift’s second night of performance on May 6, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Thousands of fans traveled from across the country for Swift’s three night stop in Nashville as her “Eras” tour continues. Fans attending the concert dressed according to their favorite Taylor Swift eras before the three hour show, featuring 44 of Swift’s songs from her last 10 albums. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) 
NASHVILLE, TN – MAY 06: Fans wait in line to have their pictures taken outside of Nissan Stadium ahead of artist Taylor Swift’s second night of performance on May 6, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Thousands of fans traveled from across the country for Swift’s three night stop in Nashville as her “Eras” tour continues. Fans attending the concert dressed according to their favorite Taylor Swift eras before the three hour show, featuring 44 of Swift’s songs from her last 10 albums. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) 
NASHVILLE, TN – MAY 06: Fans wait in line outside of Nissan Stadium ahead of artist Taylor Swift’s second night of performance on May 6, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Thousands of fans traveled from across the country for Swift’s three night stop in Nashville as her “Eras” tour continues. Fans attending the concert dressed according to their favorite Taylor Swift eras before the three hour show, featuring 44 of Swift’s songs from her last 10 albums. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) 
NASHVILLE, TN – MAY 06: Fans wait in line outside of Nissan Stadium ahead of artist Taylor Swift’s second night of performance on May 6, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Thousands of fans traveled from across the country for Swift’s three night stop in Nashville as her “Eras” tour continues. Fans attending the concert dressed according to their favorite Taylor Swift eras before the three hour show, featuring 44 of Swift’s songs from her last 10 albums. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images)
Visit Music City said three major concert tours also made a positive impact on tourism and the local economy.
- Taylor Swift:
- The early May three-night stand for the Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium amassed nearly 212,000 people in total.
- Hotel occupancy was near capacity all three nights, notably 96% on May 6.
- The three days combined brought in an estimated $2.2 million in hotel taxes alone.
- Ed Sheeran:
- Sheeran set an attendance record at Nissan Stadium with 73,874 fans on July 22, breaking Swift’s Eras Tour record.
- Daily hotel occupancy in the county was 91%, up 15% year over year.
- George Strait:
- Strait performed with Chris Stapleton for two, sold-out nights in Nissan Stadium.
- Hotel room demand for these two nights was just as strong as the Swift weekend.
The world’s eyes were also on Music City for the NHL Draft, which according to ESPN, was the most viewed on record, averaging 681,000 viewers. ESPN said average viewership increased 49% compared to last year, and total viewership peaked at 903,000 viewers.
The NHL Awards in Nashville averaged 274,000 viewers on TNT, up 11% from last year’s edition on ESPN (247,000). Visit Music City said it was the largest audience for the event since 2017.
Plus, SEC Media Days got college football fans excited for the year ahead.
The excitement is set to continue as the University of Tennessee plays the University of Virginia at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 2 before the Tennessee Titans return for a new season.
