NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nashville is THE “Music City” and that name is backed by the numbers.
A survey by Fifty Grande, a travel magazine, asked readers to rank their favorite live music destinations and Nashville was placed in the number one spot.
“Nashville was, it was, a clear winner,” said Chris Walsh, founder and editor of Fifty Grande. “There was a huge gap.”
Walsh said 40% of the 1,300 people surveyed chose Nashville.
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Austin
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Memphis
- Denver
- San Francisco
Hearing music pour out of every bar on Broadway is normal for Nashville residents, but Walsh said it’s unique for visitors.
“It’s not just because of all the iconic music venues you have there like the Grand Ole Opry or the Ryman or all the venues down Broadway, but music really kind of permeates the culture of Nashville in a different way,” said Walsh. “Nashville has done a good job, perhaps evolving its music scene and that is what continues to draw.”
He said people of all ages say they’re attracted to Nashville and want to visit the city to dive into the country music history or hear from lively, new artists.
“It’s a city that offers so much to so many people in a way that other cities in America don’t,” said Walsh.
He said music is Nashville’s “cultural export” and with the tourism demand that’s evident this weekend with three sold out Taylor Swift shows at Nissan Stadium, plus new developments on the horizon including a dome stadium, it’s clear the city’s draw is here to stay.
“When I look at broadly at a national scale, Nashville has always been about music first,” said Walsh. “You can’t say that about every music city.”
