In Nashville, music spills onto the sidewalks: from the Broadway stages to the waves of the legendary Grand Ole Opry, we live to the beat of concerts until the early hours of the morning. Between spine-tingling visits to Studio B where Elvis would sit at the piano and pilgrimages to the Ryman Auditorium or the Country Music Hall of Fame, the exhibitions resonate with legends, from Dolly Parton to Taylor Swift. The party continues at the table: bold concepts in East Nashville, farm-to-table spirit in 12 South, Asian influences, and electric food halls in The Gulch create a new gastronomy that grooves. A city in full creative bloom, where talents, startups, and cowboy boots intersect at the corner of a riff.
Nashville vibrates day and night to the beat of live music, exhibitions telling the sonic epic of America, and a new culinary scene that draws as much attention as guitar riffs. From Broadway to rooftops overlooking the clubs, from legendary studios to interactive museums, from Lao food in an old church to “farm-to-table” coffee shops, Tennessee’s capital orchestrates a total celebration, where legends like Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton, contemporary stars like Taylor Swift, and young talents come to try their luck.
Nashville: a celebration of music through concerts, exhibitions, and new cuisines
It’s impossible to set foot in Nashville without feeling the pulse that runs through it. Stages align, stories unfold, and kitchens ignite. Here, you can catch concerts from morning until deep into the night, travel back in time in captivating museums, and enjoy inventive cuisine led by a bold new generation. And all of this within just a few blocks.
Endless concerts: from Broadway to Nissan Stadium
On Broadway, the doors of bars stay wide open and music spills onto the sidewalk. You wander from one club to another like switching between radio stations, but live. The challenge? To find the gem among often mind-blowing musicians, coming from all over the country to hone their songs.
Tootsies, the purple whirlwind
At Tootsies, it’s a multi-level musical merry-go-round. A small stage at the entrance where country brings everyone together, a pop trio in the back, a singer electrifying the counter upstairs, and a rooftop with a stunning view of the street. Three simultaneous concerts, cans lined up: a concentration of Nashville frenzy.
The Listening Room, the art of stripped-down songwriting
At the Listening Room Café, it’s the place for singer-songwriters who lay down their voices and guitars before an audience that is truly attentive. Between bites, you discover songwriters who write for others… and reveal themselves.
CMA Fest and grand live masses
When CMA Fest arrives, Nissan Stadium transforms into a musical furnace. Tens of thousands of fans sing in unison while stars take the stage late into the night. A bath of pure energy, to be experienced at least once.
Icons and legendary places
The city is full of addresses where you can still hear the echoes of giants. Every name inscribed on the façade tells a chapter of the great American saga.
Studio B, RCA sanctuary
At Studio B of RCA records, built in 1957, you cross a décor preserved in time: a Steinway ready to vibrate, impeccable vintage consoles, and even the scars left by an artist’s anger. Here, over 47,000 titles were born until its closure in 1977. It was the garden of Elvis Presley, who re-recorded “My Way” there in the spring of 1971, lights dimmed to set the magic. Tours led by enthusiasts, like Ron Harman, revive these historic sessions.
Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry, two complementary temples
The Ryman Auditorium is this sumptuously restored theater where preaching was once aimed, before making the strings resonate. Legends from Bruce Springsteen to Norah Jones have performed there. Further along, the Grand Ole Opry, a show born in 1925, continues to be recorded live in a modern hall. Polished boots, hats firmly in place, a multi-generational audience: the country DNA is transmitted live.
The Swifties’ path
To follow in Taylor Swift‘s footsteps, head to Centennial Park and its discreet bench near the scaled-down Parthenon, to the angel-wing mural in The Gulch, to Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village, and to the Bluebird Café, an intimate stage where she sang her first refrains. Get your camera ready: the selfie machine never takes a break.
Exhibitions and museums: America’s soundtrack
Between concerts, you dive into the backstory of the musical styles that shaped the country. The staging is immersive, the archives plentiful, the playlists endless.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is a delightful labyrinth: legendary guitars, flamboyant costumes, jukeboxes, and screens playing gems. The exhibition dedicated to Dolly Parton illuminates her rise in a very masculine universe, while Elvis‘s Cadillacs — including a spectacular one plated in gold — shine bright. In the rotunda, bronze plaques pay tribute to the builders of the legend.
Johnny Cash and African American history
At the Johnny Cash Museum, you embrace the thousand lives of a crownless king. Just steps away, the National Museum of African American Music traces the genealogy of blues, R&B, and rap, reminding us of the essential contribution of Black artists to American music.
New cuisines: a culinary scene in full swing
The same thirst for creation that ignites the stages is found on plates. Young chefs and sommeliers are shaking things up and waking up unexpected places.
Bad Idea, the church serving lively wines and Lao flavors
In an old church in East Nashville, Bad Idea combines a sharp wine cellar (headed by sommelier Alex Burch) and Lao cuisine by Colby Rasavong. Vibrant plates are shared with chosen bottles, all in a lighting that sculpts the brick.
Butter Milk Ranch, the “farm-to-table” that draws the crowds
In the trendy neighborhood of 12 South, Butter Milk Ranch serves hearty breakfasts, refined coffee, and pastries that vanish faster than a catchy refrain. Here, local isn’t just a slogan: it’s a promise kept.
International Market, a modern take on Thai heritage
Revived by Anna and Arnold Myint, International Market continues a family history that began in 1975 with Thai cuisine full of nuances, just a stone’s throw from Hillsboro Village. Warm welcome, bold flavors, reasonable prices.
Assembly Foodhall, an open-air canteen
Just twenty meters from Broadway, Assembly Foodhall lines up tacos, burgers, noodles, and pizzas across wide terraces. Perfect for refueling between sets and heading out to hunt for riffs.
Entrepreneurship, young talents, and booming neighborhoods
Nashville attracts both musicians and startup founders. With a mild climate, green spaces, and no income tax, the urban area is projected to surpass around 1.35 million inhabitants by 2025. Giants like Amazon and Oracle are setting up shop, while young people, guitar on their back or dough mixer under their arm, forge their paths.
From night bakery to French wine bar
In the morning, you can smell the butter from D’Andrew Bakery & Café, where croissants rival the best Parisian spots. Further along, the French duo Alexandre and Philippine Meunier runs L’Authentique — a cozy wine bar where you can enjoy French wines, steak tartare, crêpes, and live jazz.
Dreams behind the wheel and on rooftops
Between recording sessions, some drive for apps, while others become the smiling faces of design hotels. The Virgin Hotel attracts with its rooftop pool and proximity to studios, while the Dream Hotel, just two blocks from Broadway, offers direct access to the legendary Printer’s Alley and its hidden clubs.
Practical information for a well-orchestrated stay
To get there, Icelandair operates a route between Paris and Nashville via Reykjavik, convenient for a short layover before diving into the music city.
Where to sleep
Dream Hotel (Hyatt group): red bricks, central location, secret passage to Printer’s Alley. From around €280.
Virgin Hotel: design, ultra-attentive service, rooftop with a pool; recording studios nearby. From around €240.
Where to listen
Ryman Auditorium: a tour of the backstage of a legendary stage with enchanting acoustics.
Grand Ole Opry: the oldest live music radio show, always full on show nights.
Listening Room Café: dinner show where emerging singer-songwriters shine.
Where to discover
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: archives, guitars, videos, and the Dolly Parton exhibition that shouldn’t be missed.
Johnny Cash Museum: immersion into the multiple lives of “the man in black.”
National Museum of African American Music: interactive journey through Black American music, from blues to rap.
Strolls, comparisons, and travel inspirations
If you love walking the city with parks and murals, extend urban inspiration with these tips for bypassing the entrances to Central Park and transforming your next New York stroll into a search for secret passages.
Want to vary the pleasures between musical scenes and bike escapes? Head to Flanders: the two-wheeled culture in Leuven shows how a city can also vibrate… but to the sound of derailleurs.
For fans of riffs and brews, compare the atmosphere of Tennessee to that of a Texan capital of beer and music: it’s another facet of the music-loving United States, more hoppy but just as passionate.
After a long trip, returning to reality might sting a bit: these tips for landing softly after vacation will help you avoid post-concert blues.
And for a short weekend before or after Nashville, why not treat yourself to a breath in a van, from Paris to Chantilly, thanks to this autumn road trip that proves there’s more than country music to escape.
