Bridgestone Arena facts for kids
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Bridgestone Arena in 2015
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 Bridgestone Arena
Location in Nashville
Bridgestone Arena
Location in Tennessee
Bridgestone Arena
Location in the United States
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| Former names | Nashville Arena (1996–99, 2007, 2009−10) Gaylord Entertainment Center (1999–2007) Sommet Center (May 2007–November 2009) |
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| Address | 501 Broadway |
| Location | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 36°9′33″N 86°46′43″W / 36.15917°N 86.77861°W |
| Owner | Sports Authority of Nashville Davidson County |
| Operator | Powers Management Company |
| Capacity | Basketball: 18,500 Concerts: 10,000–20,000 Ice hockey: 17,159 |
| Record attendance | 19,365 (April 15, 2023; Nate Bargatze) |
| Field size | 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m2) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 20, 1994 |
| Opened | December 18, 1996 |
| Renovated | 2007, 2011, 2015 |
| Construction cost | $144 million ($284 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HOK Sport Hart Freeland Roberts, Inc. |
| Project manager | Brookwood Group |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| Services engineer | Smith Seckman Reid Inc. |
| General contractor | Turner/Perini |
| Tenants | |
| Nashville Predators (NHL) 1998–present Nashville Kats (AFL) 1997–2001, 2005–2007 Nashville Stampede (PBR) 2022–present |
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Bridgestone Arena is a super cool indoor stadium in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It opened in 1996 and is the home ice for the Nashville Predators, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). Over the years, it has had a few different names, like Nashville Arena and Gaylord Entertainment Center.
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Who Owns and Runs the Arena?
The Sports Authority of Nashville and Davidson County owns Bridgestone Arena. It was designed by famous architects HOK Sport (now called Populous) and Hart Freeland Roberts, INC. The arena's unique angle on the corner of Broadway and 5th Avenue is a nod to the historic Ryman Auditorium.
Powers Management Company, which is part of the Nashville Predators team, operates the arena. The Predators have been the main team playing there since 1998.
Awesome Events at Bridgestone Arena
Bridgestone Arena hosts many exciting events, from sports to concerts!
Hockey Highlights
The arena has been a big part of NHL history. It hosted the NHL Entry Draft in 2003 and again in 2023, where new players are chosen for teams. It was also the place for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, a fun event where the league's best players compete.
Other Sports and Shows
Beyond hockey, the arena has seen many other sports. In 1997, it hosted the United States Figure Skating Championships. In 2004, it was home to the USA Gymnastics National Championships.
From 1997 to 2001, and again from 2005 to 2007, the Nashville Kats played their Arena Football League games here.
College Sports Action
Bridgestone Arena is a popular spot for college basketball tournaments. It has hosted both men's and women's tournaments for the Southeastern Conference and the Ohio Valley Conference. Nashville is a key location for the SEC men's basketball tournament, hosting it many times between 2015 and 2025. The arena also hosted the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four.
The men's NCAA Basketball Tournament has also returned to Nashville. A new, cool $5 million scoreboard was installed in 2007, making the games even better to watch!
Bull Riding and Music
Since 2002, the arena has hosted exciting Professional Bull Riders (PBR) events. Since 2022, it's the home of the Nashville Stampede, one of the PBR Team Series bull riding teams.
Many famous concerts and events happen here. The Country Music Association Awards have been held at the arena every year since 2006 (except for 2020). It's a big night for country music stars!
The arena has also hosted several exciting UFC events, bringing top fighters to Nashville. The most recent UFC event was on August 5, 2023.
In May 2025, Bridgestone Arena hosted the first Music City Rodeo, a big rodeo event with concerts by famous country music artists like Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw.
Arena Features and Fun Facts
Bridgestone Arena can hold a lot of people! It has a seating capacity of 17,159 for ice hockey games. For basketball, it can fit 19,395 fans. For concerts, depending on how the stage is set up, it can hold between 10,000 and 20,000 people.
The arena has a special south end with a unique design. It also has a cool feature called the Music City Theater. This means the arena can be changed into a smaller, 5,145-seat theater for plays and family shows.
Record-Breaking Crowds
Many people have filled the arena for big events. On April 15, 2023, comedian Nate Bargatze set an attendance record with 19,365 fans! Before that, Morgan Wallen had set a record with 19,292 fans. Kacey Musgraves holds the record for the most fans at a female headliner concert, with 18,373 people.
How the Arena Got Its Name
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When the arena first opened in 1996, it was called Nashville Arena. In 1999, it was renamed Gaylord Entertainment Center after a company called Gaylord Entertainment bought the naming rights.
Later, in 2007, the name changed again to Sommet Center. However, there were problems with the company that bought the naming rights. So, the arena went back to being called Nashville Arena for a short time.
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Finally, in 2010, the arena found a new partner: Bridgestone Americas, Inc., a big tire company based in Nashville. Since then, it has been known as Bridgestone Arena!
Arena Upgrades and Changes
Bridgestone Arena has been updated several times to make it even better for fans.
Cool New Scoreboard
In 2007, the arena got a brand-new, huge scoreboard that hangs above the ice. It cost $3.6 million and is sometimes called the "megatron" by staff. This new scoreboard replaced an older one that was hard to fix.
Fan Zones and Seating
In 2011, the upper concourse (a walkway for fans) on the south side was turned into a "fan zone." This made more space for people to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere.
From 2015 to 2016, all the seats in the arena were replaced, making them more comfortable for everyone.
FangVision and More
In 2019, the arena got an even newer, bigger scoreboard called "FangVision." It's 12 feet high and 34 feet wide, offering an amazing view of the action!
Dealing with Floods
The arena is built to handle many things, but it has faced flood damage twice in its history in areas below street level.
In May 2010, Nashville had a big flood. Even though Bridgestone Arena is uphill from the river, water from backed-up drains seeped into the building. Luckily, no events were canceled.
On November 25, 2022, a water pipe burst outside the arena, causing thousands of gallons of water to flood parts of the building. This caused two Predators games to be postponed. The arena was quickly repaired and back to normal.
Awards for the Arena
Bridgestone Arena has been recognized for being a great place for concerts and events. It was nominated for the Pollstar Concert Industry Venue of the Year Award in 2007, and several times before that. In 2017, it was even named the loudest arena in sports!
See also
In Spanish: Bridgestone Arena para niños
