Planning Christmas in Nashville? Start With These Holiday Activities

Start with the music. Popular dates for the Grand Ole Opry’s holiday lineup, Christmas at the Ryman, and Nashville’s Nutcracker can sell out, so book those seats early. Then add the top light displays, a Victorian day in Franklin, a gift market, and a festive bar or two. Most of those need less notice.

The window opens early. Displays begin switching on in the opening week of November, and the last ones switch off in early January 2027.

Christmas Concerts at the Grand Ole Opry

Nowhere sounds more like a Nashville Christmas than seeing a show at the Grand Ole Opry. Opry Country Christmas concerts take over the Opry House, 600 Opry Mills Drive, on a string of nights between November 29 and December 22. Concerts kick off at 7 p.m., and each bill pairs a headliner with regulars such as John Foster, Mandy Barnett, and Rhonda Vincent.

Circle these dates:

• The run begins November 29, when Brandon Heath plays alongside guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.
• Four acts fill the December 3 bill: The Oak Ridge Boys, Lauren Alaina, Maggie Rose, and Drake Milligan.
• Mid-month, Ashley McBryde and Ashley Cooke share the December 13 bill.
• Closer to the holiday, Jamey Johnson and Jon Pardi team up on December 20.

The Opry House hosts two separate events, too. The first, Opry NextStage Live on December 7, showcases the 2026 class, including Carter Faith, Hudson Westbrook, Alexandra Kay, and Emily Ann Roberts. Then, from December 15 to 18, the brothers behind FOR KING + COUNTRY, four-time Grammy winners, play four straight evenings there.

On December 26, Steve Earle plays the Opry’s regular Saturday show. On performance days, the Opry Shop sells merchandise until 9:30 p.m.

Close Behind: Christmas at the Ryman

Downtown, Amy Grant and Vince Gill host Christmas at the Ryman, a 12-concert series from December 14 to 23. The married couple has turned it into a December ritual. Showtime is usually 7:30 p.m., with a few matinees. Only tickets bought directly from the Ryman on AXS get you inside the old Mother Church of Country Music.

Nashville’s Nutcracker and Other Holiday Shows

Live music sets this production apart, since the Nashville Symphony accompanies the dancers. Nashville Ballet stages Nashville’s Nutcracker in TPAC’s Jackson Hall from November 27 to December 27. Curtain times are 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

More holiday performances fill December:

• For younger fans, a musical version of Disney’s Frozen comes to TPAC on select days from December 4 to 20, with seats from $38.50.
• Over at the Schermerhorn, the symphony performs Elf in Concert on December 2 and Home Alone from December 4 to 6.
• Brass players take that same stage for a Holiday Brass Spectacular on December 13.
• Jazz fans can catch Charlie Brown Christmas evenings at Rudy’s Jazz Room on select December dates.

See Christmas Lights for Free at Gaylord Opryland

Over 5 million lights brighten Gaylord Opryland’s glass atriums for A Country Christmas from November 6, 2026, to January 2, 2027. Viewing the decorated gardens carries no admission fee. Parking adds up, though: $37 to self-park or $55 for valet, plus tax.

On the busiest dates, entry after 3 p.m. is guaranteed only for people staying at the resort or holding a ticket reservation. The list includes every Friday and Saturday from November 20, plus November 23 to 26 and December 18 to 31. On those days, arrive before 3 p.m., and you can remain into the evening. The resort may add more restrictions with little warning.

Worth a Ticket Once You’re There

Activity bundles can save up to 30% on Gaylord Opryland’s ticketed holiday attractions:

• The headline act, ICE!, features Home Alone scenes carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice, with Kevin McCallister and the Wet Bandits among them.
• Back for a second season, POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance takes over the Tennessee Ballroom Theater from November 24 to December 31. Its international cast performs circus acts and magic.
• Out on the frozen lanes, ice tubing allows unlimited slides, and a real rink welcomes skaters day or night.
• Little ones can try the Gingerbread Decorating Corner or stuff a bear at Build-A-Bear Workshop.
• A character breakfast, Nutmeg’s Holiday Kitchen, gets the morning started.
• Indoors, the Delta Riverboat Christmas Cruise floats along the resort’s river, and a Secret Santa Scavenger Hunt winds across the property.

Last Call for the General Jackson

After more than 40 years on the Cumberland River, the General Jackson Showboat makes its final cruise on December 15, 2026. Ahead of that farewell, the paddle-wheeler hosts two holiday sailings. A Nashville Christmas serves lunch with country classics, while the Showboat Holiday Spectacular pairs dinner with carols from local talent.

Best Christmas Lights in Nashville: Cheekwood’s Holiday LIGHTS

Cheekwood wins for anyone who prefers Christmas lights on foot. A million-plus bulbs stretch along a one-mile path at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens from November 20, 2026, to January 3, 2027. Look for the Peppermint Path, a Star Field, and a 28-foot Pixel Pine above the color garden. Fireside s’mores wait on the terrace, the model trains get a holiday makeover, and An Enchanted Noel fills the historic mansion.

Before you go:

• Entry times run from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the gardens close at 10 p.m.
• Adults pay $26 for the gardens alone at off-peak times and $29 at peak times. Adding the mansion raises those prices to $29 and $32.
• Peak pricing covers Fridays, Saturdays, and the week leading up to Christmas.
• Youth prices, for ages 3 to 17, start at $20, and children 2 and under pay nothing. A $5 fee covers each vehicle in the lot.
• A $20 Late Night ticket covers entry at 8:30 p.m. on non-peak Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• On Military Mondays, November 23 and 30 and December 7 and 28, active and retired service members get 50% off for up to five people.
• Groups of up to eight can reserve a heated igloo, which comes with blankets, a charcuterie and sweets board, champagne, and gardens admission.

Best for Kids: Glow Wild at the Nashville Zoo

The zoo gives children a full evening out after dark. Its former lantern festival, Zoolumination, could not return after visa denials blocked its artisans from China. In its place, Glow Wild brings illuminated animal figures and an 85-foot Christmas tree with a synchronized light show.

Hours run from 5 to 9 p.m. daily between November 13, 2026, and January 3, 2027, rain, snow, or shine. Prices and perks break down this way:

• Regular admission costs $27 per visit, and a $39 Platinum Pass allows unlimited visits.
• Kids under 2 enter for $0 but still need a ticket.
• Parking is $10, while members and Platinum Pass holders park free.
• The Smashville Ice Rink adds $12 per skate, or $10 for members, with rentals included.

Franklin and Lebanon: Dickens Characters and Drive-Through Lights

South of Nashville, Dickens of a Christmas fills downtown Franklin’s historic streets on December 12 and 13, 2026. Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Jacob Marley, and the Cratchit family mingle with the crowd among musicians and dancers. A Victorian Father and Mother Christmas hand out treats to children, and admission is free. Festivities last from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Spaces near Main Street are scarce, and the event area bans street parking. A shuttle leaves from The Park at Harlinsdale Farm instead, for $1 per person each way.

Once the festival wraps up, the Franktown Festival of Lights follows a mile-and-a-half route at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center. It runs nightly from November 20 to December 31, 5 to 9 p.m., while your radio plays songs in sync with the lights. On November 25 and December 2, 9, and 16, walkers have the route to themselves from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Vehicles follow from 7 p.m.

East of Nashville, Lebanon adds a pair of drive-through light displays:

• At Chad’s Winter Wonderland, each vehicle pays $25, cash only, from 5 to 10 p.m. between November 26 and December 31.
• Synchronized to music, The Dancing Lights of Christmas lasts from November 7, 2026, to January 3, 2027, at $35 per family vehicle.

Experience a Victorian Christmas at Belmont Mansion

Back in Nashville, Belmont Mansion dresses its rooms for a Victorian Christmas between November 14, 2026, and January 3, 2027. The home sits on the Belmont University campus. Its free Friends and Neighbors Shopping Night on November 19 celebrates the decorations alongside hors d’oeuvres and gift shop browsing.

You can book holiday visits from November 27 to December 29. On December 19 and 20, the mansion presents An American Christmas. Costumed interpreters share the mansion’s Christmas history in the historic rooms, and a 19th-century piano then fills the Grand Salon with Christmas songs. A performer portraying Washington Irving closes the program.

Christmas Shopping in Nashville: Christmas Village and Porter Flea

Two big fairs at The Fairgrounds Nashville top the list:

1. Christmas Village comes first, November 13 to 15, with over 250 merchants selling pottery, clothing, jewelry, and home decor. Admission costs $15; the fair waives it for children 9 and under. A separate Sneak-A-Peek Night takes place on November 12.
2. A month later, the Porter Flea Holiday Market gathers more than 200 independent makers indoors. Saturday shopping on December 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., carries no door fee. A 21+ preview evening on December 11, from 6 to 9 p.m., costs $25 before fees. Parking costs $10 cash each day.

More stops worth a visit:

• Next door to the Opry House, Opry Mills packs over 200 stores and restaurants under a single roof.
• Under the Broadway Bridge, the Merry Market at Nashville Yards brings local makers on November 28 and 29.
• Shoppers can browse the Gulch Holiday Market on December 13.
• In Cheekwood’s Frist Learning Center, a Holiday Marketplace stocks winter wear, Jellycat plush, and new Cheekwood gifts.

Best Holiday Bars and Pop-Ups, Led by Whiskey Wonderland

The decor alone earns the title. In the lobby of the JW Marriott Nashville, 1,450 gingerbread tiles turn Whiskey Wonderland into a life-sized distillery and whiskey bar. It pours from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Entry runs $25 per person before tax and fees, and cocktails cost extra. Only adults 21 and up can enter. Reservations run through Resy, and event visits include complimentary valet.

Across Nashville, more spots turn into Christmas pop-ups for the season, and many take reservations. For adults only:

• In a red-drenched lounge, Hidden Bar hosts Santa Baby until January 2, 2027.
• Green and gold take over lou/na for Grand & Gilded, with holiday cocktails and comfort food through December 30.
• Specialty cocktails pour at Santa’s Boondock in Ernie’s Boondock.

For the whole family:

• At Nashville Yards, Alligator Bar becomes Life at the Lodge, an alpine hideout with no reservation needed.
• For a 1990s flashback, Saint Nicky’s returns to Nicky’s Coal Fired in The Nations for a sixth year, with no cover charge.
• At the Grand Hyatt Nashville, Curling Over Broadway pairs a game of curling with Christmas village houses.
• Inside Assembly Food Hall, the Miracle holiday pop-up sets up shop.
• Over-the-top decor fills Santa’s Backroom inside Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville, open to all ages until 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Go Ice Skating Under Nashville’s Giant Guitar

Among the free things to do in Nashville at Christmas, skating under the giant guitar is hard to beat. In Wedgewood Houston, the rink sits at The Outfield from November 20, 2026, to January 18, 2027. It opens daily from 4 to 8 p.m., with longer hours from noon to 10 p.m. on December 21 to 23 and 26 to 28. On Christmas Eve, skaters get noon to 4 p.m.

Staff hand out timed passes in person to whoever arrives first. Skates rent for $10 per 45-minute session, and Perenn serves hot chocolate, cider, and cookies next to the skaters.

Runner-Up: The Rink Under Broad

Downtown, Holiday Central at Nashville Yards adds the Rink Under Broad, running November 21, 2026, to January 3, 2027. Hour-long sessions cost $20 with skates, or $15 for ages 3 and 4, with tax and fees on top. Anyone under 14 must skate with an adult. Holiday Central also lights a 40-foot Christmas tree there on November 28 at 5 p.m., free with an RSVP.

A Last Stop at BNA

Families flying out of Nashville can find holiday cheer at the airport, too. The BNA Sky Pavilion, the rooftop bar of the Hilton BNA Nashville Airport Terminal, becomes Destination North Pole. Tea with Mrs. Claus runs on December 6, and Cookies with Santa follows on December 13.

The Season Sounds Like Nashville

Christmas here comes with a soundtrack from start to finish, and it reaches well beyond the concert halls. Even a skating rink or a craft fair feels like part of the show in Music City.

Each December brings new names to Nashville’s holiday lineup and retires a few old favorites. That change gives even longtime locals a reason to make new plans every season.

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