Nashville picked to host Super Bowl in 2030
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Lower Broadway in 2019 when Nashville hosted the NFL Draft. Photo: Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images
The Super Bowl, the football-fueled pop culture phenomenon without equals, is coming to Nashville in 2030.
- NFL owners voted to award the game to Nashville at their meeting in Orlando on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Nashville has gradually climbed the tourism ladder over the last decade-plus, expanding from a country music town to an international tourist destination.
- Hosting the Super Bowl will be a crowning achievement for the city's hospitality industry.
What they're saying: "Nashville has been building toward a major global opportunity like this for years through strategic investments, strong community partnerships, and a proven ability to host world-class events, and we are ready for this moment," Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. president and CEO Deana Ivey said in a statement.
- "This is an exciting moment for our city and our entire state. We cannot wait for our community to experience an event of this magnitude and for the world to see the energy, hospitality, and culture that make our city so special on a global stage," Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said.
Zoom out: The Titans' new, $2.2 billion stadium was a selling point for bringing the major sporting event to the city for the first time.
- When the Titans and political leaders from the city and state pursued a new stadium, they highlighted the possibility of hosting the Super Bowl.
- In order to host more events than the current outdoor Nissan Stadium, the decision was made to construct a roof for the new facility.
Between the lines: The new Nissan Stadium will anchor a revitalized East Bank, though that ambitious redevelopment project will still be ongoing when the big game comes to town in four years.
- "We're looking forward to showing the world an East Bank with a century of affordable housing and great infrastructure and green space as they watch the biggest event in sports," Mayor Freddie O'Connell said.
Friction point: The influx of visitors and media can create a headache for residents in terms of traffic and other daily interruptions.
- O'Connell promised "we're going to work hard to ensure our local residents and businesses benefit as much as possible from being on the world's biggest stage."
Flashback: Hosting the Super Bowl wasn't even an option for Nashville until its tourism explosion in the 2010s, which was fueled by the rising popularity of country music combined with the elevation of the city's culinary scene.
- Hotels have invested heavily in Nashville. The region currently boasts 60,933 hotel rooms with thousands more on the horizon.
What's next: Nashville leaders don't want this to be a one-and-done. They want to put on a uniquely Nashville party that convinces NFL executives to regularly bring the game back to Music City.
If you go: The Convention and Visitors Corp. and the Titans are hosting a Super Bowl community celebration on Wednesday night at 7:30pm on Lower Broad.
- The party, which is free to attend, will feature live music, a drone show, fireworks and special guests.