Bridgestone Arena was originally known as Nashville Arena when it was completed in 1996. It has also been known as Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center before being renamed Bridgestone Arena. The arena was designed by HOK Sport in conjunction with the Nashville-based architecture/engineering firm Hart Freeland Roberts, INC. It was designed at an angle on the corner of Broadway and 5th Avenue in Nashville in physical homage to the historic Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry. Bridgestone Arena is owned by the Sports Authority of Nashville and Davidson County and operated by Powers Management Company.
Bridgestone Arena is a multi-purpose venue located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It was completed in 1996 and is home to the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). The capacity of Bridgestone Arena varies depending on the event, for ice hockey games the capacity is 17,159, but for concerts the capacity can increase to up to 20,000 attendees.
How to Get to Nashville
The nearest airport to Bridgestone Arena is Nashville International Airport (BNA), which is about 8 miles away. There are several airlines that offer flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Nashville International Airport (BNA), but all require connecting flights.
If you are already in the US and looking to travel to/from Nashville, then you have the choice of most US domestic airlines including Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, American Eagle, Frontier Airlines, Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airways and WestJet.
Public Transport
There are several options for public transportation around Bridgestone Arena. You can use WeGo Public Transit which operates buses throughout Nashville. There is also the Music City Bus Circuit which offers free bus service in downtown Nashville. The Music City Star Commuter Rail provides train service between downtown Nashville and several surrounding communities.
You could also make use of free apps such as Moovit to get real-time timetables, maps and directions to the arena using public transportation. Rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft are also available in the vicinity, and there is a designated drop-off/pick-up zone at Bridgestone Arena.
Staying in Nashville
Bridgestone Arena is in downtown Nashville, in the SoBro (South of Broadway) neighbourhood. It is within walking distance of many popular attractions, restaurants, and hotels.
Beyond the Airbnb and Sonder options there are many hotels nearby to suit all budgets, which can be booked directly or via one of the hotel reservation booking sites. Some of the closest hotels include Hilton Nashville Downtown, Drury Plaza Hotel Nashville Downtown, JW Marriott Nashville, Holston House Nashville, and 1 Hotel Nashville. Bridgestone Arena also has preferred hotel partners which include Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Omni Nashville Hotel, Grand Hyatt Nashville, and The Union Station Nashville Yards.
Nashville Predators Tickets
The Nashville Predators sell their tickets via Ticketmaster.
The official ticket partner for the NHL is Ticketmaster.
Here are links to the main ticket resale sites. Click on the link, which will open up a new window, and you can compare the prices on the different ticket resell sites, bearing in mind that the prices shown are before the selling platform fees are added, so take time to have a read of my tips to Buying Tickets in North America.
- SeatGeek
- SportsEvents365 (Click on the Search Button)
- StubHub International
- StubHub US
- Ticketmaster US
- TicketNetwork
- Viagogo
- Vivid Seats
I recommend downloading the team’s Mobile App to your phone as it contains much Gameday information for the stadium.