Bridgestone Arena

Looking for section numbers and the best seats by level? See the Bridgestone Arena Seating Chart.

Nashville's arena on Broadway

Bridgestone Arena is the indoor arena at 501 Broadway in downtown Nashville, home of the NHL's Nashville Predators since 1998 and the city's main stop for arena concert tours. It seats 17,159 for hockey and about 18,500 for basketball, with concert capacity ranging from roughly 10,000 to 20,000 depending on the stage setup.

The arena opened on December 18, 1996, as Nashville Arena and has carried several names since: Gaylord Entertainment Center, then Sommet Center, and Bridgestone Arena since 2010. Beyond the Predators, it hosts the CMA Awards each year (since 2006), the SEC men's basketball tournament on a regular rotation, PBR bull riding with the Nashville Stampede, and a steady run of country, pop and comedy tours.

Its location is the draw. The front doors open onto Lower Broadway, the honky-tonk strip, with the Ryman Auditorium and the Country Music Hall of Fame within a few blocks.

Seating layout: plaza, club and upper levels

Bridgestone Arena uses a conventional three-level layout, numbered by tier.

• 100 level (lower bowl): the seats closest to the ice or floor, wrapping all four sides.
• 200 level (club): a smaller premium ring with club access. Premium spaces have included the Lexus Lounge, the 501 Club and the Flight Deck, along with private suites.
• 300 level (upper): the large top tier. Some upper sections are short; section 323, for example, runs rows A to J, which keeps the climb manageable.

The building was set at an angle on the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue, a nod to the Ryman, so the arena's orientation does not line up neatly with the street grid. Use the event-specific seating map when you buy, because floor and stage configurations change the section count.

Best seats for hockey, concerts and basketball

Predators games

• Lower-bowl sideline, middle rows: high enough to see over the glass and follow plays to both nets. The first few rows put the glass in the way and make the far end of the ice hard to read.
• Upper-level center ice: the sections facing the team benches give a full tactical view, and the shallow upper tier keeps the ice closer than the tier name suggests. This is the common choice for fans who want the whole game for less.
• Lower-bowl corners and ends: good for watching the Predators attack, less good for judging play at the far end. The team shoots toward one end twice per game, which pushes demand up there.

Concerts

For an end-stage show, the lower-bowl sections angled toward the stage on either side are often a better bet than deep floor seats, which are flat and blocked by heads. Side-stage upper sections are close but can look at the performers' backs; check the map for the stage position before buying.

Basketball

For the SEC tournament and other games, sideline lower-bowl seats near center court are the premium. Upper-level baseline seats are the weakest view in the house for basketball.

Demand rises for Saturday Predators games, holiday dates, playoff runs, rivalry matchups and any tour with a single Nashville date; it falls for weeknight games against non-conference opponents.

Getting downtown: garages, transit and rideshare

Parking in downtown Nashville fills fast on event nights, especially when a Titans game, a convention or a big weekend crowd is in town. Garages that the arena lists include:

• Bridgestone Arena Garage: attached to the arena at Sixth Avenue South and Demonbreun Street.
• Fifth + Broadway Garage: directly across Broadway.
• Music City Center: the convention center garage next door.
• Nissan Stadium Lot R: across the river, listed by the arena as a free lot with an optional shuttle.

Several garages sell spaces in advance, which is the safer choice for a sold-out night. WeGo Central, the city's main bus hub, is a short walk away, and WeGo Route 18 runs to Nashville International Airport. Rideshare is easy to drop at, harder to catch after the show, when Lower Broadway is packed; walking a few blocks before ordering a car usually saves time.

Bag policy and entry rules

Bridgestone Arena has one of the stricter bag policies on the arena circuit. As of 2025, backpacks of any size are not allowed, and no bag larger than 12 by 12 by 6 inches gets in. Bags between about 6 by 4 by 1.5 inches and that maximum go through x-ray screening; smaller bags use express lanes. There is no bag storage on site, so a bag that is too big means a walk back to the car or hotel.

• Payments: the arena is cashless.
• Re-entry: generally not allowed.
• Cameras: professional cameras, GoPros, selfie sticks and tablets are prohibited.
• Smoking: not permitted anywhere on the property, including vaping.

Policies differ by event; check the arena's current bag policy before you go.

Food, the neighborhood and the arena's history

Concession maps are posted in the Predators app, and the club-level spaces add sit-down options. Many fans eat before the game on Broadway or in the SoBro district south of the arena, which are full of restaurants and bars.

The arena's big hockey moments came in 2016, when it hosted the NHL All-Star Game, and in 2017, when the Predators reached the Stanley Cup Final and the building hosted Games 3, 4 and 6. It has also hosted the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four. Upgrades have included a new seat installation in 2015 and 2016 and the FangVision scoreboard in 2019.

Tickets bought through GoodSeats come with free shipping and no digital transfer fees.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Bridgestone Arena
• Bridgestone Arena – Bag Policy
• Bridgestone Arena – Directions and Parking
• Bridgestone Arena – A to Z Guide
• RateYourSeats – Bridgestone Arena seating
• RateYourSeats – Bridgestone Arena Section 323