Bridgestone Arena

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

Where to point your money at Bridgestone Arena

For a Nashville Predators game, buy height before closeness. A seat in the middle rows of a lower-bowl sideline section clears the glass and shows both nets. If you want the whole game for less, the upper sections facing the team benches, 309 to 312 according to RateYourSeats, are the standard value choice, and the upper tier is shallow enough that the ice stays surprisingly close. For concerts, a lower side section angled at the stage usually beats a seat deep on the flat floor.

Bridgestone Arena is Nashville's main indoor arena, opened on December 18, 1996, at 501 Broadway. The Nashville Predators of the NHL have played here since 1998. Capacity is 17,159 for hockey and 18,500 for basketball, and concert setups range from roughly 10,000 to 20,000 seats.

Three tiers, one unusual angle

The arena follows a familiar numbering scheme:

• 100 level: the lower bowl, ringing the ice or floor on all four sides.
• 200 level: a smaller club ring. Premium spaces have included the Lexus Lounge, the 501 Club and the Flight Deck, plus private suites.
• 300 level: the upper tier. Several sections are short; RateYourSeats lists section 323 with rows A through J, so even the back row is not a long climb.

What is less familiar is the footprint. Designers HOK Sport and Hart Freeland Roberts turned the building at an angle on the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue as a gesture toward the Ryman Auditorium, so the bowl does not sit square with the street grid. Do not guess which end faces which street; use the event-specific map, because stage and floor setups change the section count from night to night.

Hockey seats, ranked by what you get

• Lower sideline, middle rows: the best all-around hockey seat. You see over the glass and can read plays developing at both ends.
• Upper center ice (about 309 to 312): a full tactical view of line changes and passing lanes for a fraction of the lower-bowl price.
• Lower corners and ends: exciting when the puck is in your zone, harder when it is at the far net. The Predators shoot at one end for two periods, which lifts demand there; sources disagree on which end, so check a current seating chart if it matters to you.
• The first few rows on the glass: great for feeling a check, poor for following the game. The glass bends the view and the far end gets hard to judge.

Demand climbs for Saturday games, holiday dates, rivalry matchups and any playoff run. Weeknight games against non-conference opponents are typically the easiest tickets.

Concerts, the CMA Awards and basketball

Concert setups

Bridgestone Arena is the city's biggest indoor stop for country, pop and comedy tours, and the CMA Awards have been held here every year since 2006. For an end-stage show, the lower sections on either side angled toward the stage are often better than floor seats far back, where the floor is flat and the view is mostly heads. Upper sections beside the stage feel close but can look at the performers' backs, so check where the stage sits before you buy.

Basketball

The arena hosts the SEC men's basketball tournament on a regular rotation. Lower sideline seats near midcourt are the premium choice. Upper seats behind the baskets are the weakest basketball view in the building.

Bull riding

The Nashville Stampede, the city's PBR bull riding team, has competed here since 2022. Any lower seat with a clear line to the arena floor works; the action stays in one place.

Before the gate: bags, cameras and cash

The bag rule here is stricter than at many arenas. As of 2025:

• Backpacks: banned at any size.
• Maximum bag size: 12 by 12 by 6 inches.
• Screening: bags from about 6 by 4 by 1.5 inches up to the maximum go through x-ray; anything smaller uses express lanes. Diaper and medical bags are allowed after x-ray.
• Storage: none on site, so an oversized bag means a trip back to the car or hotel.

Other house rules to know: the arena is cashless; re-entry is generally not allowed; professional cameras, GoPros, selfie sticks and tablets are prohibited; and smoking and vaping are banned across the property. Rules vary by event, so check the arena's bag policy page before you go.

Reserved Seat orders include free shipping.

Garages, buses and rideshare on Lower Broadway

Downtown parking fills quickly on event nights, especially when a Titans game, a convention or a busy weekend crowd overlaps. Options the arena lists include:

• Bridgestone Arena Garage: attached to the building at Sixth Avenue South and Demonbreun Street.
• Fifth + Broadway Garage: across Broadway from the arena.
• Music City Center: the convention center's garage next door.
• Others nearby: Pinnacle at Symphony Place, 222 Second Avenue, Nashville Yards and Fifth Avenue of the Arts.
• Nissan Stadium Lot R: across the Cumberland River, listed by the arena as free with an optional shuttle.

Reserving a garage space in advance is the safer play for a sellout. WeGo Central, the downtown bus hub, is a short walk away, and WeGo Route 18 runs express to Nashville International Airport. Lyft is the arena's rideshare partner. Dropping off is easy; getting picked up on a packed Lower Broadway is not, so walk a few blocks before you request a car. The arena's directions and parking page has the current list.

Names, milestones and the neighborhood

The building opened as Nashville Arena, became Gaylord Entertainment Center in 1999 and Sommet Center in 2007, and has been Bridgestone Arena since February 2010. Before the Predators settled in, the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League played here from 1997 to 2001 and again from 2005 to 2007.

The biggest hockey nights came in 2016, with the NHL All-Star Game, and in 2017, when the Predators reached the Stanley Cup Final and the arena hosted Games 3, 4 and 6. It also staged the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four. Upgrades have included a new ice system in 2011, new seats in 2015 and 2016, and the FangVision scoreboard in 2019.

The front doors open onto the honky-tonk strip of Lower Broadway, with the Ryman Auditorium and the Country Music Hall of Fame a few blocks away. Broadway and the SoBro district just south of the arena are packed with restaurants and bars for a pregame meal; concession maps are in the Predators app.

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