This New Year was bigger and better than ever at the Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash to kick-off 2025. Over 220,000 people came together to celebrate the end of 2024. The country-star filled event was hosted by country legend and four-time GRAMMY winner Keith Urban and actress and host of Entertainment Tonight, Rachel Smith returning as co-host. The weather temperatures were mild for a winter evening in Tennessee as an on and off rain drizzle came down over the huge crowd. The five-hour long bash marks the 16th New Year’s Eve Nashville event and the celebration’s eighth year at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
The evening started at 6 p.m. when international airline Aer Lingus celebrated the Irish New Year (6 p.m. Nashville time is midnight in Dublin, Ireland) and the launch of their first direct flight from Nashville to Dublin coming up in April of 2025. The company provided a heated lounge for guests where you could enjoy Irish drinks, a photobooth, and multiple giveaways.
At 7 p.m., the headlining musicians Keith Urban, Kane Brown, and Jelly Roll alongside co-host Smith kept the party going for the rest of the night.
Urban was first to come on to the stage at 7 p.m. wearing black jeans and a long sleeve black shirt and sang his hits like “Messed Up As Me” and “Love Somebody Like You.” During his high-energy set Keith brought out his wife Nicole Kidman to join him on stage between songs. Surprise guest Alana Springsteen joined Urban for a sing-through of “GO HOME W U” as the end of an epic performance for fans braving the cold weather at the park.
Shaboozey performed at 8:35 p.m. “A Bar Song” which has become one of the biggest songs ever with a record 19 weeks on top of the Billboard charts. He took the stage looking sharp in jeans and a tan leather jacket for the CBS television performance.
Kane Brown was up next in Centennial Park and delivered an electrifying performance at Nashville’s Big Bash, captivating the crowd with his signature blend of country and pop hits. Dressed in a sleek black ensemble, Brown took the stage with confidence, performing fan favorites like “Like I Love Country Music” and “Lose It.” With his powerful vocals and engaging stage presence, Kane kept the audience dancing and singing along as they geared up for the midnight countdown. His dynamic performance was a perfect prelude to the vibrant festivities that brought in 2025.
Katelyn Brown joined her singer/songwriter husband Kane Brown for his set to sing their new radio single “Body Talk.” The couple vibed together onstage, creating a romantic mood for guests gearing up to kiss their significant others when the ball dropped.
Comedian Bert Kreischer and host Bunnie Xo were on hand to help out with performance introductions throughout the evening.
Nashville native Jelly Roll took to the stage late in the evening as the headliner of the night and the crowd went wild. Currently coming off his Beautifully Broken Tour, his largest yet, he performed with high-energy and a positive attitude for all the New Year’s Eve guests. Jelly Roll sang favorites “Save Me” and “I Am Not Ok. He covered a wide range of song genres with a compilation that included “House of the Rising Son” and “Hurricane” that had fans singing along. Jelly took the fans into the New Year paying tribute to Toby Keith singing “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” just as 2024 was coming to an end.
The Big Bash came to its climax as the clock reached midnight. Everyone in the audience drew their attention to the huge red Music Note seemingly floating in the air as the clock counted down, waiting for its yearly drop on its 138-foot tower.
The Music Note is a whooping 16 feet tall and approximately 400 pounds and composed of 13,000 LED pixels. A 90-second fireworks display lit up the surrounding air as the Music Note fell along with confetti, leaving guests cheering and giving their New Year’s kisses. Overall New Year’s Eve in Nashville was so much fun and should be added to everyone’s winter travel lists.
Words by Emily Cigan @emily.cigan and Amy Harris @thetraveladdictig