We are once again ringing in the new year at Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash. The annual late-night celebration has returned to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park for its ninth year in a row and 17 years of celebrating the New Year. The star-studded country music line-up will be hosted by comedian and actor Bert Kreischer and country music artist HARDY.
This year’s musical guests include Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean and Bailey Zimmerman as headliners. Also featured during the live Big Bash in the park was Gospel singer CeCe Winans and the GRAMMY-winning Fisk Jubilee Singers. The night continued on with incredible pre-taped performances on CBS from big-name country stars including Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, and Gretchen Wilson, just to name a few.
Gates to the free concert opened promptly at 5:30 p.m. with opening remarks from Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell around 6:45 p.m. to welcome everyone to music city.
Live music began at 7p.m. with CMA Entertainer of the Year, Lainey Wilson. She is currently on her Whirlwind World Tour, selling out venues around the world with her No. 1 hits. Wilson opened her set with “Watermelon Moonshine” and “4x4xU.” Wilson was also joined later in her set by HARDY to sing their smash hit “wait in the truck.” She wore an orange bell bottom suit with a light blue fur shoulder cover up rocking out on the stage and getting the crowd amped up for the night of music.
Next up to the stage was Jason Aldean, one of country music’s most successful and recognized icons of the 21st century. His classic country look and genuine good energy were a great addition to the night. In the midst of his Full Throttle Tour, Aldean has been taking time to record in the studio, finalizing new music like his single “How Far Does A Goodbye Go.” His new album is set to drop in April of 2026.
He kicked off the set with “My Kinda of Party” to get the crowd amped up for the big night. His second song of the night was his first live performance of the unreleased “Anytime Soon.” Aldean had the crowd singing along to all his best hits including “Whiskey Drink” and “Trouble With a Heartbreak” He also performed the controversial “Try That In A Small Town,” but the song wasn’t aired on CBS during the special broadcast.
Just before 10 p.m., Gospel Music Hall of Famer and 17-time GRAMMY award winner CeCe Winans graced the stage with her guest appearance. She performed her new version of “Lean On Me” for the first-time earning a round of applause from the crowd. Winans has spent the past year performing nearly 100 concerts, over 500 million streams, and a memorable national anthem performance at the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game.
The last of the headliners up to perform for the evening was the young and talented Bailey Zimmerman. In a chill outfit of jeans and a hoodie, Zimmerman dominated the stage to end the headlining set on a high note. He sang one of his first hits “Religiously” to start his set and continued on to sing other favorites like “Rock in A Hard Place” and “Where It Ends.”
He came into the country music scene with his single “Fall in Love,” making him the fastest debut Country artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in over a decade. His career has continued to bring chart-topping hits and catchy collabs that have made him a rising super star in country music with a massive dedicated fan base.
In the middle of Zimmerman’s set, host of the night, HARDY came on stage and treated the crowd to a live version of his new song “Good Ole Boy.”
Just before midnight, the giant 16-foot-tall red music note sitting atop a 138-foot pole became the centerpiece of the night. The music note lit up with over 13,000 LED pixels, shining on into the night as it began its descent just seconds before the New Year. The clock struck 12 and the music note completed its drop, welcoming in a brand new year of music in Nashville!
True to form, Kreischer rang in the New Year by taking off his shirt at midnight, sending the crowd into laughter and cheers as the iconic red music note dropped against the Nashville skyline. Surrounded by fireworks, flashing LED lights, and thousands of fans packed into Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the playful moment perfectly captured the fun, over-the-top spirit of Music City’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration.
We hope you all have a safe and Happy New Year!