Nashville’s Big Bash — featuring headline performances from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lainey Wilson, Elle King, and Thomas Rhett — brought a record number of revelers to the Bicentennial Capitol Mall. Final attendance numbers are estimated at 215,000 people, who celebrated the arrival of the New Year in downtown Nashville.
For those in attendance, the evening kicked off with a tribute to hip hop’s 50th anniversary, featuring performances from Nashville hip hop mainstays Daisha McBride and Tim Gent, with brief DJ sets to book-end the action.
Then, the CBS national broadcast began at 6:30 p.m. The aforementioned headliners delivering the goods onstage all night long, and were supported by cut-ins from New York City’s Times Square, and pre-recorded performances from other popular venues around Nashville. Comedian Rob Schneider — father of Elle King — even made a couple of guest appearances throughout the night.
We hope you had an amazing start to 2024. We certainly did, and we have the photographic evidence below!
1:16 a.m.: Home from an absolutely epic final night of 2023! Thank you to everyone who followed along, and special thanks to the organizers, performers, and anybody who made tonight possible.
Same time next year?
12:33 a.m.: Happy New Year, Nashville!
11:45 p.m.: The champagne is out. “Freebird” is on. All smiles over here!
11:39 p.m.: Our YouTube channel is having a career day right now. If you’ve joined us from over there, welcome! Hopefully you’ll stick with us to stay up on all the best in indie music and creativity in 2024!
11:22 p.m.: Our night in the pit may be over, but things are getting festive here on the media riser…
11:17 p.m.: Want some of that “Sweet Home Alabama” performance? Here it is!
11:09 p.m.: Happy New Year to our friends on the East Coast!
Lynyrd Skynyrd is on, rocking as they have for 50 years. We were also very fortunate to have Lainey Wilson and Elle King join them for “Sweet Home Alabama” while we were still in the pit. Iconic visuals incoming.
10:42 p.m.: That moment you realize that the podcast you started in your parents’ basement in 2013 has led you to enjoy some pretty ridiculous things in your life…
10:31 p.m.:Jackson Dean and Grace Bowers — with whom we spoke earlier — joined Lainey Wilson for her set finale.
Heading to the pit for Lynyrd Skynyrd shortly!
10:00 p.m.: Here’s Lainey Wilson performing her hit, “Heart Like a Truck.” Her ability to make this GIGANTIC stage feel like an intimate experience is a testament to her ability to connect with her audience.
9:47 p.m.: I remember seeing Lainey Wilson open for Delta Rae at The Basement within my first few weeks of moving to Nashville in 2018.
She was incredible then, but to witness her DOMINATE this stage tonight was otherworldly. Wow!
8:56 p.m.: Just kidding! Looks like we’re getting at least one more from Elle King.
8:53 p.m.: As promised, a snippet from Elle King‘s spirited performance. Lainey Wilson up next.
8:48 p.m.:Elle King‘s 6-song set is about to conclude with “America’s Sweetheart.” Excellent set — she’s a hell of a talent with a commanding presence. Video coming shortly
8:47 p.m.: To chants of “YOU CAN DO IT!”, Rob Schneider introduced daughter Elle King. Also, he tipped his fedora to me from the stage, which was pretty cool.
7:47 p.m.: The temperature is dropping pretty rapidly from this afternoon’s high of 56. With that said, nobody here seems to care!
7:41 p.m.: A little more from Daisha McBride’s set, as we wait to re-enter the pit for Elle King.
7:13 p.m.: We’re taking all kinds of photos, and would like to offer this shot of Tim Gent’s set as an appetizer.
Sidebar: This stage is MASSIVE.
7:03 p.m.: The crowd was READY for Thomas Rhett, who opened up tonight’s broadcast. Elle King is next.
6:19 p.m.:Tim Gent had the crowd rocking to celebrate 50 years of hip hop!
6:05 p.m.:Daisha McBride does a great job amping up the crowd and brings out a couple originals, alongside an affirmation for 2024.
5:25 p.m.: Hip hop tribute is underway with a quick DJ set!
4:50 p.m.: A quick video update before we officially get underway…
4:33 p.m.: A couple more behind the scenes shots from Jason Davis/Getty Images. Pictured: Executive Producer Robert Deaton, Lainey Wilson, Elle King and Executive Producer Mary Hilliard Harrington.
4:07 p.m.: Want a preview of what you can expect tonight? Here are a few rehearsal photos featuring headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lainey Wilson, and Thomas Rhett, as well as co-host Elle King. Photos courtesy of Jason Davis/Getty Images.
3:54 p.m.: “Two days ago, I played a dive bar for 25 people.” -Grace Bowers, who says she’s “excited to see everyone out there.”
3:31 p.m.: “As a human, it’s hard to fathom that many eyeballs looking at you.” -Jackson Dean, when asked what it means to perform for an expected audience of 200,000 tonight.
3:22 p.m.: Waiting for media availability from guitarist Grace Bowers and singer-songwriter Jackson Dean.
12:28 p.m. CT: Good afternoon, and happy last day of 2023! We welcome you to the First-Annual Nash Bash NYE Blog-A-Thon. We will be providing live updates from Nashville’s Big Bash, featuring Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, a tribute to 50 years of Nashville hip hop, and much more!
Be sure to follow the adventure here and on YouTube, where we’ll be going live throughout the night beginning at 5 p.m. CT.
This New Year’s Eve, we’ll be right in the heart of the action in Nashville, as the famed red music note drops to ring in 2024!
For the first time ever, Underground Music Collective is attending Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, taking place at Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. To celebrate this momentous occasion AND the official start of 2024, we’re going on an all-out media blitz!
And so, join us here and on YouTube live for updates throughout the evening, as the hours and minutes tick down to the New Year. We will be onsite shortly before the in-person kickoff at 5:10 p.m., which will feature Music City Hip Hop 50, a 50-minute tribute to commemorate hip hop’s 50th anniversary year in 2023.
From there, stick with us throughout the broadcast, which will air live at 6:30 p.m. CT on CBS and Paramount+. This year’s lineup includes headliners like GRAMMY-nominee Thomas Rhett, 2023 CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many more. The event will be hosted by Rachel Smith of Entertainment Tonight and CMA-winning recording artist Elle King.
