In a letter provided exclusively to The Tennessean, Country Music Hall of Famer Garth Brooks expressed his “gratitude for considering an indoor stadium for the people of Nashville and Tennesseans” to the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County.
“Nashville is the nation’s favorite city right now and deserves to have a domed stadium for its residents and visitors. In a city known for entertainment, a domed stadium is a must,” Brooks wrote in an emailed note. -mail members of the Metro Council. Monday afternoon.
In late October, the terms of a proposed $2.1 billion new Tennessee Titans stadium were made public. However, key details — including details of the stadium’s design and the amount of public and private money that would be set aside to fund maintenance in the coming years — are still unknown. Titans officials and Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s administration forwarded the draft terms to the Nashville Metro Council to facilitate “ongoing discussions” before the Council considers the finalized documents in the spring.
In particular, Brooks’ note referenced his rainy July 31, 2001 stadium tour at the dome-less Nissan Stadium, citing that “the value of lost revenue during that storm, in addition to what it cost to put on the makeup. show, it took a heavy toll not just on me, but on the stadium and the city,” the “Friends In Low Places” frontman said.
In May 2021, Brooks noted that he was “heartbroken” after selling more than 70,000 tickets to his Music City concert, only for severe thunderstorms to cause a minutes delay in an opening set at the Grand Ole Opry.
Overwhelming interest in his rescheduled date led him to play sets at Nissan Stadium this year on April 15 and 16, 2022. As for that decision, it was fueled by an avalanche of interest in the April 16 date, prompting and those who had previous ones. refunded seats to get what Brooks called “maybe not so great seats,” an opportunity to try to achieve a similar standard of seats.
Brooks referenced his three decades of stadium touring experience when he wrote, “the stadiums of today are not like the stadiums of the past. Domed stadiums are revenue generating machines because they can be kept busy 365 days a year. This program boosts the city’s revenue, surrounding businesses and the city’s workforce.”
Furthermore, he offered, “a domed stadium would also separate Nashville from competing cities for all major events. Nashville has worked hard and waited a long time to get the recognition it is finally getting and deserves. Let’s build a domed stadium and show the world that it is possible to be a great city with a caring and loving environment.”
Brooks has not guaranteed a willingness to play a live set at the proposed venue. However, recent reports noted that World Wrestling Entertainment will bring the Wrestlemania mega-event to Nashville in 2027. Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside also offered that they would consider bringing the annual awards show of the organization at the stadium, such as the event held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2022 and the 2015 event at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Live Nation Entertainment President, North America Talent/Touring Rick Franks and AEG Touring President Greg Gersh also echoed Brooks’ recent statement. In depth, Franks states, “Live Nation has identified Nashville as a key market and has established a significant presence in the city. From our point of view, an indoor stadium offers the next level of opportunity, and in particular, it offers the opportunity for major shows that will take place in the winter months and during the NFL season, which provides a huge boost when it is needed most. a lot.”
In support, Gersh offers that the proposed 60,000-seat venue “[would] be a game changer for the entire state.”
No official date has been set on the Metro Council’s vote on construction of the proposed new stadium.