In the cradle of country music, the Grand Ole Opry has been the biggest show in town for over 80 years. A weekly showcase for the brightest stars and most promising up-and-comers of country, the Opry still goes on the air every Saturday night, broadcast live from the 4400-seat Grand Ole Opry House.

The Opry’s home until 1976, the historic Ryman Auditorium remains one of Nashville’s best performing arts venues, despite the fact that the show has passed on. Over the years, legends like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline, among countless other, have graced the Ryman’s stage. And even over a century after its construction, the theatre is still winning awards—Pollstar Magazine named the Ryman National Theatre of the Year for both 2003 and 2004 and it been consistently honored as one of the world’s most acoustically perfect venues.

That isn’t to say that the Nashville is totally dominated by its country. The Tennessee Performing Arts Center , the largest performing arts center in the city, hosts an wide range of performances, and is the home of the Tennessee Repertory Theatre , the Nashville Opera , Nashville Ballet and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra .

In addition, the iconic Nashville Parthenon acts as a grand stage for performances of classical masterpieces (mostly Greek, appropriately) during the summer months.