Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat concert hall at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North in Nashville, Tennessee, opened in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. Known as the "Mother Church of Country Music," it served as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974 and is a National Historic Landmark designated in 2001.
History and Architecture
Riverboat captain Thomas Ryman built the auditorium after attending a revival by evangelist Samuel Porter Jones in 1885. Ryman arrived intending to heckle Jones but was converted on the spot. He pledged to build a tabernacle for Nashville's religious gatherings and funded much of the construction himself. The building was designed by local architect Hugh Thompson in a Victorian Gothic style with a steeply gabled roof and tall lancet windows. Construction took seven years and cost $100,000 (equivalent to about $3.5 million today).
The venue opened with the May Music Festival featuring the Theodore Thomas Orchestra from May 4 to 7, 1892. A balcony added in 1897 for the United Confederate Veterans convention doubled the capacity to 6,000. A stage expansion in 1901 reduced capacity to around 3,000. The original church pews remain in place today, giving the Ryman its distinctive atmosphere.
Lula C. Naff managed the venue from 1920 and booked diverse acts including Katharine Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, and Harry Houdini. In 1943, she brought the Grand Ole Opry to the Ryman, where it broadcast weekly on WSM radio for nearly 31 years. In 1945, Earl Scruggs made his Opry debut with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, effectively establishing the bluegrass genre on the Ryman stage.
The Opry moved to the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974, and the Ryman fell into disuse. Emmylou Harris recorded her live album "At the Ryman" in 1992, which won a Grammy and reignited interest in the venue. The building reopened as a full-time concert hall in June 1994 after a major restoration. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001 and named a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2022.
Notable Shows Here
The Ryman has hosted performances across country, folk, rock, bluegrass, and beyond for over 130 years. These are among the most documented:
- Earl Scruggs with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys (1945): Scruggs made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the Ryman, a performance widely credited with establishing the bluegrass genre.
- The Johnny Cash Show (1969 to 1971): Cash hosted a weekly television variety show filmed at the Ryman, featuring guests including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton (with Derek and the Dominos), Arlo Guthrie, and Ray Charles. The show brought the Ryman to a national television audience.
- Emmylou Harris (1992): Recorded "At the Ryman" live album with her acoustic band, the Nash Ramblers. The album won a Grammy and is credited with reviving public interest in the venue, leading to its 1994 reopening.
- Patsy Cline (multiple dates, late 1950s to 1961): Performed at the Ryman as part of the Grand Ole Opry, including her final Opry appearance before her death in 1963.
- Hank Williams (multiple dates, 1949 to 1952): Performed on the Opry stage at the Ryman, including the night he was famously called back for six encores of "Lovesick Blues."
- Down from the Mountain concert (May 24, 2000): A benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame featuring artists from the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, filmed by D.A. Pennebaker and released as a documentary.
- Ken Burns' "Country Music: Live at the Ryman" (March 27, 2019): A concert celebrating the Ken Burns documentary, featuring Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, and others, recorded for PBS broadcast.
Here is Johnny Cash performing with Arlo Guthrie on the Johnny Cash Show, filmed at the Ryman Auditorium in 1970:
And here is Eric Clapton with Derek and the Dominos performing on the Johnny Cash Show at the Ryman, with Carl Perkins sitting in:
How the Venue Operates
Ryman Hospitality Properties owns and operates the venue. It runs year-round with approximately 200 shows annually. The seating is all reserved, using the original wooden pews. There is no standing room. The venue offers daily tours when shows are not in session.
The Grand Ole Opry returns to the Ryman each winter for a three-month run from November through January, a tradition established in 1999. The venue also hosts the Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman series each summer. The Ford Lounge offers VIP upgrades with pre-show hospitality. The PNC Plaza hosts free outdoor events before select shows.
Tickets sell through ryman.com and Ticketmaster. Shows typically sell out, especially for country and bluegrass artists.
2026 Season Highlights
The 2026 calendar includes Harry Connick Jr., Air Supply, Tori Amos with Bartees Strange, Kurt Vile and The Violators, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Blackberry Smoke with Jason Newsted, Pavement with Soccer Mommy, An Evening with Vince Gill, Alan Parsons Live Project, and the Infamous Stringdusters. Recently announced shows include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Lady A, Maren Morris, Masego, Tom Jones, Lauren Alaina, Nate Smith with Josh Ross, and Max Richter with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman return for the summer season. The Grand Ole Opry winter residency ran November through January 2026.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
The Ryman is a bucket-list venue for country, folk, bluegrass, and Americana artists. Selling out the Ryman signals that an artist has reached a national touring tier. At 2,362 seats, it is smaller than arena venues but carries more cultural weight in Nashville's music ecosystem.
For independent artists in the country and Americana space, the Ryman's Bluegrass Nights series and the Opry's winter residency create opportunities for support slots and guest appearances. The venue also books emerging acts as openers for established headliners. If you have built a strong Nashville following, a Ryman support slot is a realistic target. Research which promoters book your genre at the Ryman and approach them with ticket sales data from your previous Nashville shows.
Use our Tour Revenue Calculator to model what a Ryman show could generate. Read our guide on how to book your first tour for practical advice on approaching venues and promoters. The complete guide to making money as a musician in 2026 covers live revenue strategies for artists at every stage.
Similar and Nearby Venues
The Ryman is part of a network of historic concert halls with deep connections to their local music communities:
- Grand Ole Opry - The Opry's current home since 1974, directly connected to the Ryman's history
- The Apollo Theater - Harlem's historic venue, a parallel institution in American music history
- Carnegie Hall - New York's historic concert hall, comparable in cultural standing
- Royal Albert Hall - London's historic concert venue, similar in prestige and age
- Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Colorado's natural amphitheater, another bucket-list venue for touring artists
- Radio City Music Hall - New York's 6,000-seat venue, a larger room with similar cultural weight
