NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 30, 2024) – Luke Combs and Opry Entertainment Group have announced their expansive multi-level entertainment venue in downtown Nashville will be called “Category 10,” inspired by Combs’ chart-topping debut No. 1 hit, “Hurricane.” The larger-than-life honky-tonk experience celebrates Combs as a significant force in country music who took the industry by storm, putting him in a category entirely his own.
“The Category 10 name symbolizes the sheer, undeniable power of Luke’s voice, songwriting, and career, and just like Luke, this venue will be an off-the-charts experience unlike anything else downtown,” said Colin Reed, Executive Chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties.
Slated to be the largest and most versatile entertainment complex in Nashville’s downtown entertainment district, Category 10 will total 67,000 square feet with three interior floors, rooftop, and an indoor/outdoor capacity of approximately 3,000. The venue features five entertainment experiences that are influenced by Combs’ music and passions.
- The Honky-Tonk – Street-level authentic honky-tonk with top-caliber live music.
- The Main Stage – The largest dance floor and stage in downtown Nashville fully equipped for 1,500-person capacity ticketed concert events. With expansive themed bars and a large beer selection, The Main Stage will also host line-dance lessons.
- The Sports Bar – The Sports Bar will have an expansive selection of major sports playing year-round.
- The Still – Inspired by Luke’s songwriting, The Still is designed for Combs’ Bootleggers Fan Club, bourbon aficionados, songwriters, and music lovers from all walks of life. The Still will feature a wide selection of bourbon, performances by famous and up-and-coming singer-songwriters in an intimate setting.
- The Eye – Largest outdoor deck in the Broadway area with a 7,000-square-foot rooftop and unobstructed views of the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium.
The core of the Category 10 experience will be its concert-quality acoustics and live music programming throughout the venue. Talent lineups will be curated by the Opry Entertainment team with a special emphasis on up-and-coming artists.
“Cat 10 is going to be a place that artists of all levels want to play downtown,” said Combs. “We are building a spot where we can put on a high-level touring act show one night and a songwriter showcase the next. There isn’t anything like this venue, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”
Category 10 is located on Nashville’s most historic street at 120 Second Avenue North and is set to open in phases in Summer 2024. During the construction phase, guests can visit a pop-up Opry Shop adjacent to the venue, featuring merchandise and memorabilia from Opry Entertainment brands. For more information on Category 10, visit Category10.com.
About Category 10
Inspired by Luke’s 8x platinum debut #1 hit, “Hurricane,” Category 10 is an off-the-charts entertainment experience, bringing the best in live music, food, drink, and sports. Boasting Nashville’s biggest stage and dance floor, a massive indoor/outdoor rooftop, a single barrel whiskey and bourbon bar, sports bar, and more, every space is influenced by Luke’s songs, lifestyle, and deep connection with his fans. Category 10 is expected to make landfall in summer 2024.
About Opry Entertainment Group
Rooted in the unparalleled country music history of the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Entertainment Group produces multi-platform entertainment experiences through its growing portfolio of entertainment venues. This portfolio includes the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, the iconic Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, the Blake Shelton-inspired Ole Red brand and Category 10, a Luke Combs-inspired entertainment experience coming summer 2024. Through concerts, tours, music-inspired restaurants, digital content, and WSM Radio, Opry Entertainment Group connects millions of music fans to the artists they love through experiences they’ll never forget. Opry Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) and part of a strategic investment with Atairos and NBCUniversal.
About Luke Combs
Country superstar and 2x CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs is a multi-platinum, award-winning artist from Asheville, NC. Adding to his already monumental career, Combs is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the upcoming 66th GRAMMY Awards for his version of Tracy Chapman’s song, “Fast Car,” which also won Single of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards. Combs continues to achieve massive success at radio with “Fast Car,” as it spent five-consecutive weeks atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and reached #1 on the Hot AC chart, the first song
by a male solo artist to ever top both the Hot AC and Country charts. The 2x Platinum single, which has garnered over 700 million global streams to date, has also spent eighteen weeks in the top 5 of Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart, eight of which were spent at #2. “Fast Car” is featured on Combs’ latest album, Gettin’ Old—a companion to his acclaimed 2022 record, Growin’ Up. Produced by Combs, Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton, Gettin’ Old further establishes Combs as one of music’s most authentic and powerful voices. Receiving widespread critical attention, Combs recently spoke with Esquire, who calls him, “the best country singer of his generation,” while Billboard declares, “his electrifying-yet-earthy voice soundtracking this time in his life as a husband, father and entertainer at the top of his game.” Known for his electric live performances, Combs will embark on his “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” U.S. stadium tour this spring, which includes back-to-back nights at Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium and East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium and sold over a million tickets the first weekend on-sale. The upcoming dates follow the 9x CMA, 3x ACM and 3x Billboard Music Award-winner’s record-breaking World Tour, which was the largest tour ever for a country artist and wrapped this past fall.
Media Contacts for Ryman Hospitality Properties / Opry Entertainment Group
Emily Cunningham
Ryman Hospitality Properties
ECunningham@rymanhp.com
Shannon Sullivan
Ryman Hospitality Properties
SSullivan@rymanhp.com
Media Contacts for Luke Combs
Carla Sacks
Sacks & Co.
carla@sacksco.com
Asha Goodman Trebing
Sacks & Co. Nashville
asha.goodman@sacksco.com
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