Grand Ole Opry, TN

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly American country music stage event in Nashville, Tennessee, which began as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM on November 28, 1925. It is the longest-running radio program in US history, and it is currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment. The Opry features a combination of famous singers and present chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and gospel music, as well as comedy performances and sketches, all in the name of commemorating country music and its heritage. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come from all over the world, and millions of people listen to the radio and the internet.

Is it possible to simply walk into the Grand Ole Opry?

You can wander around the well maintained gardens in front of the opry for free, as well as enter the lobby/gift shop area. Outside the opry, there are vendors where you can get a drink or a quick bite to eat before the show starts.

What exactly is the Grand Ole Opry, and why is it so well-known?

Now, the Opry connects musicians with music enthusiasts all around the world. The Grand Ole Opry has been dubbed the "home of American music" and "country's most famous stage," and hundreds of thousands of fans travel from all over the world to attend the program live every year.

What exactly does the term "Opry" imply?

The word "opry" is a diminutive variant of the word "Opera," and it is an American invention. In 1928, broadcaster George D. Hay invented the phrase to contrast the reality of folk and country music with the theatrics of Grand Opera. Hay's program, the WSM Barn Dance, was following an operatic music program at the time.