The broadcast expands to include coverage from Times Square
More superstar performers have been announced for New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, a star-studded entertainment special hosted by Grammy-nominated artist Elle King and Entertainment Tonight‘s Rachel Smith. The celebration to ring in the new year will air live on Sunday, December 31st on CBS, and streaming on Paramount+ live and on-demand.
As previously announced, Old Dominion, Elle King, Thomas Rhett, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Lainey Wilson are performing. New additions include Trace Adkins, Grace Bowers, Kane Brown, Jackson Dean, Hardy, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Blake Shelton, Trombone Shorty, Morgan Wallen and Bailey Zimmerman. TV and radio host Cody Alan and CBS anchor Lonnie Quinn will be corresponding from New York City’s Times Square, along with Dustin Lynch, who will also be performing live.
The five-hour broadcast will feature a staggering hit parade of more than 50 back-to-back performances, live from the home of country music. Nashville will count down with the East Coast at midnight and keep the party going through midnight Central Time with the city’s renowned Music Note Drop at the Bicentennial Mall stage.
The special event will feature once-in-a-lifetime collaborations with artists inviting special guests and artist friends to perform together throughout the night, taking on their biggest hits as well as covers of some of the most iconic country music songs of all time. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Ahead of the televised show, Music City will pay homage to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with a family-friendly 50-minute tribute. Music City Hip-Hop 50 will conclude with a guest DJ set by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who has a degree in music and did a DJ set at Grimey’s record store during his campaign.
The segment will be curated by Eric Holt, managing partner of The Lovenoise Group and assistant professor of Music Business at Belmont University, and Nashville artist Jason Eskridge, along with guest appearances by artists Tim Gent and Daisha McBride. Eskridge will DJ the segment. Kenny Smoov of 92Q will emcee.
The hip-hop segment will kick off at 5:15 pm and will conclude with remarks from Mayor O’Connell, as well as a 10-minute DJ set that he will play and mix. Gates open at 4:30 pm, and the program is free and open to the public. The early-evening segment gives families a way to celebrate the free Big Bash event with children of all ages.
The tribute will also help mark the 20th anniversary of The Lovenoise Group, an urban promoter that provides performance platforms for local urban artists and a community hub where black music lovers can come together to experience the power of culture.
This will be the 15th annual concert and seventh year at Bicentennial Park. The event will include the famed red Music Note, which will be dropped on a 138-foot tower at midnight to ring in the new year. As a live event, the Big Bash generates as much as $38 million in direct visitor spending and attendance of 200,000, with more than half being local residents.
Big Bash is partnering with the HERO (Homeless Education Resource Office) Program of Metro Nashville Public Schools to support students and their families who are experiencing homelessness.
