New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash Will Take Place On December 31
On Wednesday, December 31st, CBS and Paramount+ will air their live New Year’s Eve celebration. The massive event will take place on the stage Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
Recently, the epic lineup was announced and fans can’t wait for the show, especially because Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean, and Bailey Zimmerman are the headliners!
Other performers include CeCe Winans, Dwight Yoakam, Zach Top, Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Riley Green, Megan Moroney, Rascal Flatts, Stephen Wilson Jr., and Marcus King.
A new Deadline report also says that Keith Urban will be performing!
The celebration counts down to the new year and instead of doing a ball drop like they do in New York City, Nashville does a Music Note Drop, which is perfect since its nickname is Music City.
The special will last five hours and will have performances take place on the Bicentennial stage, as well as different locations around the city. Luke Combs’ bar Category 10 will serve as the official watch party location, where special guests Cody Alan and Caylee Hammack will appear. Yoakam and King will also perform from Category 10.
Who Will Be Hosting New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash?
We have known who will be performing at New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash for a while, but we never knew who would be hosting the special event. Past hosts were as follows:
2024: Keith Urban and Entertainment Tonight‘s Rachel Smith
2023: Elle King and Rachel Smith
2022: Jimmie Allen, Elle King, and Rachel Smith
2021: Bobby Bones and Rachel Smith
The inagural Big Bash show was in 2021, so the program is still relatively new in comparison to Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which was established in 1972.
Rachel Smith has been a co-host since the program’s inception, but her recent exit from Entertainment Tonight might be the reason she didn’t return. She has recently been seen in different NBC shows as a pop culture correspondent of sorts, so a contract with a competing network could also be the reason.
So, who will serve as her replacement? This year’s hosts were just announced as comedian Burt Kreischer and singer HARDY.
Comedian Dusty Slay, Entertainment Tonight‘s Cassie DiLaura, SiriusXM host Buzz Brainard and UFC champion Kayla Harrison will also serve as additional special guests throughout the evening!
Kreischer appeared on the special last year, but is so excited to take over hosting duties. The comedian released the following statement about being named host.
“You hear people say I’m honored and privileged to be working with a certain group of people but in this case, I am blown away that I’m allowed to work with these people. This lineup is insane. This event, which I was a very small part of last year, is so much fun. To be working with my buddy HARDY… it feels like I should be paying CBS to do this. I can’t wait. I hope I keep my shirt on, and I promise not to drink until the stroke of midnight, unless you want me to drink earlier.”
HARDY had similar sentiments, saying, “Celebrating New Year’s in Music City is always a blast. It’s great to be back playing Nashville’s Big Bash and I’m stoked to co-host this year with one of the funniest dudes I know.”
Kreishner has made appearances at country music events like the 2025 CMA Awards and last year’s NYE special. He also has a few of the most successful stand up comedy specials on Netflix!
We can’t wait for Nashville’s Big Bash! Will you be tuning in at your New Year’s Eve party?