NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend Music City's annual "Let Freedom Sing!" Fourth of July celebration, headlined by multi-platinum country superstar Dierks Bentley.

The downtown event, presented by Dr Pepper, will feature one of America's largest Independence Day fireworks and drone shows synchronized to live music from the Grammy-winning Nashville Symphony, according to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp (NCVC).

Officials said Bentley will be joined on the Jack Daniel’s Broadway Stage by a diverse musical lineup, including "multi-platinum sensation Russell Dickerson—known for his high-energy live shows and recent viral hit 'Happen To Me,' along with chart-toppers like 'Yours' and 'Blue Tacoma;' Niko Moon, noted for his blend of laid-back coastal vibes and country and pop influences, as well as his multi-platinum single 'Good Time;' and Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge. Bowers is an 18-year-old, award-winning guitarist, songwriter and bandleader whose independent release of her debut album Wine on Venus combines funk, soul, blues and rock."

The free Amazon Family Fun Zone at Music City Walk of Fame Park will have inflatables, games, food, and other family-friendly activities throughout the day, along with multiple genres of musical performances on the Southwest Airlines Stage, the NCVC said.

From the late afternoon into the evening, there will be a free concert at the Jack Daniel’s Broadway Stage at First and Broadway. Then, the event will move to Ascend Amphitheater for a live performance by the Nashville Symphony accompanying the 30-minute fireworks with drone show, presented by Crav’n Flavor.

News 2 will have live coverage of the event beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, July 4, with music and more before the fireworks show.

Even though the concert and the fireworks show are free and open to the public, the event still drives significant economic activity, supporting local businesses, generating tax revenue and boosting tourism across Nashville, according to organizers.

"Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th  presented by Dr Pepper is produced by Music City Inc., the foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, for the city of Nashville. The free, family-friendly event was created to entertain Nashvillians and attract visitors to generate economic activity and tax revenue for the city," the NCVC said in a release. "The event has regularly drawn more than 200,000 attendees – and a record-breaking 355,000 in 2024. In 2024, Let Freedom Sing! generated a record $17.5 million in estimated direct visitor spending. This will be the 22nd annual celebration produced by Music City Inc. through the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and the 41st in the city."

Event Schedule

Officials shared the following schedule for "Let Freedom Sing!" on Thursday, July 3, noting that artists and times are subject to change by Friday:

• Music City Walk of Fame Park (Amazon Family Fun Zone and live music performances at the Southwest Airlines Stage from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.):
  • 11 a.m. to noon: DJ Rod Youree
  • Noon to 12:40 p.m.: Les Kerr and The Bayou Band
  • 12:40 p.m. to 1 p.m.: DJ Rod Youree
  • 1 p.m. to 1:40 p.m.: KIRWAN the band
  • 11:40 p.m. to 2 p.m.: DJ Rod Youree
  • 2 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.: Charlie Worsham
  • 2:40 p.m. to 3 p.m.: DJ Rod Youree
  • 3 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.: The Nashville Soul Experience
  • 3:40 p.m. to 4 p.m.: DJ Rod Youree
  • 4 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.: Walker Montgomery
• Main show at Jack Daniel's Broadway Stage at First and Broadway:
  • 4 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.: DJ Dave Aude
  • 4:50 p.m. to 4:59 p.m.: Main show will open with a welcome from emcee Kelly Sutton, remarks from Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, an appearance by the Color Guard, and the performance of the National Anthem by Keesha Rainey with fireworks bursts
  • 4:59 p.m. to 5:04 p.m.: Operation Song
  • 5:05 p.m. to 5:40 p.m.: Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge
  • 5:40 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.: Emcee Kelly Sutton and DJ Dave Aude
  • 5:55 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Niko Moon
  • 6:30 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.: Emcee Kelly Sutton and DJ Dave Aude
  • 6:50 p.m. to 7:40 p.m.: Russell Dickerson
  • 7:40 p.m. to 8:05 p.m.: Emcee Kelly Sutton and DJ Dave Aude
  • 8:05 p.m. to 9:20 p.m.: Dierks Bentley
• Ascend Amphitheater (gates open at 4 p.m.):
  • 9:24 p.m. to 9:26 p.m.: Emcee Kelly Sutton will open the Ascend Amphitheater show
  • 9:26 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: Nashville Symphony Special Selection, Celestial Waves
  • 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Nashville Symphony accompanying fireworks and drone show

Parking, Transportation, and Road Closures

To find available parking downtown, follow this link.

Other transportation locations provided by the NCVC are listed below:

• Bicycle storage station:
  • Public Square Park at the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street (corner near B-Cycle Rack)
  • South Second Street at the corner of South Second Street and Victory Lane
  • Fourth Avenue South at the Nashville Symphony cut-out
• Scooter corral locations:
  • Commerce Street between Third Avenue and Rep. John Lewis Way (between the tree wells)
  • Broadway between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue (south side between the tree wells)
  • Korean Veterans Boulevard between First Avenue and Eighth Avenue (between the tree wells)
• Downtown passenger loading zones:
  • James Robertson Parkway from Third Avenue to Rep. John Lewis Way (both north side and south side)
  • Deaderick Street from Third Avenue to Sixth Avenue (both north side and south side)
  • Commerce Street from Third Avenue to Rep. John Lewis Way (south side)
  • Korean Veterans Boulevard from Second Avenue to Eighth Avenue (both north side and south side)
• Nissan Stadium passenger loading zones:
  • Woodland Street from North First Street to North Second Street (both north side and south side)
• Musician loading zones:
  • Fourth Avenue North between Broadway and Commerce Street, red bagged meters next to AT&T building
  • Third Avenue North between Broadway and Commerce Street, red bagged meters next to 211 Commerce Street building
  • Broadway between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue (north side); red bagged meters next to Masonic Lodge
• Rideshare and taxi cab stand location:
  • Seventh Avenue South at Broadway

According to WeGo Public Transit, the Fourth of July WeGo Star is sold out. For those who have bought their tickets, the Nashville-bound train will depart Lebanon at 4:30 p.m., Hamilton Springs at 4:38 p.m., Martha at 4:45 p.m., Mt. Juliet at 4:55 p.m., Hermitage at 5:05 p.m., Donelson at 5:15 p.m., and Riverfront at 5:30 p.m. The return train will leave the Riverfront station one hour after the fireworks show ends.

All WeGo bus routes will operate on a Sunday schedule, with final departures at 11:15 p.m., officials said. Since congestion may lead to detours downtown, customers are encouraged to board at the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central.

WeGo said the following bus routes will operate after the fireworks wrap up around 10 p.m.:

• 3 West End/White Bridge
• 4 Shelby
• 6 Lebanon Pike
• 7 Hillsboro
• 8 8th Avenue South
• 14 Whites Creek
• 17 12th Avenue South
• 18 Airport
• 19 Herman
• 22 Bordeaux
• 23 Dickerson Pike
• 28 Meridian
• 29 Jefferson
• 34 Opry Mills
• 42 St. Cecilia/Cumberland
• 50 Charlotte Pike
• 52 Nolensville Pike
• 55 Murfreesboro Pike
• 56 Gallatin Pike

Meanwhile, Park & Ride lots for the holiday service are reportedly at the following locations:

• Dollar General at Hickory Plaza
• Donelson Station
• Hermitage Station
• Public Libraries (Edgehill, Hadley Park, Inglewood, Madison, Richland Park, and Thompson Lane branches)
• Vanderbilt lots on Natchez Trace

According to organizers, Access riders who would like transportation leaving the Fourth of July event need to schedule their trip before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The suggested pickup location for these customers is in front of Hume-Fogg Magnet School, but other locations can be requested. WeGo will reach out to customers if the alternative location is inaccessible due to road closures prior to the event.

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office urges everyone to plan ahead and find a sober ride home on the Fourth of July.

The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and the Woodland Street Bridge will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians from 8 p.m. until after "Let Freedom Sing!" wraps up. Boaters are also prohibited from anchoring between the Woodland Street Bridge and Korean Veterans Bridge since the river closes at 9 p.m.

For the full list of the numerous road closures around Nashville related to Friday's event, click here.

Safety Procedures

Between the free concert and the fireworks and drone show, "Let Freedom Sing!" should draw a large crowd, so the NCVC said anyone who joins the celebration needs to follow the house rules.

For example, attendees should expect to be wanded and walk through magnetometers. In addition, all personal items are subject to searches.

The following items are permitted, officials said:

• Collapsible chairs everywhere except Ascend Amphitheater, but they must be taken down and put away by 4 p.m.
• Handheld personal-sized umbrellas (up to 36 inches), but they must be taken down and put away by 4 p.m.
• Blankets and ground tarps (6 feet by 8 feet or less)
• Small bags with maximum measurement of 16 inches by 10 inches by 4 inches
• Personal cameras
• Canes used for mobility

On the other hand, the items listed below are prohibited, according to the NCVC:

• Coolers
• Backpacks or luggage
• Guns, knives, other weapons, or dangerous devices of any kind
• Outside alcoholic beverages (only alcoholic beverages purchased from a designated official event vendor are allowed on site)
• Illegal substances, drugs, or drug paraphernalia
• Fireworks
• Laser pointers
• Pets (except service animals)
• Drones or other remote-controlled aerial or ground-based devices
• Unauthorized vending, sales, sampling, solicitation or distribution of materials including handbills, flyers, stickers, beach balls, giveaways, etc. (event credentials required)
• Wagons or pull-carts
• Unauthorized personal transport devices, including bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, Segways, golf carts, mopeds, scooters, electric scooters (Bird, Lime, Spin, Lyft, JUMP, Gotcha, Bolt), or any personal motorized vehicles other than wheelchairs or ADA Devices (event credentials required)
• Pedicabs or pedal taverns
• Unauthorized amplification devices that disrupt event production, including handheld megaphones
• Noisemakers (musical instruments, bullhorns, air horns, whistles, etc.)
• Performances or demonstrations of any type outside of the Designated Freedom of Expression Zone
• Pop-up tents
• Beach or pole-style umbrellas
• Placement of stakes, poles, or any other objects into the ground, or use of ropes, cords, tape, etc. to reserve space
• Hammocks or any attachments to park structures or trees
• Audio recorders or video cameras
• Camera stands, monopods, tripods, attachment sticks, or selfie sticks
• Pepper spray
• Aerosol containers of any kind
• Sealed containers of any kind
• Throwing objects
• Professional-grade radios or walkie-talkies
• Large chains or spiked jewelry
• Signs, flags on sticks, or poles
• Collapsible chairs in Ascend Amphitheater

Don't forget, phone recordings of concerts are illegal, so no bootleg recording, streaming, or reposting. However, if your phone dies at the event, there will be charging stations at the Amazon Family Fun Zone, on Second Avenue South, at the Visitor Information Center in the Bridgestone Arena glass tower, and at the Red Frogs locations.

Attendees are encouraged to stay hydrated, bring refillable water bottles to fill at free water stations, and use any of the five misting stations and cooling areas around the event site to keep cool throughout the day. You should also pack sunscreen, hats, visors, and sunglasses to help fight the heat.

Organizers reported there will be eight first aid locations with personnel from Vanderbilt Event Medical with Metro EMS onsite.

The NCVC said "Let Freedom Sing!" will have an ADA-accessible viewing area for the Jack Daniel’s Broadway Stage for people using wheelchairs with an ASL interpreter available in the same area on platforms located near Broadway and Second Avenue. However, only one companion will be allowed to accompany users, with chairs available on a first-come, first-served basis. Riverfront Park and Ascend Amphitheater will offer designated ADA seating options, as well, and ADA portable toilets will be located throughout the event site.

In addition, Sensory Bags -- featuring noise-canceling headphones, strobe-reduction sunglasses, fidget tools, a visual cue card, and a feeling thermometer -- will be available at the Kulture City tent at Walk of Fame Park and on Second Avenue South, where a Sensory Room will be located, officials said.

This will also be a Safe Bar event, with key bar and security staff trained in bystander intervention and aware of the role alcohol plays in sexual assault.

Fireworks and Drone Show

A total of 20 technicians from LaFollette-based Pyro Shows have been working to set up Nashville's "Let Freedom Sing!" fireworks show over the past week. By Friday, there will be 12 flatbed trailers mounted with fireworks staged outside Nissan Stadium.

According to the NCVC, eight pyrotechnicians will be in a steel bunker in the middle of the show to fire the shells in synchronicity with the Nashville Symphony's performance. There will be four major positions, meaning the show -- which has one of the most powerful finales in the country -- will cover a larger air space over the Cumberland River.

The largest shells will be American 8-inch shells, which travel 800 feet in the air and will break with a diameter of nearly 800 feet, organizers said. It will take roughly 35,000 pounds of sand to bury these shells.

The show will also use 40,000 pounds of explosives, more than 1,000 floating flares and special ghost shells, and 200 miles of wire, the NCVC reported.

On top of the thousands of fireworks, the show will feature 400 drones, ready to fly 700 feet in the sky under a special FAA waiver, captained by just two drone pilots. According to officials, Sky Elements Drone Shows -- a 13-time Guinness World Record holder -- produced the show, marking the second year drones have been incorporated in Nashville's Fourth of July celebration.

If you're mainly interested in watching the fireworks and drone show, you're encouraged to go to the following locations that are part of the event campus, the vast majority of which will also have audio and/or video screens available:

• Lower Broadway
• Ascend Amphitheater
• Riverfront Park
• The Green at Riverfront Park
• Public Square Park
• Music City Walk of Fame Park
• Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge
• Gay Street Connector

In addition to the afore-mentioned locations, there will be video screens placed at the Jack Daniel's Broadway Stage, as well as Second Avenue near Commerce Street. Those sitting in Ascend Amphitheater will also be able to watch the concert on the Jack Daniel’s Broadway Stage on a screen while those on Broadway will be able to watch the Nashville Symphony performance on two onstage screens.

Here are some other fun facts about the event production from the NCVC:

• Number of production trucks: More than 40 throughout the event
• Number of lighting fixtures: 231
• LED/pixel count: Over 2,000,000 pixels of LED
• LED square footage: Over 5,000 square feet of video
• Video cable: Over five miles of fiber optic cable
• Cable ramps: 1,000 cable ramps, which can cover half a mile of cable
• Power cables: Over four miles of cable on the ground to power the event
• Audio speaker count: 235
• Number of production crew/staff: Over 200 on the busiest day
• Square feet of stage: 7,200
• Pieces of equipment: 97

For any other information about the "Let Freedom Sing!" event in Nashville, follow this link.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/let-freedom-sing-what-to-know-about-nashvilles-fourth-of-july-celebration/