A Guide To Calgary Stampede's Nashville North Tent

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If you love Country music, Nashville North is the place to be on the Stampede Grounds. It is the original Stampede tent and it is worth checking out at least once.

This popular tent offers live music for about 9 or 10 hours every day, and it’s a really fun spot. But it can also be a very intimidating experience, especially if you are travelling solo or just not a particularly confident person.

During my time at Calgary Stampede, I have spent many hours in Nashville North. I often basically live there for the music. I have had good and bad experiences in there, and it’s an experience like no other.

So, if you planning to go to Nashville North while you are at Calgary Stampede, here is the lowdown of everything you need to know about my favourite spot.

Nashville North Opening Times

Live music starts in Nashville North at 4 pm and goes on until 2 am nightly. The last act is usually on at midnight.

Age Restrictions For Nashville North

You have to be 18 or older to get into Nashville North – and you have to have a photo ID proving your age.

Cost to get into Nashville North

You get free entry into Nashville North with general gate admission into the Stampede ground which costs $25.

There are also two VIP options for this tent. Firstly, there is the “Buck The Line” nightly pass which gives you priority no-line access to Nashville North. With this pass, you enter the tent from a different entrance and will go straight in or join a much shorter queue to get inside. Expect to pay anywhere from $90 to $130 for a “Buck The Line” pass.

New for 2024, there is also now a VIP Platform Pass which you will pay $125 or more for. This pass gives you access to a raised VIP party platform, exclusive VIP bar and VIP washrooms in addition to priority entry into the tent. It also includes your general gate admission for that day.

How To Get To Nashville North

Nashville North is on the Stampede Grounds so you need a general gate admission to go there. It’s fairly centrally located next to the Nutrien Western Event Centre, in front of the GMC Stadium.

It’s also very close to the really big Calgary Stampede archway if you head to it from the midway.

Live Music At Nashville North

The live music at Nashville North kicks off in the afternoon, with the first artist typically on stage at 4 pm.

Then the headliner usually comes on between 10 pm and 10.45 pm. At midnight, the final artist or a DJ will end the night.

The exact timings vary each day though so do check the schedule. You also need to factor in that you need to be inside Nashville North or at least in the queue by absolutely no later than around 7 pm/7.30 pm every day, especially on weekends and for the most popular headliners, to ensure that you will get in before the headliner starts. I have missed half the show of headliners before due to being stuck in the queue for about 3 and a half hours.

If you hate queuing but want to go there, you need to be at Nashville North no later than around 5.30 pm/6 pm, especially when it is a big headliner.

The Nashville North lineup for 2024 is:

Thursday, July 4: Washboard Union at 9 pm

Friday, July 5: Tyler Joe Miller at 10 pm

Saturday, July 6: Owen Riegling at 10 pm

Sunday, July 7: Brothers Osborne at 10 pm

Monday, July 8: Ashley McBryde at 10 pm

Tuesday, July 9: Megan Moroney at 10:30 pm

Wednesday, July 10: Josh Ross at 10:30 pm

Thursday, July 11: James Barker Band at 10 pm

Friday, July 12: Brian Kelley at 10 pm

Saturday, July 13: Jackson Dean at 10 pm

Sunday, July 14: Lindsey Ell at 9 pm

What To Wear For Nashville North

To be honest, anything goes in the Nashville North tent. Some people get dressed up and others stay pretty casual. But my biggest piece of advice on what to wear is that you just need to feel confident and comfortable.

You will be surrounded by very attractive people, particularly a lot of extremely pretty women, and it can be very intimidating especially if you are not a very confident person.

So this is an occasion to allow yourself to get a little or very dressed up. Or if you are more confident when you dress casually then go casual. The key thing is to make yourself feel pretty….you will thank yourself for making an effort once you are there.

If you are wondering about footwear and you do not have cowboy boots, do not wear open-toed shoes because your feet will probably get destroyed in the tent if you do, especially when it is really busy in there and everyone is getting drunk. If you have cowgirl boots, wear socks with them! Never wear cowgirl boots without socks!

Comfortable footwear is a must. So if you have new cowboy boots for Stampede, you must break them in beforehand. If you don’t your feet will get messed up pretty quickly. At my first Stampede, I wore brand new cowgirl boots that I had only worn once for a short time, and by the end of my time there, my feet were a bit of a mess.

Your future self will thank you for breaking in your brand new cowgirl boots before you go to Nashville North…and just the Stampede in general.

Things To Put In Your Bag For Nashville North

Phone Charger – Bring a fully charged portable charger with you every time you go out just in case, especially for Nashville North. Having your phone die while you are on the grounds, especially when you’re drunk, alone, or both is just not a good plan. Generally, it is a pretty safe place to be, but you still need to be a bit street-smart.
Chewing Gum – If you’ve been at Stampede all day eating lots of fairground food, you will be glad to have some gum on you…especially if you are single.
Mini Perfume – After hours of running around the park, it’s a quick and easy way to freshen up a bit.
Wet Wipes – There’s a good chance you will get at least one drink spilled on you.
Hand Sanitizer – If you have to use the portaloos or the women’s toilets run out of hand soap, you’ll be glad to have some sanitizer handy.
Plasters – Unless they are your comfiest shoes ever you will still probably get blisters if you spend a few hours in the park before hitting Nashville North.
Mini bottles of booze – Maximize pre-drinks to save $$$, and have a buzz on while you queue to get in. If you are feeling a bit nervous about going to NN, this will help you feel a little more confident and comfortable. But you must drink them before you get to the front of the queue to enter the tent. Otherwise, they will 100% be spotted in the patdowns and bag search and confiscated.

Important Stampede Health & Safety Tip

The Stampede Grounds get very hot. Heat stroke and dehydration are pretty common so just be careful. Drink tons of water, and eat before you start drinking to reduce the risk of collapsing. I’ve had friends collapse from drinking when they are dehydrated, and seen random girls in really bad shape.

What You Need To Know About Getting Into Nashville North

If you only pay attention to one tip in this post, this is the most important one: Give yourself plenty of time to get into Nashville North. This tent is extremely popular.

Expect long queues If you go there from early evening onwards. From about 7 pm, you could easily be queuing for 3-4 hrs. I’ve had to do it a couple of times to see headliners I wanted to see, and missed part of both shows.
So go there early – Ideally no later than around 5 pm or 6 pm, especially on weekends and popular days.
Photo ID Required – No matter how old you are, you cannot get into Nashville North without a Photo ID. Carry two forms of photo ID with you if you can. If you are not a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident that means a passport, international driver’s license, etc. It’s to keep a record of everyone who is in the tent rather than purely for age verification so it isn’t optional. Regardless of how old you are, you will be turned away if you don’t have a photo ID. I have also seen people get turned away with fake IDs.
Bag Searches – The security at the entrance does very thorough bag searches.
Pat Downs – They also do very careful pat-downs which include cowboy boots, cowboy hats, etc. I have seen so many people have their booze confiscated from their boots, their bags, and their clothing so it is really hard to smuggle anything in. For ladies, they have female as well as male security for patdowns.

Food & Drink At Nashville North

Drinks at Nashville North are very expensive. You will pay at least $10 to $12 for a regular-size beer, a small wine, or a very small highball.

If you get hungry, there are usually 3 or 4 food trucks inside the tent in the outdoor area. These will offer you just basic food options like burgers, pizza, and corn dogs at the same kind of price as any other food trucks in the park.

If you want more exciting options like BBQ, you’ll have to eat before you go into the tent.

General Tips For Nashville North

Seating In The Tent

The stools inside the tent are like gold dust. You will find that most people are always saving seats for other people. These other people will be nowhere to be seen for long periods because they just don’t want to lose the stools for their group. So if you like to sit and chill rather than stand around, keep hold of your stool for as long as possible if you manage to get one.

Stampede Sawdust

The floor always gets covered in ‘Stampede Sawdust’ also known as squashed beer cans. This is usually mixed with wet patches of drink spillages.

It Always Gets Very Busy

Nashville North is very popular. It is always at maximum capacity by early evening.

Some People Will be Douchebags

Generally, people at the Stampede are very friendly but Nashville North attracts all the young people in Calgary who just come to the park for the tent. I’ve found them mostly to be rude and unfriendly especially if they can’t handle their drink so just be prepared to be looked up and down, pushed and shoved especially as the tent fills up.

Also, if you opt to go close to the stage for any of the acts later in the evening, especially the headliners, you will probably be constantly pushed and shoved by rude girls trying to get in front of you who think they are more entitled to be at the front.

But not everyone is like this at all, and you will find that the older crowd is generally pretty friendly, so whether you are alone or in a group, you will generally meet some nice people. You just have to have a thick skin, especially if you are not very confident because you will encounter mean girls.

Hat Luges & Shoey’s

A hat luge is drinking from inside a cowboy hat. A shoey is drinking from a cowboy or cowgirl boot. The drink of choice is generally beer when doing this.

Don’t do a hat luge or a ‘shoey’ if your make-up isn’t waterproof or at least been set with a setting spray because it’s a messy way to drink a beer.

Dancing With Random Drunk Men

People get really drunk in this tent. It is hardcore drinking for a lot of people especially the men who get absolutely wasted.

So just be wary of these drunk men because they start thinking they are amazing dancers and may want to attempt two-stepping tricks with you.

I’ve seen girls get hurt and/or almost smack their heads on the floor so many times. Play it safe and stick to basic two-stepping to ensure you don’t get injured by a drunk idiot.

Tips For Getting Home Safely At The End Of The Night

If you’re planning to stay out until late, you will need to know in advance how you will get home. Assuming you are drinking, these are your options:

Trains – If you are near a C-Train station, you are fine as the trains run 24hrs a day during Stampede at discounted prices
Buses – The buses don’t run 24/7 like the C-Train does so check bus routes and times before it gets super late at night.
Uber’s and Taxi’s – Will be both in demand and very pricey.

Also, a PSA reminder that the stampede grounds are HUGE. If you are in a group, you will find it much easier to stay together or find each other if you just share your locations.

When you are leaving use the exit at the Stampede Trail by the Saddledome to get to the trains.

Nashville North Is A Must For An Authentic Stampede Experience

Whether you love Country music or live music in general, going to Nashville North at least once is required to truly experience the Stampede. It’s just a key part of the social side of the Calgary Stampede, and one of the most popular things to do on the Stampede Grounds.

FAQ’s About Nashville North

Is Nashville North free?

Nashville North is included with your admission to the Calgary Stampede, so there is no additional cost to enter the tent.

Do I need a ticket for Nashville North?

You will need a general admission ticket for Calgary Stampede to access Stampede Park where the Nashville North tent is located. This ticket includes access to Nashville North.

What kind of music is played at Nashville North?

This tent is just Country music. You will get the odd old-school, dance, or popular tune but most of the music will be a mix of current and traditional country music.

What time does Nashville North open?

Usually Nashville North opens at noon.

What time does Nashville North close?

Nashville North closes around 2 AM on most days. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays it stays open the latest.

Inside Nashville North, the last call times for drinks are stated at the bars.

Where is the Nashville North tent located?

The Nashville North tent is in Stampede Park. The back of the tent is right next to the GMC stadium entrances where the rodeo and evening shows happen.

If you enter Stampede Park near the BMO Centre (Victoria Park C-Train) it is right by the Nutrien Centre heading away from the Miday opposite all of the BBQ food trucks. ,

There is also signage in the park to help you find your way.

Are there ways to avoid the Nashville North lineup to get in?

Yeah, you have three options to avoid getting stuck in long lineups. The free option is to just arrive early around late afternoon/early evening before the lineups build up.

If you are happy to spend more money, you can buy a Buck the Line pass which gives you a quicker entry and nothing else. A “Buck The Line” pass will cost you around $90 to $130.

Your other option is to go VIP which will cost you at least $125.

What are the best times to visit Nashville North to avoid crowds?

If you want to avoid crowds and go before people start getting drunk then between midday and around 5 pm is the best time but you won’t typically get live music until at least 4 pm.

Peak time is generally from early evening until the headliner finishes.

If you don’t care about being surrounded by drunks and just want to be in the tent when it is less crowded, going closer to closing time is also an option but on popular nights you might still encounter crowds until about midnight or just after.

Do the Nashville North bars take cash or just cards?

The bars at Nashville North will accept both cash and cards. Generally, people pay for drinks on a card though.

Can I bring a bag or backpack into Nashville North?

Yeah, a small bag or backpack is fine. It will just be checked by security when you get to the front of the line before going inside. There are no storage facilities at all so I recommend against bringing a big bag of any kind.

Can I reserve a table or seating at Nashville North?

All the tables and seating are first come first served inside Nashville North. The only way to get a reserved area with seating is if you buy a VIP suite ticket which will get you a private suite that holds up to 20 people. In 2024, Suites started at $5k.

What are the drink options at Nashville North?

Drink options are usually Budweiser, Bud Light, corona, wine, highballs (spirits with mixer), and some coolers like Cutwater Paloma (tequila), Nutrl (vodka), and Tempo (gin). You can get limited soft drinks as well like bottles of water, Coke, and Diet Coke.

What food options are available inside Nashville North?

There are usually 3 food trucks at Nashville North that offer the following; Corn dogs, pizza, burgers, fries, poutine, and some donair options. The quality of the food is hit-and-miss though.

From the pizza truck, I’ve been given both warm and stone-cold slices of pizzas on different nights. From the burger, poutine, and donair truck, I’ve been given both stone-cold burgers and poutine on different nights, but hot food on other nights so it’s a bit of a lucky draw whether your food will be hot, warm, or cold.

Is Nashville North Accessible for people with disabilities?

Yeah, it is. There are wheelchair-accessible entrances and designated seating areas available if you have a disability. You will find a lot of staff all over the tent as well who are available to assist you.

What restroom facilities are there inside Nashville North?

At the back of the tent near the outside bar, there are decent washrooms. Quick tip, the women generally just blindly queue and don’t pay attention. If you walk straight in rather than queue you will usually find that there is at least 1 vacant toilet at any given time at the same side of the washrooms as the sinks and mirrors,

Is Nashville North a safe place for solo travelers?

Yeah, I have always found Nashville North to be very safe as a solo traveler myself. I have spent many afternoons and evenings, often until late at night, in this tent and there are so many security personnel who take everyone’s safety very seriously. Whether you go there alone or with friends, go to them if you encounter any issues, they will handle it promptly. For instance, if a man keeps bothering you and makes you uncomfortable, he will be removed without hesitation.

There are also always at least 3 or Calgary police officers at Nashville North throughout the evening, in addition to police and park security outside the tent on the grounds.

But there are also things you can do to stay safe like staying aware of your surroundings, keeping your belongings secure, always watching your drinks and just generally being mindful of who you take a drink from. Also, keep your phone charged and just have a plan to get home if you want to stay out late and have a few drinks.

Is there a lost and found at Nashville North?

There is but it is the same as the lost and found on Stampede Park, they do not have their own one. If you lose or find anything you will have to go to the staff at Stampede Park’s lost and found office or the main entrance.

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Gemma Lawrence

Gemma Lawrence is the creator of This Brits Life. Born and raised in England, she has been living in British Columbia, Canada as a permanent resident since 2016. A solo traveler for the past 9 years, she hopes to inspire and help others to enjoy solo adventures too. As someone who has always struggled with her self-confidence and mental health, she also shares tips and inspirational stories relating to self-love, self-care, and mental health.

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