You’ve likely seen their ads on Instagram. Manly Bands is dedicated to helping “…every man (woman, and alien) find a genuine badass and unique-to-them wedding band.” In 2023, the company arrived in Nashville for a unique after-party event that introduced our roster and management to teams to different types of bands. With materials ranging from WW2 aircraft components to legit fossils, the Manly Bands experience combined craftsmanship, creativity, and fashion in a unique gifting experience celebrating the biggest awards night in country music. For more information on Manly Bands and their product lines, click here.

For the first time, Cirque du Soleil dedicates a show to the rich storytelling of country music in the new touring show “Songblazers.” This unique production features a curated catalog of 35 songs spanning from 1867 to 2024 performed live on stage with the unique artistry and stunning acrobatics that created a new category of entertainment. Through “Songblazers,” audiences experience a musical journey like no other. 

Cirque du Soleil and Universal Music Group Nashville proudly debuted SONGBLAZERS to media and members of the music industry on July 10, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee – the capital of country music. The trailblazing theater production is directed and written by Amy Tinkham, known for her work in developing and directing stage performances, residencies and tours with artists ranging from Paul McCartney to Disney to Post Malone, amongst others. “Songblazers” continues its tour in 2024 and 2025. Sponsorship and VIP opportunities are available. You can learn more about upcoming dates and tickets here.

Date: January 25, 2023
CMA Awards After-Party: OOFOS

Special Events — The After-Party

• The UMG Nashville awards show after-party returned in 2022 after a 2-year hiatus.
• With a focus on the artist experience, our message was “scale down, level up.”
• An ongoing feature of our parties is the “Heel Check” – an opportunity to swap uncomfortable stage shoes for sensible footwear to celebrate a year of success with friends and colleagues.
• For our post-pandemic return, OOFOS stepped up and over-delivered with a branded space within the event, providing guests with a premium option that elevated the experience.

Date: August 20, 2018
Cry Pretty Listening Event @ The Parthenon, Nashville

Nashville is home to a full-scale version of the Greek Parthenon. Located in Centennial Park, The Parthenon was constructed in 1897 and uses details as specific as columns shaped from casts of original pillars (which date to 438 BC) to a statue of Athena Parthenos standing 42-feet tall.

This is the space entertainment superstar Carrie Underwood chose to debut her album Cry Pretty for the music industry and media. It was a great plan except for one detail: the interior space is a massive, stone room. An echo delay of more than 2 seconds from the front to the rear of the building would make a listening experience unpleasant at best.

The Source
Working with Georgia-based flooring brand Durkan, UMG Nashville developed a plan to carpet the Parthenon. To this day, it is the only time the space was carpeted.

The Scale

• With a main event space nearly 30 feet long by nearly 53 feet wide, nearly 1,600 square feet of carpet was needed.
• Additional corridors and aisles required another 2,200 square feet of carpet.
• In total, more than 3,800 square feet of carpet – enough for two, average-sized homes – was rolled out for the listening event.

The Sound Decision

• The carpet worked exactly as intended, reducing the echo to less than a half second over more than 40 feet. The sound was transformed – what had been a hollow, cavernous space lined with granite became a premium listening room.
• From the start, the goal was to preserve and re-use as much of the material as possible. At the end of the event, the carpet was “up-cycled” for a second-life use.
  • More than 1,000 square feet was donated to a women’s shelter.
  • Another 1,000 square feet was shipped to a university for use in a water-runoff filtration project.
  • At least 500 square feet was re-applied to an event space outside Nashville.
  • Two squares still reside in the offices of UMG Nashville.

Date: January 16, 2023
The Denim & Rhinestones Experience

Key Stats

• Amazon Music livestream event: >8.5MM TV viewers
• Online media impressions: >32MM
• Participants: >1,000 guests attended

Album Launch Experiences
To celebrate the release of Denim & Rhinestones from 8-time GRAMMY® Award winner Carrie Underwood, Universal Music Group Nashville launched an unprecedented album launch experience for fans in Nashville and viewers around the world.

Livestream
In addition to interviews and takeovers across radio and streaming music platforms around the world, Underwood also performed a global Amazon Music livestream concert, Carrie Underwood: LIVE, from The Historic Bell Tower in downtown Nashville on June 9, 2022.

Fan Experience
In addition to Underwood’s annual fan club party and two performances at the Grand Ole Opry, fans were also treated to a fun-filled, pop-up exhibition, The Denim & Rhinestones Experience at The Historic Bell Tower from June 10-12, including interactive photo installations, wardrobe displays, and a retail boutique celebrating the music of Denim & Rhinestones.
The album became Underwood’s 10th consecutive career Top 10 debut on the Billboard Top 200 chart for all genres. Denim & Rhinestones was the top-selling country album in the U.S., as well as the #1 country album in Australia, Canada and UK.

Launch Partner: PMI STANLEY
With the support of Stanley and the incredible success of the Quencher product series, UMG Nashville was able to ring The Denim & Rhinestones Experience to life. After fans had walked through the various attractions, a special retail space with exclusive access to a chenille-colored Quencher mug.