Last December, skating under the Broadway Bridge took planning. The synthetic rink at Ascension Saint Thomas Landing opened on 14 dates between Dec. 11 and Dec. 30, 2025, mostly Thursday through Sunday evenings plus the days around Christmas. If you lived a few blocks away and had a free Wednesday, you were out of luck.
This year Nashville Yards is putting in real ice. Rink Under Broad opens Saturday, Nov. 21, and will be open seven days a week, according to WSMV's Oct. 19 report on the development's 2026 lineup. Its Holiday Central season runs Nov. 21 through Jan. 3. In its second year, the holiday program has gone from a short event you visited to something downtown residents can use on a weeknight.
What changed between the pilot and this season
| 2025 pilot | 2026 season | |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Synthetic "Glice" | Real ice |
| Skating window | Dec. 11 to Dec. 30, on 14 selected dates | Opens Nov. 21, daily through the Jan. 3 close of Holiday Central |
| Standard ticket | $10 weekdays, $15 weekends | $20 |
| Rental skates | Included | Included |
| Location | Ascension Saint Thomas Landing, 131 10th Ave. N., under Broadway | Same spot, beneath the Broadway Bridge |
The rink is in the same place, and last year's pilot already used the Rink Under Broad name. The surface, the calendar and the price have all changed. Nashville Yards' own rink page says it piloted the synthetic rink "for the 2025 holiday season" before switching to real ice, which it will run "all season long." WSMV reports the 2026 rink is half the size of an NHL rink.
Six weeks instead of three, with the bridge as a roof
Last year's rink opened on 14 days. This year, from Nov. 21 through Jan. 3, the rink is open every day of a 44-day season. Skating now starts the weekend before Thanksgiving and carries past New Year's Day. Last year it started in the second week of December.
The covering is what makes this work for nearby residents. The rink sits beneath the Broadway Bridge, and Nashville Yards says it is protected overhead so people can skate "rain or shine." A wet December Tuesday doesn't cancel your plans, and with daily operation there will be a Tuesday session to book.
Daily operating hours are still to come. The rink FAQ says hours and tickets will be available in early November and points to an email sign-up for the on-sale notice. For comparison, last year's pilot ran 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and opened at noon on weekends. The 2026 schedule may differ.
The price doubled, and the rules reward planning ahead
At $20 for standard admission, a weekday skate now costs twice what it did last year. A weekend skate costs a third more. Children under 5 are $15, and taxes and fees come on top. Every pass still includes rental skates, though you're welcome to bring your own.
A few rules from the official FAQ shape a visit more than the price does:
- Sessions are one hour. The pass covers the date and time you choose.
- Arrive 15 minutes early to leave time for check-in and skate rental.
- Walk-up space is limited and not guaranteed. Nashville Yards recommends buying in advance.
- The minimum skating age is 3, and children under 14 must be with an adult at all times.
- Discounted parking is in the West Garage at 131 10th Ave. N.
Timed one-hour sessions and limited walk-up space mean the rink fills like a reservation book. For someone who lives within walking distance, the daily schedule is the advantage: a weeknight session in early December will probably be easier to get than a Saturday in the week before Christmas. The rink can also be booked for private events.
Thanksgiving weekend fills Ascension Saint Thomas Landing
The rink opens a week ahead, and the biggest free events land on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
- Christmas Tree Lighting Spectacular, Saturday, Nov. 28, 5 p.m. It's held at Ascension Saint Thomas Landing. WSMV reports the event is free and the tree is 40 feet tall.
- Merry Market, Saturday, Nov. 28 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 29 from noon to 3 p.m. Nashville Yards' market page describes vendors who are local makers, artisans and small businesses.
On Saturday, the market's hours overlap the tree lighting, so you can shop, watch the tree light and then walk to the rink without moving your car.
The Holiday Central page also promises free photos with Santa and free Xfinity holiday movie nights, along with food and drink. Neither has dates posted yet. The development's events page still lists October programming, not a day-by-day holiday calendar. Last year's mix included free hot chocolate and cider, a holiday passport with prizes, and pickleball and mini golf at Dinkville Under Broad. None of those have been announced for 2026.
Where to eat before or after a session
Two new spots are opening near the rink just ahead of the season.
Puesto was set to open its first Tennessee location on Friday, Oct. 23, at 991 Exchange Lane, serving lunch and dinner daily with later hours on Friday and Saturday, according to What Now Nashville.
Soundproof, a speakeasy inside Hooky at 931 Church St., is scheduled to open Thursday, Oct. 29, with cocktails, small plates and live music, according to the Visit Music City announcement.
Those two join tenants with a track record on the campus:
- Earls Kitchen + Bar, 26 Platform Way South, opened in April.
- Ocean Prime, 990 Signal Crossing, opened April 21.
- Culaccino, 900 Commerce St., opened Nov. 18, 2025, close enough to the pilot's start to have been through one holiday season already.
- Christie Cookie Co. opened its bakery on June 6.
- Alligator Bar, below the Broadway Bridge at Union Station, and Bar Car in the Union Station lobby.
Alligator Bar is the closest of these to the ice, sharing the space under the bridge with the rink. The Little lou/na Red Container on the Landing ran Friday through Sunday in October with food and $7 drink specials. Its holiday-season hours haven't been posted.
The downtown calendar around it
The rink's six weeks overlap other changes downtown. Deacon's New South at 401 Church St., in the L&C Tower, was scheduled to serve its last night on Oct. 24, The Tennessean reported. That leaves one less steakhouse on the Church Street side of downtown just as Holiday Central draws more people to the Nashville Yards end.
The rink's season is still running when New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash takes over Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on Thursday, Dec. 31. HARDY, Little Big Town and The Red Clay Strays are headlining, and more performers are still to be announced, according to MusicRow. Holiday Central runs through Jan. 3, so the weekend after New Year's Day is the last chance to skate this season.
Planning private holiday hosting near Nashville Yards this season, or settling in downtown before the rink opens? Stutts Miller Properties can help you work out the logistics of a downtown address around the busiest weeks of the year. Request a private consultation.
