Jelly Roll, Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw to Play Nashville’s First-Ever Rodeo

Nashville will host its first-ever professional rodeo this spring when the Music City Rodeo touches down at Bridgestone Arena fromMay 29-31. The partnership between Tim McGraw‘s Down Home entertainment group, Skydance Media and Humes Rodeo will feature McGraw, Jelly Roll and Reba McEntire headlining shows during Music City’s first Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) event.

“As a Nashville native, this felt like a chance to be a part of a history-making event for the city,” said Jelly Roll in a statement. “I have vivid memories when it was announced in Nashville that we were getting a hockey team with the Predators, or a football team with the Titans… and I watched Bridgestone Arena be built from the ground up. Headlining Music City Rodeo in my hometown as a part of the first rodeo brought to town feels like the same type of milestone.”

Jelly also appears in a minute-long promo video for the Rodeo, jumping behind the bar at a nightclub and saying, “ain’t your usual stop, is it boys?” to a group of cowboys, as Reba says in voiceover, “right here in the heart of Broadway where honky tonk neon meets daredevil grit, rodeo and country music collide. “Three nights of guts, glory and history in the making,” McGraw adds over thrilling footage of the cowboys roping and riding.

According to a release, “each day will showcase 7 thrilling rodeo events from bull riding to barrel racing, team roping to broncs, featuring the world’s best cowboys and cowgirls going head-to-head for over $200,000.00 in prize money. Fans will enjoy the full pageantry of rodeo with additional family-friendly activities like mutton bustin’, clowns and Rodeo Queens, before culminating each night in a headlining arena concert.”

McEntire is slated to perform on opening night (May 29), followed by Jelly on the 30th and McGraw on the 31st.

McGraw, McEntire and Jelly Roll are serving as the founding members of MCR, with McGraw — who has played more than 20 historic rodeos across the country during his carer — saying in a statement, ““For eight decades, Nashville’s music stars have been the soundtrack to America’s iconic rodeos — country music and rodeo go hand in hand. So, it was time to bring the magic of the rodeo home to Nashville and I’m thrilled to be bringing it here.”

Tickets for MCR will go on sale on Friday (March 7) at 10 a.m. CT. A select amount of pre-sale tickets and VIP packages will be available starting Wednesday (March 5) at 10 a.m. CT here.

“It’s no secret that rodeo is in my blood, and I’m thrilled to be a part of starting a new Nashville tradition,” added McEntire. “Country music and rodeo coming together in Music City, what a perfect combination…I just knew I had to be part of it.”

MCR is partnering with Nashville’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to benefit the patients and families it serves, with a portion of all event proceeds earmarked to support the hospital’s mission of providing world class pediatric healthcare and research.

“Having been involved in rodeo my entire life, both inside and outside the arena, there is no other city built better for rodeo than Nashville,” said Pat Humes of Humes Rodeo. “I knew it from the moment my boots first hit the ground here. You can feel it. The people here are genuine, kind, polite and they like to have fun. They act and live like cowboys.  The city breathes country music. It’s woven into the fabric of life here.  It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced.” 

Check out the promo video for the Music City Rodeo below.