The Nashville Predators are turning Broadway into a hockey block party on Sept. 26, hosting a free community festival called PredsFest in the streets surrounding Bridgestone Arena on the same afternoon as the team's final preseason game against the Carolina Hurricanes, scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time and requires no ticket to attend, giving downtown visitors a rare chance to mingle with players and team brass on game day.
According to News Channel 5 Nashville, PredsFest will feature live music from Universal Crush, a Kids Zone, food trucks, and appearances from Predators alumni as well as a member of the 2026–27 roster. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a clear tote bag courtesy of Ticketmaster, the station reports, while Broadway itself becomes the site of what organizers are calling a full takeover for the afternoon.
Also on hand will be Chris MacFarland, the team's newly minted President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, marking one of his early public appearances in the role. MacFarland was officially named to the position on June 2, 2026, succeeding Barry Trotz, who retired from the GM chair and shifted into an advisory role, according to NHL.com. MacFarland arrives after 11 years with the Colorado Avalanche, where he helped build the roster that won the 2022 Stanley Cup.
Street Closures and Fan Zones Around Bridgestone Arena
The festival footprint closes Broadway between Fifth and Sixth Avenues along with Rep. John Lewis Way, per NHL.com's rundown of the event. Three dedicated fan areas anchor the space: the Nissan Tailgate Zone, which offers lawn games and college football on a big screen; a Kids Zone; and a Hatch Show Print bandana station where attendees can pick up a keepsake tied to the city's famed print shop.
The gathering doubles as a launch event for a season already carrying extra weight in Smashville. Bridgestone Arena is marking its 30th anniversary throughout 2026, having opened as Nashville Arena on Dec. 18, 1996, and having since welcomed more than 50 million guests across Predators games, concerts, and other major events, according to Nashville Parent. That milestone helps explain why Universal Crush's setlist is expected to span three decades of music at the arena's doorstep.
A Shortened Preseason Leads Into a Bigger Regular Season
PredsFest's timing lines up with a new NHL calendar. Under the league's updated Collective Bargaining Agreement for 2026–27, teams play just four preseason games over eight days, running Sept. 19 through Sept. 26, while the regular season expands from 82 to 84 games. Nashville's preseason slate consists of a home-and-home with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sept. 20 and Sept. 22, followed by a home-and-home with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes — the Sept. 24 game in Greensboro, N.C., and the Sept. 26 finale in Nashville, according to the Maury County Source. Hoodline previously covered the champs' return to Greensboro ahead of that earlier meeting.
That final preseason tune-up feeds directly into an Oct. 1 season opener against the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena, which marks the Predators' third straight season-opening home game and the first campaign in franchise history with 42 regular-season home dates, per NHL.com's schedule announcement. Fans who can't make it downtown for the opener will have more ways to watch than ever: the Predators and Scripps Sports announced a multi-year media rights deal broadcasting 85 games, including all four preseason contests and 81 regular-season games, free over the air on The Spot — Nashville 28 (WNPX), expanding coverage into seven additional markets across Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.
Milestones and Star Power Fueling the Hype
The season carries added sentimental weight after franchise icon Pekka Rinne was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026 on June 22, becoming the first player to spend his entire NHL career with the Predators and earn induction, according to NHL.com. Rinne joins former teammate Shea Weber and former GM David Poile in the Hall, a trio expected to loom over the team's tribute nights this year.
On the ice, veteran contributors include forward Steven Stamkos, who joined Nashville on a four-year, $32 million deal in July 2024, alongside captain Roman Josi, Ryan O'Reilly, and Jonathan Marchessault. Hoodline previously detailed Stamkos's emotional exit from Tampa when he made the move to Nashville.
Bridgestone Arena's Smashville's Next Stage renovation is set to begin in 2026. A long-term buildout plan for the surrounding district reaches $1 billion, as Hoodline reported when the arena overhaul was first detailed. For one Saturday morning in September, though, the construction and the Cup contention both take a back seat to a free party on Broadway.
