Growing up in Nashville means growing up with music in your blood. For some, that looks like taking the stage in some of the most iconic venues in the world. But for many other Nashville residents, music is about the experience. It’s about yelling your favorite lyrics from a barricade spot, and dancing to a song you’ve never heard from a general admission lawn seat.

Live music is about coming together and experiencing something new. There’s only one problem: concerts are expensive.

Still, Nashville’s community emphasis on music provides for the massively underappreciated free and low-cost live music scene in Nashville. Walk down Broadway on any given night, and music is everywhere. There are plenty of low-cost venues playing smaller artists all across the city, from Drkmttr to Exit/In. But my personal favorites are the free or nearly-free festivals and public concerts that take place all around Nashville.

Here’s a list of the top three free and low-cost music events happening this October:

Sidewalk Sessions at the Ryman

Sidewalk Sessions are a pre-show party series taking place almost weekly at the PNC Plaza. They are completely free and feature emerging artists who play genres ranging from rock to Americana. Each show features one artist or band, an outdoor bar, and giveaways. Sets start at 5 or 6 p.m. depending on the show. 

Check out the October shows below: 

• Kimi Most (Americana) — October 2nd at 5 pm, plays before Mary Chaplin Carpenter and Brandy Clark
• Pretty Tied Up (hard rock)— October 7th at 6 p.m., plays before X and Los Lobos
• George Croft (folk) — October 16th at 6 p.m., plays before Jason Isbell
• Matt Mann & The Shine Runners (rock) — October 23rd at 6 p.m., plays before Jason Isbell
• Paul Nestler (lyrical soft rock) — October 30th at 5 p.m., before Matt Meason

Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival

On October 4th, the Celebrate Nashville Festival will feature vendors and performances from all across the world in an effort to cultivate and encourage understanding of the diverse cultural backgrounds that make up Nashville. Entrance is completely free. The event will take place at Centennial Park.

There will be food from countries including Peru, New Zealand, India, and Mexico. Make sure to visit the food section on your way to the music stages. The music will feature live performances of everything from Russian Folk to Kurdish bands to African drums.

At the quite literally unbeatable price of $0.00, be sure to add this all-day event to your October music schedule. 

Nashville Industry Festival

The Nashville Industry Fund is holding a fundraiser to support musicians and hospitality workers. The fundraiser is a festival with live music which will take place from 4-9 p.m. on October 19th. It’ll take place at the Nashville Palace.

General Admission tickets, which benefit the Nashville Industry Fund, are $15 if you buy ahead of time, and $20 day-of, so be sure to buy online before you go. The event will feature six local bands, vendors, and a silent auction.

Nashville’s diversity boils all the way down to its music offerings. These three events are just the start. There are also, of course, concerts featuring incredible artists happening nearly every day. But music does not follow money, and should be available to all. The Nashville music scene, in many ways, mirrors the heart of Nashville itself: ever-changing, community-based, and varying wildly in price. These events are surely worth your time— make sure to check out these October events!