US · Tennessee · 36.16°N 86.77°W

nashville

Live country music, songwriting history, hot chicken and Kurdish bakeries.

Best time
April–May and September–October are warm and pleasant for walking and outdoor gigs. Summer is hot and humid; winter is quieter, with the odd icy spell.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop via London, where British Airways flies to Nashville, or with two via an Asian hub and a US city, about 24–28 hours all in. The airport is 15–20 minutes from downtown. Nashville is 13 hours behind KL, 14 from November to early March. Malaysians need a US B1/B2 visitor visa, usually with an interview at the embassy in KL; ESTA isn't open to Malaysian passports.
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US · Tennesseenashville36.16°N 86.77°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Live country music, songwriting history, hot chicken and Kurdish bakeries.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingNashvilleUS, Tennessee
KLnashville
≈ 15,558 km from KL, as the crow flies
Aerial view of Nashville, Tennessee, the state capital and a city of 689,447 people on the Cumberland River, best known as the centre of the country music industry.

Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

1 / 4

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Nashville is Music City: bands play from late morning on Broadway, and songwriters try out new songs in small rooms all over town. Away from the neon there are leafy neighbourhoods, a full-size Parthenon and the biggest Kurdish community in the US.

Makan

  1. Hot chickenFried chicken drenched in cayenne oil, from mild to painfully hot.Map ↗
  2. Kurdish foodLittle Kurdistan along Nolensville Pike has Kurdish bakeries, kebab houses and halal grocers.Map ↗
  3. Banana puddingLayers of custard, banana and biscuits, the classic Southern dessert.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Country Music Hall of FameGuitars, stage costumes and recordings tracing country music from its roots.Map ↗
  2. Ryman AuditoriumThe old 'Mother Church of Country Music', still a concert hall. Take the tour or catch a show.Map ↗
  3. Lower BroadwayHonky-tonk bars side by side under the neon, each with a live band from late morning to late night.Map ↗
  4. Centennial ParkA big city park with a full-size copy of the Athens Parthenon, complete with a 13-metre Athena inside.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is easy along Nolensville Pike; ordinary hot chicken shops aren't halal, even though the menu is all chicken.
  • For songwriters rather than bar bands, book a seated show at one of the listening rooms.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.