Nashville's food & film surge

Nashville is pushing beyond its Music City label as film and television production grows alongside a restaurant scene now driving its own daily buzz. (tennessean.com) (nationaltoday.com) The Tennessean reported on April 13 that Nashville’s screen business is expanding fast enough to reshape the city’s entertainment identity, with more actors living locally and more productions filming in town. A separate Tennessean story published the same day pointed to that shift through a growing roster of actors based in Nashville. (tennessean.com 1) (tennessean.com 2) State officials are selling Tennessee as a production base with a $6.4 billion entertainment-sector economy, $365 million in state tax revenue, and a No. 5 national ranking for motion picture and video production employment. Nashville’s local film ecosystem also has a year-round anchor in the Nashville Film Festival, which said its 57th festival will run September 24 through September 30, 2026. (tnentertainment.com) (nashvillefilmfestival.org) The pipeline is not limited to prestige events. Nashville Business Journal reported in January that “9-1-1: Nashville” was boosting the local television and film business, and WKRN said the production had already created more than 600 jobs and an estimated $50 million in statewide economic impact. (bizjournals.com) (wkrn.com) At the same time, Nashville’s food conversation has moved into bracket season. National Today reported on April 13 that a citywide burger contest had reached a final four after four rounds of voting, with readers choosing the winner. (nationaltoday.com) (tennessean.com) The city’s dining attention is also landing on highly specific concepts. National Today reported on April 12 that Fryce Cream has built a following around just two menu items — fries and homemade ice cream — by leaning into the sweet-and-salty pairing. (nationaltoday.com) Tourism officials are packaging that mix of entertainment and dining as part of Nashville’s 2026 pitch to visitors, highlighting new restaurants, attractions and neighborhood growth across the city. The official visitors bureau still leads with music, but its 2026 materials describe a broader menu of food, film and other attractions. (visitmusiccity.com 1) (visitmusiccity.com 2) For Nashville, the current snapshot is a city selling more than songs: a film calendar that stretches into September and a food scene where even fries-and-ice-cream can become a headline. (nashvillefilmfestival.org) (nationaltoday.com)