Metro lights the city Christmas tree in Public Square Park each year in early December. The 2026 date has not been announced; here is how it works.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year. The 2026 tree lighting has not been announced, so this page describes how the ceremony has worked, from the Mayor’s Office announcement of the 2023 lighting. We will add this year’s date, time and performers as soon as Metro publishes them.

Every December, Metro Nashville lights the city Christmas tree in Public Square Park, in front of the Historic Metro Courthouse downtown. The 2026 date has not been announced. In 2023, the 24th lighting, the ceremony began at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, and ended shortly after 6 p.m. For questions, call Metro at 311 (615-862-5000).

Who to call

  • Metro general information: 311 or 615-862-5000
  • Mayor’s Office events: nashville.gov/departments/mayor
  • Parking: Public Square Garage, under the Historic Courthouse
  • Toy donations: the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Christmas Basket Program; drop-off boxes have been set up at the ceremony

How the tree lighting works

From Metro’s 2023 announcement:

  • Where: Public Square Park, downtown, in front of the Historic Metro Courthouse.
  • When: an early-December evening. The 2023 ceremony started at 5:30 p.m. and wrapped up just after 6 p.m.
  • The tree: a donated Norway spruce, about 30 feet tall, that had grown in the donors’ yard for two decades, lit with 5,500 multicolored lights.
  • On stage: a school choir, a guest singer and an emcee, joined by local mascots including Gnash, T-Rac and Booster.
  • Giving back: the mayor asked Nashvillians to bring an unwrapped toy for the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Christmas Basket Program, which the city calls a 60-year tradition of officers delivering food baskets and toys to Nashville families on Christmas Eve.
  • Parking: Metro recommends the Public Square Garage under the courthouse.

The Christmas parade

We have not found an announcement of a downtown Nashville Christmas parade for 2026 from an organizer or from Metro. If one is announced, we will add the date, route, start time and road closures here, along with parades in nearby communities.

Planning a neighborhood holiday event with a stage, a tent or fireworks? The Nashville Fire Marshal says tents of 200 square feet or more, canopies of 400 square feet or more and any pyrotechnics need Fire Department permits, requested through ePermits (Fire Marshal guidance).

Getting downtown

What this means for you

  • Watch this page in November: Metro announced the 2023 ceremony on Nov. 22 that year.
  • Bring an unwrapped toy if the toy drive returns this year.

Related guides: holiday lights and Christmas events, things to do this month, parks and trails and history and landmarks.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Nashville Christmas tree lighting in 2026?

Metro has not announced the 2026 date yet. The ceremony is held on an evening in early December in Public Square Park; in 2023 it was 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1.

Where is Nashville’s city Christmas tree?

In Public Square Park, in front of the Historic Metro Courthouse downtown. Metro suggests parking in the Public Square Garage under the courthouse.

Can I donate toys at the Nashville tree lighting?

In past years the mayor asked people to bring an unwrapped toy for the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Christmas Basket Program, with drop-off boxes at the event.

Is there a downtown Nashville Christmas parade in 2026?

We have not found an announcement of a 2026 downtown Nashville Christmas parade from an organizer. We will add it here if one is announced.