If you are driving to Broadway, my first piece of advice is simple:
Do not make “parking as close to Broadway as physically possible” the goal.
That is how a perfectly reasonable evening begins with twenty minutes of circling downtown while everyone in the car slowly starts blaming one another.
There are plenty of places to park downtown.
The better question is how far you are willing to walk.
I’d Usually Pick a Garage and Walk
For most visits, I prefer the predictability of a downtown parking garage.
You park once, remember where the car is, and walk the rest.
Broadway itself is extremely walkable, and adding several blocks to the beginning or end of the night usually makes more sense than fighting traffic immediately beside the honky-tonks.
The closer you get to Broadway, Bridgestone Arena and the river, the more likely you are to deal with congestion, pedestrians and event traffic.
Sometimes the easiest parking space is not the closest one.
How Far Is Too Far?
A few blocks downtown is not much.
The useful part of Lower Broadway is compact, and many downtown attractions are closer together than they look on a map.
That means I would happily park several blocks away if it gives me easier access and a cleaner exit later.
If someone in your group has mobility issues, that obviously changes the calculation.
But for an able-bodied group planning to spend several hours walking Broadway anyway, obsessing over the closest possible garage is usually unnecessary.
Surface Lots Can Be Convenient
Surface lots are scattered throughout downtown and can sometimes be extremely convenient.
The tradeoff is that pricing and availability can change dramatically depending on what is happening nearby.
A quiet afternoon and a Saturday night with a major concert are different animals.
Always read the posted price and rules before leaving the car.
Do not assume the price you saw on a previous trip, a blog post or a random screenshot from three years ago still means anything.
Parking prices downtown have a remarkable ability to discover capitalism whenever 20,000 people arrive at the same time.
Event Nights Change Everything
This is the part visitors underestimate.
Broadway does not exist in isolation.
Bridgestone Arena is right there.
The Ryman is nearby.
Major downtown events, concerts, Predators games, festivals and stadium crowds can completely change traffic and parking demand.
On a big event night, I would either arrive earlier than I think I need to or intentionally park farther from the center of everything.
Trying to arrive at the exact moment thousands of other people are doing the same thing is rarely the sophisticated move.
What About Parking Across the River?
Depending on the event and what you plan to do, parking east of the river can sometimes be an option.
But I would not automatically recommend it to a first-time Broadway visitor without checking what is happening at the stadium and how you plan to get back.
Crossing the river adds another piece to the evening.
Sometimes that is useful.
Sometimes it is solving a problem you did not actually have.
What About Waymo, Uber or Lyft?
Waymo, Uber and Lyft can all remove the need to deal with downtown parking.
Availability and pricing vary depending on the service, the time and what is happening downtown.
Pickup locations around Broadway can also get crowded during peak periods.
Walking a few blocks away from the densest part of Lower Broadway before requesting or meeting a ride can sometimes make things easier.
If everyone plans to drink, using one of these ride options also removes a much more important problem than parking.
Remember Where You Parked
This sounds insultingly obvious until midnight.
Downtown garages can look remarkably similar after several hours of live music.
I would save the garage location on my phone or take a picture showing the garage name and level.
Future You deserves that small act of kindness.
Broadway Is Easier on Foot Than by Car
Once I am downtown, I do not want the car again until I leave.
Broadway, 2nd Avenue, Printer’s Alley, the Ryman and much of the surrounding downtown core are close enough that driving between them would be more trouble than walking.
Park once.
Then explore on foot.
The Practical Answer
If I were driving to Broadway for the first time, I would choose a legitimate downtown garage a few blocks away, accept that I might pay more during a busy event and stop trying to win some imaginary contest for the closest parking space.
Check what events are happening downtown before you leave.
Then look at the live cam before heading in.
If Broadway already looks packed, assume parking and traffic are feeling it too.