The Grand Ole Opry®, the world’s longest-running radio show, will mark its historic 5,000th Saturday night broadcast this weekend, as part of a month of celebrations, a limited-time exhibit, and a star-studded night of performances on the iconic Opry stage.
WSM began to air the show that would become the Grand Ole Opry in 1925 as a radio show before expanding to television and eventually digital streaming platforms. It has been on the airwaves longer than any other broadcast program of any medium anywhere in the world. It has continued to produce original shows for 5,000 Saturday nights through the Great Depression, World War II, two Nashville floods and, most recently, the global pandemic.
In March 2020, when music venues shuttered around the world, the Opry continued airing under strict health and safety protocols through its weekly WSM 650 AM and SiriusXM radio broadcasts. Simultaneously, Opry Live was launched on Circle, bringing comfort to millions of fans around the world and quickly becoming the television network’s landmark series.
The Opry announced Monday that Brooks, Yearwood, Darius Rucker and Dustin Lynch — all members of the self-described "show that made country music famous"— lead additions to the previously-announced lineup of multi-generational country talent.
Opry organizers announced last month that Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, Connie Smith, Vince Gill, Chris Young, Chris Janson, the Gatlin Brothers and Terri Clark would perform during the landmark broadcast.
Those unable to attend in-person can tune into one of the night's two planned shows via Circle, the country lifestyle network launched last year by Opry Entertainment Group. Circle plans to livestream the show via select cable providers, Peacock, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
The nearly 96-year-old radio program launched a countdown to 5,000 earlier this summer with celebrity guests from Homer Simpson to Ed Helms helping ring in the Saturday programs leading into Oct. 30.
In addition, the Opry this week opened a limited-time exhibit at the Acuff House, Opry Memories: Celebrating 5,000 Saturday Night Broadcasts. The exhibit takes guests on a journey through the inception of WSM-AM radio and the first Grand Ole Opry broadcasts and continues forward covering special moments from milestone broadcast eras of 1,000 broadcasts up to present day. The exhibit will feature artifacts and photos from current Grand Ole Opry members including Luke Combs, Dolly Parton, Carly Pearce, Trisha Yearwood, and many others, as well as items from some of the Opry’s earliest stars including Roy Acuff, DeFord Bailey, Minnie Pearl, and more. The exhibit will also explore the history of WSM-AM radio, giving visitors a glimpse into the innovations that pioneered an industry and ultimately led to Nashville becoming “Music City U.S.A.”. The Opry engaged Warner Museums/Method-1 for the design, fabrication and installation of the exhibit.
“For 5,000 Saturday nights, the Opry has stood as a beacon not just for generations of listeners seeking top-notch entertainment, but for artists with big dreams and even bigger talent,” said Scott Bailey, President of Opry Entertainment Group. “This stage has witnessed some of the most iconic moments in country music – debuts, duets, and everything in between – and it deserves celebrating. We’re excited for country music fans around the world to be able to join us for this historic occasion.”
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