Nate Bargatze Sets Bridgestone Arena Attendance Mark

A prophet may not be accepted in his hometown, but a stand-up comedian sure is.

Comedian Nate Bargatze drew 19,365 to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena April 15, a record crowd at the 27-year-old building, breaking the previous mark of 19,292 set by Morgan Wallen for his short-notice album-release show March 3.

“It is incredible to have someone from Middle Tennessee who grew up coming to Bridgestone Arena to watch events be able to come here and perform for the largest crowd we’ve ever hosted,” said Bridgestone Arena’s EVP of Entertainment and Venues, David Kells. 

A native of the Nashville enclave of Old Hickory, Bargatze said it had been his dream to play his hometown arena for years.

“My first visit to Bridgestone Arena was to watch a Nashville Kats arena football game with my family and now-wife and I have been going since they opened,” Bargatze said. “When I started comedy, I would find myself daydreaming about coming home to play Bridgestone, but never really thinking it would happen. It will take me a while to wrap my head around it. All the people coming to the show, I can never repay you for allowing me to get to this point. Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you.” 

Hailed as “The Nicest Man in Stand-Up” and notable for working clean, Bargatze is in the midst of his “Be Funny” tour, which heads into its next leg April 27 at Emens Auditorium in Muncie, Indiana. The 33-date tour includes a run of Australian and New Zealand dates, four plays at the Wynn in Las Vegas and a stop at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre May 24. See the full routing below.

Highlights from the first leg of the tour submitted to Pollstar Boxoffice include two November 18 shows at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, grossing $319,237 on 4,611 tickets.

NATE BARGATZE: THE BE FUNNY TOUR

April 27 Muncie, IN Emens Auditorium
April 28 Kalamazoo, MI Kalamazoo State Theatre
April 29 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater
April 30 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
May 4 Williamsport, PA Community Arts Center
May 5 Hershey, PA Giant Center
May 6 Hershey, PA Giant Center
May 7 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall
May 11 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Center of the Performing Arts
May 12 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Center of the Performing Arts
May 13 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
May 14 Richmond, VA Altria Theatre
May 20 North Charleston, SC North Charleston PAC
May 21 North Charleston, SC North Charleston PAC
May 24 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
May 30 Dayton, OH Schuster Center
May 31 Springfield, IL UIS Performing Arts Center
June 1 Springfield, IL UIS Performing Arts Center
June 2 Dayton, OH Schuster Center
June 3 Evansville, IN Old National Events Plaza
June 4 Bowling Green, KY SKYPAC
June 9 Las Vegas, NV WYNN Las Vegas
June 10 Las Vegas, NV WYNN Las Vegas
June 15 Sioux City, IA Orpheum Theatre
June 16 Saint Paul, MN Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
June 17 Saint Paul, MN Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
July 29 Sydney, AU Enmore Theatre
August 1 Melbourne, AU Athenaeum Theatre
August 4 Perth, AU Astor Theatre
August 6 Brisbane, AU The Fortitude Music Hall
August 9 Auckland, NZ Bruce Mason Centre Theatre
November 10 Las Vegas, NV WYNN Las Vegas
November 11 Las Vegas, NV WYNN Las Vegas