# Calgary's bid to become Nashville North

> Alberta's premier came back from Music City with a plan, plus two other Canadian music wins worth knowing about.
- Title: Calgary's bid to become Nashville North · Billboard | Shortify
- Summary: Alberta's premier came back from Music City with a plan, plus two other Canadian music wins worth knowing about. Calgary already has the crowds and is…
- Keywords: calgary, nashville, canadian music, danielle smith, music industry, Calgary's, bid, become, North, Billboard
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/pro/calgary-plans-nashville-north-canada-music-news
- Author: Stefano Rebuli,Heather Taylor-Singh
- Published: 2026-09-11T23:22:32+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: calgary, nashville, canadian music, danielle smith, music industry
## Calgary wants Music City's playbook
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Calgary can become Canada's next major music hub, and she thinks the raw ingredients are already sitting there.
## She went and asked
Smith met Tennessee chamber of commerce and tourism leaders in Nashville to find out exactly which decisions turned that city into a music powerhouse.

> There are a number of changes that they made 25 years ago in order to become what they are today
## Talent in, expertise in
The pitch is not just festivals. Smith wants partnerships that move working musicians and industry know-how between the two cities in both directions.

> I want to find out a little bit about what that is and see if we can develop some excellent partnerships
## The crowds already show up
The Calgary Stampede pulls roughly 1.4 million people a year, and the Cowboys Music Festival draws about 165,000. Demand is not the missing piece.
## A $26 billion gap
Calgary's music industry is valued around $2.3 billion. Nashville's economic impact is $28.3 billion. Smith believes the right moves can close that distance.
## Buildings before bands
Scotia Place, the new Flames arena, opens in fall 2027 and will host concerts. Stampede Park is chasing year-round status under a 20 year plan.
## The Beaches go gold
The Toronto rock band's 2023 single "Blame Brett" earned an RIAA gold certification, their first in the United States, announced three years after release.

> Thank you everyone, we'll forever be blaming Brett
## A TikTok moment paid off
The song went viral, which won U.S. radio play: No. 17 on Alternative Airplay, No. 27 on Rock & Alternative, No. 33 on Pop Airplay. Bigger rooms followed.
## Key takeaway

Calgary already has the crowds and is building the venues. What it wants from Nashville is the industry itself: labels, studios, and the people who run them.