27-02-2025
Grand Ole Opry's 100th anniversary celebrations to include upgraded microphone stand
On Saturday night, March 1, 2025, the three-sided microphone stand familiar to the program's century-long history will have a brand new look.
The world's most famous country music show will unveil the new mic stand during this Saturday night's show featuring Charles Wesley Godwin (Opry NextStage Class of 2024) and six members of both the Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame: Bill Anderson, Vince Gill, The Oak Ridge Boys, Don Schlitz, Connie Smith, and Marty Stuart.
Gill will unveil the new stand during his portion of the show.
Fans can purchase tickets at or tune in to the show live on and SiriusXM Willie's Roadhouse, or its flagship home WSM Radio AM 650.
'Like the Opry's famed Circle center stage and its signature barn backdrop, the show's familiar microphone stands have been a key part of our iconography for decades,' said the Opry's executive producer, Dan Rogers.
'This celebration of 100 years is all about celebrating our past and opening wide the doors to the next century of music, and these stands will be a testament to that for as long as they are featured on the Opry stage.'
The microphone stand upgrade is occurring amid a season in the Grand Ole Opry's 100th anniversary year that features 100 debuts on a recently technologically updated stage with a famed wooden circle that now features a neon glow, Regarding the Opry's stage, in Feb. 2023, the physical stage of the venue at 2804 Opryland Drive underwent the following renovations:
A new Barn with new lighting elements and capabilities
A 52' w x 27' h, 2.9mm high-resolution Ross/D3 video wall upstage of the barn set
A fully redundant Disguise GX3c media server system
Completely new JBL A Series PA system
New audience and key lighting elements
A 'Halo' lighting effect for 'The Circle'
In short, the same video wall capabilities used by ABC and ESPN news broadcasters featuring digital set design capabilities used by arena and stadium-touring acts will be showcased in a venue using high-quality downtown arena-ready sound.
The Grand Ole Opry's 100th birthday year will feature an impressive series of events throughout 2025 and 2026.
"Our 2025 plans represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the Opry more accessible than ever before," CEO Moore adds. "For decades, people will look back on this year as the one they first discovered or deepened their connection with the show that made country music famous. We've packed our calendar with moments so everyone — from casual fans to super fans — can enjoy the magic of the Grand Ole Opry from wherever they are in the world."
Among them are a fall 2025 debut at London's Royal Albert Hall and what a press statement notes are "more Opry shows than ever before," including a special "Opry 100 Honors" show series. There will also be 100 Opry debuts throughout the year, including Shaboozey's forthcoming one, rescheduled from Jan. 18.
An official Abrams Books-published "100 Years of Grand Ole Opry" book will also be released on April 15, and other limited-edition "Opry 100" merchandise will be released throughout the year.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's Opry 100th anniversary events include upgraded mic stand
