A Look Inside The New 320,000+ Square Foot Production Campus, Worldwide Stages
Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Stages
A little over 30 miles out from downtown Nashville sits a new production campus serving the entertainment industry, Worldwide Stages. With 320,000+ square feet of facilities on 38 acres, the expansive campus was settled in the former Saturn headquarters in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Of its many amenities, Worldwide Stages contains four sound stages ranging from 3,000 to 21,000 square feet that can be used by musicians to rehearse their performances before they go on tour, or film/TV professionals to produce movies and TV series.
Pictured: Worldwide Stages CEO, Kelly Frey. Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Stages
But Worldwide Stages aims to be more than just another sound stage. They want to be a gathering place for creatives that provides concierge services and amenities to the guests using their space.
In addition to their expansive sound stages, Worldwide Stages offers on-site food and beverage service, event spaces, parking for hundreds of vehicles, on-site industry vendors, and even laundry and shower facilities. Within its massive square footage are areas dedicated to meeting spaces, production offices, a theater for viewing rehearsal footage, and on-site dining areas. They are even designing a speakeasy where artists can relax while on campus.
All of these amenities speak to Worldwide Stages’ plan to create an environment where the artists concentrate on performance and creation—rather than logistics.
Worldwide Stages was originated by two music industry veterans, Shane Ellis and Mark Long. CEO Kelly Frey, whose background includes executive production and technology projects, runs the operation.
“What we saw was an industry that was underserved,” Frey tells MusicRow. “We wanted to create a safe, secure environment where the artists can come in, do the hard work that’s required for tour prep, and do it in the proximity of their home.
“We’re very service oriented,” he adds. “It’s not only the visual space, but it’s the support structure as well. We have gigabyte-level internet speed, 400 amp 3-phase power with distros coming off the power at the places where you need them. We’ve got [approximately] a quarter of a million dollars in backline equipment. If somebody forgot something, we can come in and provide speakers, microphones, drum sets, or whatever is required. We’re just trying to make it easier, this industry is tough enough.”
On the film and TV side, the sound stages at Worldwide Stages are readily adaptable for whatever a film crew may need. “Having those capabilities provides an advantage over just a big black box that [crews] sometimes find themselves in.”
Security is also top priority for Worldwide Stages. The campus is surrounded on three sides by four-lane highway with interstate highway style fencing, and employs 24/7 security personnel with video surveillance technology. “When you drive up, it looks like another industrial building. That’s by design. We don’t want to stick out,” Frey says.
Worldwide Stages opened for business in September of 2021, and has already hosted many award-winning acts. They will hold a grand opening on a to-be-determined date at the end of May to coincide with the one year anniversary of closing on the real estate.
“I love it when I hear that a tour manager has told another tour manager, ‘You’ll never go anywhere else,'” Frey sums. “We credit that to our people. We have a staff that goes above and beyond.”
Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Stages
Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Stages
A dining area. Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Stages
The lobby at Worldwide Stages. Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Stages
Sitting area. Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Stages
