There is no permanent winner. The right answer on any given ride is whichever app gives you the lower price and shorter wait time when you open both simultaneously. That said, there are Nashville-specific patterns worth knowing.
Driver Supply and Wait Times
Uber has a larger overall driver network in Nashville. On weekend nights on Broadway, Uber’s driver density is higher, which matters when 18,000 people empty out of Bridgestone Arena at the same time. Peak-hour wait times on Broadway at 2 AM on a Saturday can stretch to 10-20 minutes on either app, but Uber tends to have more cars available in the immediate downtown zone.
In quieter neighborhoods and during weekday hours, both apps have comparable wait times.
Price
Neither is consistently cheaper. In Q1-Q2 2025, analysis of airport rides nationally found Lyft averaged about 5% cheaper than Uber during moderate demand periods, but the gap closed or reversed during peak surges. The surge behavior differs: Lyft tends to surge earlier but caps lower, while Uber holds base pricing longer before spiking higher once demand crosses a threshold. In practice, the difference on a typical Nashville short trip ($12-20) is $1-3 either way.
The right move is to open both apps before you request and take whichever is cheaper at that moment. This takes 30 seconds and consistently saves money over time.
Venue Partnerships
This is where it gets specific to Nashville:
- Bridgestone Arena and Nashville Predators: Lyft is the official rideshare partner. Drop-off is on 5th Avenue. New users get 50% off the first two rides (up to $10) with code BRIDGESTONENASH.
- Ryman Auditorium: Lyft is the official partner. Code RYMANAUD for the same new-user discount.
These partnerships mean Lyft-designated drop-off/pickup zones at these venues are better organized than Uber’s, which is a real convenience difference on show nights when hundreds of people are all ordering at once.
BNA airport is split: Lyft picks up from Zone A, Uber from Zones B and C.
Saturday Night Broadway Specifically
The most challenging rideshare situation in Nashville is getting out of the Broadway corridor on a Saturday night between midnight and 2 AM. Both apps surge heavily. Taxi cabs have a flat $30 rate to downtown hotels regardless of surge pricing, which during peak surge can actually undercut both apps. If you are leaving Broadway at last call and both apps show $40+ for a 2-mile ride, a cab is worth flagging.
Subscriptions
Lyft Pink ($9.99/month) gives 5% off all rides plus waived cancellation fees. For someone visiting Nashville for a full weekend who expects to take 10+ rides, the math often works out. Uber One ($9.99/month) offers similar benefits. Neither is worth it for a one-time visit.
The Honest Answer
Have both apps installed. Check both before every ride. Neither is better in Nashville as a permanent answer. The practical difference that exists is Lyft’s venue partnerships at the Ryman and Bridgestone, which make Lyft the marginally smoother choice for event nights at those specific venues.
Sources
- Bridgestone Arena official rideshare partner page: bridgestonearena.com (Lyft official partner, code BRIDGESTONENASH)
- Ryman Auditorium: rideshare partnership page (Lyft official partner, code RYMANAUD)
- BNA airport rideshare zones: Lyft Zone A, Uber Zones B and C
- Alibaba Product Insights: “Uber vs Lyft: Which is Cheaper for Airport Rides in 2025” (Lyft 5.3% cheaper on average for airport rides Q1-Q2 2025)
- TripAdvisor Nashville forum: local user experience Lyft vs Uber Nashville
- NashvilleGuru.com: rideshare options overview, February 2025