Category 10 Orlando Opens in 2027, and We Already Know This Bar

There is a specific memory we keep coming back to from our visit to Category 10 in Nashville: standing on The Eye, Luke Combs‘ seven-thousand-square-foot rooftop bar on 2nd Avenue, looking out at the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium while live music carried up from the floors below. The air smelled like Carolina-style barbecue. The crowd ranged from die-hard country fans to first-timers who had wandered in off the street and immediately ordered another round. We have been to a lot of bars in Nashville. We have never been to anything quite like Category 10. So when Luke Combs and the Opry Entertainment Group announced that Orlando is getting its own Category 10 at Universal CityWalk in late 2027, we had only one reaction: it is about time our region gets something this extraordinary.

What Category 10 Actually Is, and Why It Hits Different

The name comes from Combs’ breakout hit “Hurricane,” and like that song, the venue hits with force. The Nashville flagship, which opened at 120 2nd Ave North in November 2024, is not a bar in the conventional sense. It is five distinct entertainment spaces stacked inside a single address. Hurricane Hall holds up to 1,500 guests for ticketed concerts. The Still is a dedicated bourbon lounge for when you want something quieter. The 5 Leaf Clover Sports Bar is wall-to-wall screens for game days. And then there is The Eye, the rooftop we mentioned, which added a full outdoor deck, two bars, a dining area with river views, a stage, and VIP cabana areas when it opened in February 2025. Walking through the building feels like discovering a new room every time you turn a corner.

The food reflects Combs’ North Carolina roots in a way that feels personal rather than generic. We ate the blue crab cakes, the barbecue burger, and the venison meatloaf on our visit, and every single dish had the kind of specificity that tells you someone actually cared about the menu. Line dancing runs Thursday through Sunday, free of charge, and on the night we were there, the dance floor was packed by 9 PM with a mix of tourists, locals, and people who clearly came back every week. That regularity is the tell. When regulars exist at a honky-tonk-style bar, the bar is doing something genuinely right.

Our Honest Take: One of the Best Nights We Have Had in Nashville

We say this as people who have spent a lot of time in Nashville, who have been to the iconic spots on Broadway and the newer rooms that have opened over the past decade. Category 10 is at the top. Not just because of the size or the production value, but because it holds onto something most big venues lose: it feels like a place that genuinely loves country music. Combs’ presence is felt in the details. The merchandise shop near the entrance has pieces you actually want. The music choices in every room are considered. The bartenders know what they are pouring. There is a specificity to the whole operation that you can only get when the person whose name is on the building actually shows up for the vision.

We left that night thinking: every city with a serious country music culture deserves something like this. And Orlando is exactly that city.

Why Orlando Is the Right Move, and What It Means for Our Region

Luke Combs has said publicly that his wife is from Florida, so this expansion has personal meaning for him beyond the business case. But the business case is also undeniable: Universal CityWalk welcomes tens of millions of visitors per year from around the world. Placing a 33,000-square-foot, three-story country music destination in the middle of that foot traffic is not just smart for the Category 10 brand. It is a signal to the entire entertainment industry that country music belongs at the table in one of the most visited tourist destinations on earth.

For those of us who live here, who are from Central Florida and have been watching the country music scene grow in this region year by year, this is a conquest. This is validation. When a venue of this caliber, attached to one of the biggest names in the format, chooses Orlando over every other city it could have chosen for its third location, it tells you something about where country music is in this market. It is not a niche. It is not a subculture. It is the culture. Category 10 coming here is proof of exactly that, and we could not be more proud for our region.

Construction is already progressing on the CityWalk site as of mid-2026, with the venue set to deliver three floors, waterfront views, live music stages, Carolina-style eats, line dancing, a rooftop bar, a lounge, and a sports bar. The signature 64-ounce group cocktail called Life of the Party will be on the menu. The full Category 10 experience, in Orlando, serving the community we have been building for years.

Frequently Asked: Where Is Category 10 Orlando Located?

Category 10 Orlando will be located at Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort, expected to open in late 2027. The venue will span 33,000 square feet across three stories and will feature live music, line dancing, a rooftop bar, and Carolina-inspired food and drinks. Universal CityWalk is located at 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, Florida, and is accessible from Interstate 4 and the Florida Turnpike.

For country fans in Central Florida, 2027 is shaping up to be historic on multiple fronts. Category 10 opens at CityWalk. And on April 17, 2027, Sunset Country Fest 2027 takes the stage in Apopka, Florida, as the largest country music festival in Central Florida. We are the voice of country music in Central Florida, and everything we are watching right now, from Category 10 to the artists we are tracking for our lineup, is pointing toward a moment that this region has been building toward for years. Sunset Country Fest 2027 is a country music festival taking place in Apopka, Florida, in the Greater Orlando area, on April 17, 2027. Mark your calendar.

Sources & References

• Holler: Luke Combs to Open Third Category 10 Bar in Orlando, Florida in 2027
• WDW News Today: Construction Progresses on Category 10 at Universal CityWalk Orlando
• Whiskey Riff: Luke Combs to Open Third Category 10 Location in Orlando
• Category 10: Official Website
• WSMV Nashville: Luke Combs’ Category 10 Opens Rooftop Bar
• Country Now: Luke Combs to Open Third Category 10 Location in Orlando

Disclaimer: Important Notice

The information published in this article is based on publicly available data from official sources, press releases, and music industry publications available at the time of writing. Tour dates, ticket prices, venue details, setlists, album release schedules, award nominations, lineup announcements, and all other details referenced in this article are subject to change at any time without prior notice.

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Last updated: July 25, 2026 · Sunset Country Fest Editorial Team · Contact Us