More so than any other genre, country music and live events go hand and hand. Every year, the world of country music has the CMA Awards, the ACM Awards, the Stagecoach Festival, the Railbird Festival, and a plethora of live shows transpiring year-round. However, the biggest and most grandiose event to happen in the world of country music every year is undeniably CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Every year, CMA Fest happens in June and has live performances, shopping, activities, and meet-and-greets for the hordes of fans that attend. However, it has not always been such a large-scale and star-studded event. Like everything, CMA Fest had its humble beginnings, and in celebration of this year’s 52nd Annual CMA Fest, here are the origins behind country music’s biggest festival.
How CMA Fest Became Country Music’s Biggest Festival
The origins of the festival are not exactly what you might think them to be. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, CMA Fest, formerly known as Fan Fair, was created as a solution to the overcrowding issue at Nashville’s annual DJ Convention. Which, in its heyday, was a convention meant for music executives, musicians, and fans wanting to meet country music celebrities.
Consequently, the Country Music Association, in partnership with radio station WSM, created Fan Fair and hosted the first ever festival in 1972 at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. In its first year, the event hosted 5,000 fans, and country music legends such as George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Roy Acuff, Tammy Wynette, and Ernest Tubb all attended.
By the 1990s, Fan Fair took off, as it began hosting an average of 25,000 fans during the decade. Years later, in 2004, CMA absorbed Fan Fair entirely and officially renamed it. With this move, CMA Fest has grown exponentially. In 2023, during CMA Fest’s 50th Anniversary, the Tennessean estimated that the festival hosted roughly 90,000 fans daily. All of whom came from all 50 states and 46 different countries.
Needless to say, the festival has come a long, long way since its humble beginnings. And they keep adding to their success and growth, as the 52nd annual CMA Fest will again feature all of country music’s biggest stars over four days. Some of the musicians set to perform at this year’s festival include Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Jordan Davis, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, and so many more.
Be sure to tune-in to #CMAfest presented by @SoFi on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC to relive your favorite performances!
Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
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