This year’s 2016 CMA Music Festival is almost here! The festival began in 1972 as a way to keep fans from refraining from attending the country music radio convention held in the fall. Nowadays, it’s all about keeping it fun and having a great time celebrating country music stars.
The very CMA Music festival was held in April of 1972, drawing 5,000 attendees. The following year the festival was moved to June to ensure better weather, and 10,000 fans showed up. The 1974 festival attracted Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner (Dolly and Porter split up right after the duet that year).
You can expect up to 400 country artists, bands, and singers on hand for a celebration of country music, great food, with fairly easy access to the stars. Unlike other music genres, the country artists stay close to their roots and fans, this four day ‘meet and greet’ is like one big family reunion without the tacky T-Shirts.
Downtown Nashville becomes the world’s largest stage for free concerts and incredible food during this time of the year. The newest faces of country music will likely appear on the Chevrolet Riverfront stage during the four day festival, while the Chevrolet Cruz Park stage will be busy as well. The main event is typically the Nissan Stadium concert series, showcasing the biggest stars.
The event will play host to travelers from nearly 50 countries and all 50 states; the fun begins June 9th through June 12th in Nashville TN. Be sure to download the CMA Mobile APP now for more info and a complete schedule with locations, directions, and consumer information for the event.