| Lesson One: Planning a Trip to the CMA Music Festival | |
|
Updated 06/01/09
What is the CMA Music Festival?
In early June over 100,000 country music fans desend on Nashville in hopes of meeting their favorite country music stars. There are concerts galore (over 40 hours of shows), and meet and greets with many country artists, plus meeting other fans and making lifelong friendships.
The CMA Music Festival first started as a way to relieve some of the congestion during the annual country music DJ convention in Nashville. Since there were so many artists in attendance, fans converged in Nashville, hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite stars. The CMA and the Grand Ole Opry concluded that if a festival were created for the fans, it would be successful, and so the CMA Music Festival was born, originally called Fan Fair.
The first Fan Fair was held in April of 1972 at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. Included were many of country's most noted artists performing over 20 hours of live music. There were over 100 booths where fans could take photos and get autographs of their favorite stars. Approximately 5,000 fans attended that year. The Odessa Chuck Wagon Gang of Odessa, Texas, served up their "Texas Menu" of barbecue, beans, slaw, onions, pickles, bread and beverages.
Soon after the first Fan Fair, people started inquiring as to when the next one would be. The date was moved to June the following year, and over 10,000 fans attended, doubling the first years numbers.
In 1974 fans witnessed history with the last performance of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner as a duo in more than a decade. Fans were also surprised to see former Beatle Paul McCartney in attendance.
Each year saw the number grow, and in 1982, the event was moved to the Tennessee Fairgrounds. In that year, the celebrity softball tournament was replaced by the All American Country Games competition. This continued through 1988, with proceeds benefitting Tennessee Special Olympics. In 1989 more shows were added in lieu of the games.
By 1994 over 100 entertainers performed at Fan Fair. Willie Nelson made a surprise visit, and Reba McEntire joined Linda Davis onstage for a performance of their CMA and Grammy award-winning song "Does He Love You."
In 1996, for the 25th Anniversary of Fan Fair over 100 artists performed for the sold-out crowd. This was the year that Garth Brooks made his unexpected appearance, signing autographs for 23 hours straight.
Fan Fair 2000 included participation of over 200 artists, including more than 40 platinum and multi-platinum acts such as Brooks & Dunn, Clint Black, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes and SHeDAISY.
In 2001, a new era was born when Fan Fair made it's return to downtown Nashville. The nightly shows were held at the Adelphia Coliseum, and Riverfront Park hosted shows from independent labels. This was also the first year Soap stars were part of the activities with stars from "Days of Our Lives," and "Passions" signing autographs for fans.
Fan Fair 2002 had the largest attendence ever with over 125,000 fans. More than 40 acts participated in the nightly shows on the Adelphia stage (now LP Field).
For 2004, the CMA decided on a name change, and Fan Fair will now be called the "CMA Music Festival."
In 2005, CMA Music Festival broke the attendance record with more than 145,000 Country Music fans attending. Thirty-five acts participated in the star-studded Nightly Concerts at LP Field while the riverfront dual stages bustled with a rich array of more than 100 acts from both major and independent record labels performing nearly 30 hours of concerts. New in 2005 was the CMA Music Festival Kick Off Parade, which traversed four blocks on Broadway before ending at Riverfront Park for the launch of the Festival.
CMA Music Festival set a new attendance record in 2006 with 161,590 people attending the four-day Festival, June 8-11, in Downtown Nashville. In all, 33 acts participated in the star-packed Nightly Concerts at LP Field, while the Riverfront dual stages bustled with a rich array of performers from both major and independent record labels. In all, 86 acts performed more than 32 hours of concerts.
New in 2006 was the "CMA Music Festival Block Party" following "The Second Annual CMA Music Festival Kick Off Parade," featuring special guests Big & Rich and a variety of artists, celebrities, and athletes riding in classic Chevy vehicles and the newest model cars. Also in 2006, CMA and the Nashville Alliance for Public Education partnered together on the "Keep the Music Playing" initiative, which guaranteed proceeds from the CMA Music Festival would go towards music education in local public schools. CMA anticipated contributing $300,000 toward music education for Metro Nashville's 73,000 public school students in 2006.
In 2007, a new attendence record was set as 191,154 fans attended the Festival. There were over 100 hours of concerts, 30 hours of organized autograph signings, family activities, celebrity sports competitions, interactive exhibits, giveaways, games and much more. Over 400 celebrities appeared at the 2007 CMA Music Festival.
Reba McEntire made her first appearance since 1996, and Kelly Clarkson made a suprise appearance. Other suprises included Ted Nugent joining Montgomery Gentry for a ferocious "Cat Scratch Fever," as well as an unannounced appearnace by Rascal Flatts.
Stars of ABC daytime television shows "All My Children," "One Life to Live," and "General Hospital" made their first appearance at the Festival in 2007.
You can buy tickets by three methods:
- Call CMA Music Festival Box Office toll-free at (800) CMA-FEST (262-3378) to order.
- Download the order form FAX or mail it in. (Adobe Acrobat required to view form).
- Buy your tickets online at Ticketmaster
What is the cost, and what's included?
| Seating Area | Service Charge (if paying by credit card) |
|
|---|---|---|
Sold Out |
||
Sold Out |
||
| Adult: Lower | $155 | $4.65 |
Sold Out |
||
| Adult: Club | $145 | $4.35 |
| Adult: Upper General Admission |
$110 | $3.30 |
| Adult: Upper Reserved | $120 | $3.60 |
Sold Out |
||
| 12 & Younger: Lower | $109 | $3.30 |
| 12 & Younger: Club | $102 | $3.10 |
| 12 & Younger: Upper Reserved | $84 | $2.55 |
| 12 & Younger: Upper General Admission |
$78 | $2.35 |
A four-day CMA Music Festival 2009 Ticket includes:
- VAULT™ Concert Stage at LP Field - Country's top stars rock Nashville's LP Field four hot nights in a row
- Daily Concerts at Riverfront Park - showcases Country's many flavors in a lively, intimate outdoor seating
- Chevy™ Music Stage - Music and interactive displays take over the Sommet Center plaza
- Greased Lightning® Fan Fair® Hall featuring Acoustic Corner - Fans meet the stars for autographs and photos in the Nashville Convention Center. Plus fun exhibits!
- Fun Zone - Popular exhibits, exciting giveaways, freebies and more
- Chevy™ Sports Zone - Celebrities face off in special sporting events
- Music City Zone - The latest Festival addition featuring live music and a celebration of Nashville culture
- Dr Pepper®-McDonalds® Family Zone - Wholesome fun with inflatables, arts & crafts, games, hands-on activities, product sampling and more
- Parade & Block Party - The Festival launches with a rockin' party Downtown on Wednesday
- CMA Music Festival After Hours™ - Late-night entertainment abounds after the NIGHTLY CONCERTS end
- Free Shuttle Service - Hitch a ride between venue sites in Downtown Nashville
- Collectible Program Book, Lapel Pin and More!
Can I buy single-day tickets?
Starting April 18, 2009, single night tickets will be available for $40.00 for reserved seats on the lower and club levels, and $30.00 for general admission in the upper deck of LP field (plus applicable handling fees).
- Buy Single Night Tickets for Thursday, June 11
- Buy Single Night Tickets for Friday, June 12
- Buy Single Night Tickets for Saturday, June 13
- Buy Single Night Tickets for Sunday, June 14
| Daily Schedule for LP Field Shows (Updated 05/07/09 |
|
|---|---|
|
Thursday, June 11
Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Julianne Hough, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker Friday, June 12 Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Jake Owen, and Zac Brown Band Saturday, June 13 Trace Adkins, Jack Ingram, Jamey Johnson, Martina McBride, Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack, Wynonna (with a special appearance by The Judds) Sunday, June 14 Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, John Rich, and Taylor Swift * Artists listed in alphabetical order. Artists and schedules are subject to change. Additional artists will be announced soon. Special guests have also become a tradition for the Festival, adding to the already star-packed lineup. |
|
| Daily Schedule for Riverfront Stages (Updated 06/01/09 |
|
|---|---|
Thursday, June 11
Friday, June 12
Saturday, June 13
Sunday, June 14
|
|
