Fans waited more than 1000 days. Organizers brought it back. And Nashville was rocking for four days, with CMA Fest leading the way. Tens of thousands filled seats to watch their favorite country music acts, from local faves to worldwide superstars, and it was a lot of fun. Surprise guest appearances were popping up like crazy the entire festival, and it was nice to see things back to normal in Music City.
If you weren’t in Nashville for the CMA Fest, then I’m sure that you’ve seen plenty of videos and photos online. The performances were big, and the crowds even bigger. After it was all said and done, the world’s longest-running country music festival in the world, the 49th edition, was one to remember.
Among the acts were Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, Lady A, Luke Bryan, Jimmie Allen, and literally a couple hundred or so more. Sarah Trahern, CEO of CMA, was more than happy with how everything played out. She expressed as much in a press release.
“We did it! It had been 1099 days since we last kicked off CMA Fest (in 2019), and to finally be here feels incredible!” says Trahern. “So many emotions have gone through my head this week, but I think gratitude sums it up best. Seeing the fans return to Nashville or visit us for the very first time is so heartwarming, and welcoming back our artists and the music community after two difficult years means so much. It truly takes a village to pull off this event—thank you to all of our partners within Nashville and beyond for helping us bring CMA Fest back!”
When CMA Fest comes back in 2023, it will be the 50th edition. So, if you thought that this year was a big deal, just wait.
CMA Fest Had Nashville in Full Party Mode
From stage to stage, there was something going on everywhere you turned. However, things got a little wilder when Luke Bryan started to take a stroll around Broadway. CMA Fest was still going on, but Bryan wanted to get a little more bang for his buck and gave fans something extra too.
Of course, Bryan is one of the lucky few that has a bar on Broadway. He’s been stopping by and playing little shows off and on for a while now. So, he used the excuse of CMA Fest to crash a party at his bar, take over the DJ booth, and kept the party going after his set at Nissan Stadium.
It wasn’t just his own bar that he crashed. He decided to walk to Blake Shelton’s Ole Red and gave the folks there a show as well. He was all over the place, and I’m sure he was feeling it today. Monday morning can be a rude awakening, especially for a country music star coming off a four-day weekend.
CMA Fest was awesome. After more than 1000 days, the return was better than you could have hoped for.
