CMA Fest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CMA Fest |
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| Genre | Country music |
| Dates | June |
| Location(s) | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Years active | 1972–2019, 2022–present |
| Founded by | Country Music Association |
CMA Fest is a huge four-day music festival all about country music. It happens every June in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The Country Music Association (CMA) organizes this exciting event.
The festival started in 1972 and was first called Fan Fair. Now, about 350 artists and famous people come to CMA Fest. They meet fans, sign autographs, and perform in many concerts.
Money raised from the festival helps music education programs in schools. This support comes through the CMA Foundation, which is the CMA's charity group.
Contents
History of the Festival
How Fan Fair Began (1972–2003)
The radio station WSM and the Country Music Association (CMA) created Fan Fair in 1972. They wanted fans to have their own event. Before this, fans would sometimes go to a meeting meant only for radio people.
The very first Fan Fair was held from April 12 to 15, 1972. It took place at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. About 5,000 fans came to this first four-day event. They enjoyed 20 hours of live music and visited 100 booths. Many artists signed autographs there.
The next year, Fan Fair moved to June. This was to get better weather and attract more visitors. The number of fans doubled to 10,000! In its third year, Paul McCartney performed. He was the first non-country musician to join the lineup. Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner also sang together for the last time as a duo.
By 1982, the festival moved to the Nashville Fairgrounds. A fun competition called the All American Country Games was added. This event helped raise money for the Tennessee Special Olympics. It was later removed in 1989 to make room for more concerts.
In 1991, singer Kathy Mattea attended Fan Fair. She was told by doctors not to speak or sing. So, she used a computer to type messages to her fans. This allowed her to "talk" with them!
In 1996, Garth Brooks surprised everyone by attending the festival's 25th anniversary. So many fans wanted to see him. He stayed in his booth signing autographs for over 23 hours without a break!
Fan Fair changed a lot in 2001. For the first time, it was held over a long weekend. This was from Thursday, June 14, to Sunday, June 17. The festival also moved from the fairgrounds to downtown Nashville. It used places like Nissan Stadium and Riverfront Park. The fairgrounds then became a temporary camping spot for visitors.
Before 2001, record companies decided which artists would perform. They also chose how long each artist would play. After 2001, the main concerts were grouped by larger music distribution companies. Artists are not paid to attend or perform at the festival.
CMA Music Festival and CMA Fest (since 2004)
In 2004, the CMA changed the event's name to CMA Music Festival. They wanted to make it sound more appealing and connect it better to the CMA name. Also in 2004, the ABC network started showing the event on TV. It was a two-hour special called CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock. The first TV special was very popular, with about 9 million people watching. This yearly special, showing highlights from the festival, still airs on ABC.
A new record for attendance was set in 2007. Over 191,000 fans came to the festival that year. They enjoyed more than 100 hours of concerts. There were also 30 hours of organized autograph signings. Fans could also join family activities, celebrity sports, and games. More than 400 famous people appeared at the 2007 CMA Music Festival.
The name was changed again to CMA Fest in 2017.
The festival did not happen in 2020 and 2021. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it came back in 2022, much to the delight of fans!
Festival Attendance Records
Before 2001, the CMA Music Festival was considered sold out if 25,000 people attended. People of all ages come to the festival, from babies to older adults. Visitors come from many countries, including Canada, France, and Japan. They also come from all 50 US states.
After moving to its new, larger downtown locations in 2001, attendance grew a lot. The 2002 festival had 126,000 fans! In 2003, attendance dropped a little. This was partly because some very famous country music stars did not attend. However, the drop was small and not permanent. In 2007, a record 191,000 people attended the festival.
In 2010 and 2011, about 65,000 people attended each day. This included both ticketed and free events. In 2011, the total number of visitors over the four days was over 250,000. These fans came from 41 countries and all 50 US states.
In 2015, tickets sold out seven months early. A record 87,680 fans attended that year. This was a 9.6% increase from 2014. In 2022, the festival returned after 1099 days due to the pandemic. It sold out again, with fans from across the US and 39 countries.
See also
- List of country music festivals
Images for kids
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CMA Fest logo
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Ira Dean, Heidi Newfield, and Keith Burns of Trick Pony signing autographs at the CMA Music Festival in 2006
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Sugarland performing at CMA Music Festival in 2008
