2017 CMA Fest
Slated to take place in early June, the 46th annual CMA Music Festival is a four-day festival taking place throughout various venues in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to its regular lineup of performances, the CMA Festival organizers recently announced its nightly “National Anthem” performers — including Phil Vassar (alongside the United States Customs and Border Protection color guard), Brooke Eden, the Knoxville, Tennessee Central High School Bobcat Company choral group, and Restless Heart Sunday — as well as a free nightly concert inside Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater at Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage.
Of the decision to slate in free nightly concerts for concertgoers, Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO, said, “With tens of thousands of Country Music fans pouring in from all over the U.S. and over two dozen countries, CMA’s partnership with Cracker Barrel to present free nightly concerts at Ascend offers non-four-day ticket holders access to additional nighttime options and the chance to see even more of their favorite artists.” Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Senior VP of Marketing, Dan Hoffman, told the website for Sounds Like Nashville, “Music and entertainment are an important part of the Cracker Barrel brand experience because the platform provides an invaluable and resounding connection with our guests, which is why we’ve committed to this partnership for the next three years.”
Miranda Lambert, Big & Rich Bring The Party, Kenny Rogers, Brett Eldredge, Old Dominion, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kasey Tyndall, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, and dozens of others will kick off the concert of Thursday, June 8 at Nissan Stadium. Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Rascal Flatts, Eric Church, and Kelsea Ballerini will headline Friday night’s performances. On Saturday, it’s Maren Morris, Chris Young, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, and Lady Antebellum will lead the headlining performances. To close out the four-day fest on Sunday, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, and Brad Paisley will take the stage in addition to dozens of other performers.
