The 50th annual CMA Fest (formerly known as Fan Fair) kicked off on Thursday (June 8th), and the entertainment was everywhere in downtown Nashville.
The official kick-off took place at the Riverfront Stage with Lainey Wilson and continued throughout the day, ending up with a party at Nissan Stadium with performances and/or appearances by Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Tyler Hubbard, Darius Rucker, Elle King, Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay and a surprise appearance by Vince Gill.
More than 90,000 people are estimated to participate during CMA Fest, a 12% growth over 2022. The stadium alone saw a 10% increase in attendance year over year. Fans from all 50 states and a record-breaking 51 countries filled Music City in anticipation of seeing more than 300 acts taking part in CMA Fest.
Dierks, who is co-hosting next month’s ABC-TV special CMA Fest with Elle King and Lainey Wilson and performed Sunday night (June 11th) at Nissan Stadium, says he’s not only a country artist, but a fan of the format as well. “This is a great weekend for me, ‘cause I get to go from the Station Inn to the Stadium. I mean, I get to run my whole life in that little, you know, I started off going to watch a band play at the Station Inn back in 1994 with dreams of one day trying to make it as a country artist and nothing says country artist like playing the Stadium here in Nashville. So, it’s kind of a look back at my life in a short six-day period,” says Dierks. “So it’s really, for me it’s a magical week of reflection and being a fan. I’m playing, but also just like total fan mode. I’ve always said I’m a fan of country music first and foremost, and this weekend is a great place to be a fan. It’s just the best of the best.”
Vince was a special surprise guest during Luke Combs’ set, to which the newly-anointed country superstar called his “absolute hero.” The pair teamed up on Vince’s 1993 hit “One More Last Chance.” Vince says he’s grateful to be a part of CMA Fest. “This is a genre of music unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. It’s a grateful artist base. It’s grateful for the people that give us the opportunity to do what we do, you know, whether it’s at the Fairgrounds or whether it’s a bigger place. I don’t know if it ever really mattered,” says Vince. All those people out there that buy a ticket to come and do this whether they stand in line to get somebody’s autograph or go to a show or whatever. They’re just here because they like what we do, you know? And it feels good to let them know they’re appreciated and not be standoffish and not be that way. So, I’ve always enjoyed it.”
Backstage prior to his first Nissan Stadium performance, Jordan Davis said he came to Nashville to be a songwriter and never dreamed he’d get to perform at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest. “Long story short, I moved to town to write songs. I had never played with a band; I’d never played a show,” says the Louisiana native. “I was trying to get a publishing deal and trying to get other artists to cut my songs. I truly started playing music and trying to go after being an artist, because I didn’t know if that was going to happen. So, I figured I was already this far down the road, so I might as well start trying to make some money gigging around and here we are. I kind of fell backwards into it, but I’m very grateful I did. I truly never, never dreamed that I would be playing on the stage that I’m getting to play on tonight.”
Having performed his two No. 1 songs as a solo artist — “5 Foot 9” and “Dancin’ In The Country” — Tyler Hubbard is overwhelmed by the reaction the fans have had for his recent self-titled album. “It means a ton to me to have these songs connect the way they have, it’s been really special,” he says. “It’s inspired me, it’s motivated me, and it makes me want to keep doing it, and it’s given me a lot of life. These songs are special, and they mean a lot and to watch the fans sing ‘em back to me at the shows and to hear their stories and to see their videos that they’re making to my music, it’s fulfilling as a songwriter, as an artist. It’s just what I love, and like I said, it just motivates me to keep doing this thing. I just love the connection, and that’s what music does. It brings us together and so that’s why I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Night two pulled in performances by Tanya Tucker, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson. Reba McEntire surprised the crowd at Nissan Stadium during Cody Johnson’s set. The pair performed her hit “Whoever’s In New England,” before Cody presented her with a gold plaque for their hit duet “Dear Rodeo.” Also performing on Friday (June 9th) were Miranda Lambert, HARDY and Keith Urban (who had the crowd mesmerized).
Additional performers at Nissan Stadium included Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Josh Turner, Tim McGraw, Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Ashley McBryde, Tracy Lawrence, as well as hot newcomers on the Platform Stage including Dalton Dover, Ashley Cooke, Megan Moroney, Ian Munsic, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen and Haley Whitters.
More highlights and performances will be featured during the CMA Fest ABC-TV special, hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson. Catch all the action at 8pm ET on July 19th.
Dierks Bentley (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …best of the best. :48
“This is a great weekend for me, ‘cause I get to go from the Station Inn to the Stadium. I mean, I get to run my whole life in that little, you know, I started off going to watch a band play at the Station Inn back in 1994 with dreams of one day trying to make it as a country artist and nothing says country artist like playing the Stadium here in Nashville. So, it’s kind of a look back at my life in a short six-day period, and even the Hot Country Knights is like that’s to me Lower Broadway at its best…or worst. But, so it’s really, for me it’s a magical week of reflection and being a fan. I’m playing, but also just like total fan mode. I’ve always said I’m a fan of country music first and foremost, and this weekend is a great place to be a fan. It’s just the best of the best.”
Vince Gill (CMA Fest) OC: …grateful. 1:03
“This is a genre of music unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. It’s a grat4eful artist base. It’s grateful for the people that give us the opportunity to do what we do, you know, whether it’s at the Fairgrounds or whether it’s a bigger place. I don’t know if it ever really mattered. All those people out there that buy a ticket to come and do this whether they stand in line to get somebody’s autograph or go to a show or whatever. They’re just here because they like what we do, you know? And it feels good to let them know they’re appreciated and not be standoffish and not be that way. So, I’ve always enjoyed it. This is about my 40th year of doing anything connected with whatever they call it. (laughs) I don’t even know anymore (laughs), but it’s still the same thing. It’s just a bunch of people that loves what everybody does and man, it’s great for everybody to hang and just sitting backstage running into so and so and running into so and so, you don’t get to see them very often. So, you know grateful.”
Jordan Davis (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …play on tonight. :34
“Long story short, I moved to town to write songs. I had never played with a band; I’d never played a show. I was trying to get a publishing deal and trying to get other artists to cut my songs. I truly started playing music and trying to go after being an artist, because I didn’t know if that was going to happen. So, I figured I was already this far down the road, so I might as well start trying to make some money gigging around and here we are. I kind of fell backwards into it, but I’m very grateful I did. I truly never, never dreamed that I would be playing on the stage that I’m getting to play on tonight.”
Tyler Hubbard (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …part of it. :36
“It means a ton to me to have these songs connect the way they have, it’s been really special. It’s inspired me, it’s motivated me, and it makes me want to keep doing it, and it’s given me a lot of life. These songs are special, and they mean a lot and to watch the fans sing ‘em back to me at the shows and to hear their stories and to see their videos that they’re making to my music, it’s fulfilling as a songwriter, as an artist. It’s just what I love, and like I said, it just motivates me to keep doing this thing. I just love the connection, and that’s what music does. It brings us together and so that’s why I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Keith Urban (CMA Fest 2023) OC: …always need it, though. :29
“The good thing about CMA Fest is it’s historically always comes at a time when it feels like we need it the most. When we were here back in 2010 after the Nashville floods and doing a special performance, I think CMA Fest was really acknowledging what everybody had gone through and the floods, and so I think it’s such a community spirit out there, not just Nashville, but the country community coming together and celebrating life and the moment. We always need it, though.”
