LUKE BRYAN TO HOST NEW CMA TV SPECIAL, BEST OF FEST.

Artist: Luke Bryan

While this year’s CMA Music Fest had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Country Music Association is bringing back many of the epic performances over the years in a new ABC special. Luke Bryan is set to host “CMA Best of Fest,” a three-hour retrospective airing July 9th at 8pm ET/7pm CT. The live concert experience features more than 25 unforgettable performances having aired on television over the last 16 years of “CMA Fest,” plus a brand new, not-to-be-missed performance with Luke and special guest Darius Rucker.

Artists appearing in the TV special include: Trace Adkins, Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn,
Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Billy Ray Cyrus, Dan + Shay, Lzzy Hale, Sam Hunt, Joan Jett, Lady A, Miranda Lambert, Lil Nas X, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Dwight Yoakam and Zac Brown Band, with special appearances by Bobby Bones, Jim Gaffigan, Kirk Herbstreit, Peyton Manning, Lionel Richie, Rob Riggle, Gwen Stefani, Michael Strahan and Rita Wilson. “CMA Best of Fest” is executive produced by Robert Deaton.

Excited to be in this lineup of amazing Country artists and hosting a night of memorable performances. Mark your calendars for BEST of #CMAfest Thursday, July 9 at 8|7c on ABC. pic.twitter.com/9zsYF3CjmS

— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) June 15, 2020

The festivities get started a week before on July 1st when chart-topping Country artists Jimmie Allen and Lindsay Ell host “CMA Summer Stay-Cay presented by Budweiser Nitro Gold,” a brand new, multi-hour live stream variety event. Fans can tune into CMA’s YouTube channel and Facebook page to catch more than 50 of their favorite Country acts coming together (while safely apart) for unique performances, atypical Q&As, games and much more during this fun and collaborative summertime celebration. Stay tuned as the full lineup will be announced in the coming days on the CMA Fest app and CMASummerStayCay.com.

Both events celebrate the legacy of CMA Fest, the world’s longest-running Country Music festival taking place in Nashville annually since 1972, which was postponed this year due to safety concerns amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival will return to downtown Nashville June 10-13, 2021.

Luke Bryan (CMA Music Fest) OC: …for this week. :33
“It’s a great week. I truly love this week for hundreds of reasons. I always remember my first ones and starting out and doing River Stages and always dreaming of coming over here and performing at LP Field (now Nissan Stadium) and all of the stuff building the fan base early in the week. It’s an amazing week for Nashville, and it’s a great week for me. And then I get to be home and do all this stuff. It’s always been a fun week for me. A lot of my family always comes in for this week.”