CMA FEST ANNOUNCES CLOSE UP STAGE AT XFINITY FAN FAIR X FEATURING ARTISTS OF THE DAY KELSEA BALLERINI, DIERKS BENTLEY, LUKE BRYAN AND DUSTIN LYNCH
Jason Aldean Added to Nissan Stadium June 7, National Anthem Performances Announced
Xfinity Fan Fair X, CMA Fest’s Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience where fans get up close and personal with their favorite artists, returns to Music City Center daily Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, June 10(9:30 AM-5:00 PM). One of the biggest draws is the Artist of the Day session, which spotlights one of Country Music’s favorite acts each day by offering a glimpse into their careers from the CMA Close Up Stage. Dierks Bentley will appear on Thursday, Luke Bryan on Friday, Dustin Lynch on Saturday and Kelsea Ballerini on Sunday.
Country Music superstar Jason Aldean closes out the first night of CMA Fest Thursday, June 7 with a performance at Nissan Stadium. Aldean joins hundreds of previously announced acts performing on 11 stages throughout downtown Nashville during CMA Fest. A limited number of four-day tickets for the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium are still available at CMAfest.com/tickets or through the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST.
Additional Close Up Stage programming includes: • Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum presents an interview with 2018 inductee Ricky Skaggs, hosted by Museum Editor Peter Cooper • The Making of Words with Sara Evans, joined by producer Mark Bright, songwriters Victoria Banks and Emily Shackelton, and hosted by CMT’s Leslie Fram • “Good Ole Days” – A look at Tracy Lawrence’s career through the lens of his latest album, Good Ole Days, hosted by SiriusXM’s Storme Warren • “How to Survive Anything” with Naomi Judd • Bluebird Café songwriters round featuring Jake Etheridge, Adam Hambrick and Tenille Townes • Songwriters round with Bill Anderson and Bobby Bare
The full CMA Close Up Stage lineup is available on the CMA Fest app. Additional stages and programming taking place at Xfinity Fan Fair X will be announced soon. Tickets for Xfinity Fan Fair X are available for $10 each day or $25 for a four-day pass. Visit CMAFest.com/tickets to purchase.
Several acts have been confirmed to sing the National Anthem at select stages during CMA Fest. Runaway Junewill kick off Chevy Riverfront Stage Thursday morning, while each of the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium will open with National Anthem performances by The Oak Ridge Boys with the Marine Corps Band New Orleans on Thursday, “Lil Hank Williams” Mason Ramsey on Friday, Jillian Jacqueline on Saturday, and Ray Stevens on Sunday.
All outdoor daytime stages as well as nightly performances at the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater are free and open to the public. Fans can purchase the CMA Fest Nash Pass, allowing a limited amount of VIP early access to nightly shows at the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater. The Nash Pass will also include Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum tour, Ryman Auditorium tour and four-day admission to Xfinity Fan Fair X.
New this year, CMA has an expanded product line of more than 40 various CMA Fest apparel and accessories. Items are available for pre-order online at countrymu.sc/shcom18. Order by Tuesday, May 29 to receive merch before the festival. During CMA Fest, merch can be found at multiple locations across the footprint, giving fans quick and easy access to souvenirs.
Don’t miss a beat—download the CMA Fest app, or get connected with CMA on CMAfest.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and sign up for CMA Country Connection emails to receive the latest news as soon as it’s announced.
**Suggested Tweet**: #CMAfest Artists of the Day @KelseaBallerini, @DierksBentley, @LukeBryanOnline & @DustinLynch & many more added to the CMA Close Up Stage inside @Xfinity Fan Fair X. @Jason_Aldean added to Nissan Stadium lineup! Plus, National Anthems singers also announced!
About CMA Fest Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™ began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Now in its 47th year, the legendary festival has become the city’s signature Country Music event that hosts in excess of 90,000 fans from all 50 states and two dozen foreign countries. In 2017, CMA Fest featured 11 stages with over 350 artists, 1,100 musicians, and 167 hours of music – all to benefit music education. Since 2006, CMA and the CMA Foundation have donated more than $21 million to sustainable music education initiatives across the U.S. thanks to the fans who attend CMA Fest and the artists who perform for free. CMA Fest is filmed for a three-hour ABC Television Network special. 2018 marks the 15th consecutive year of the broadcast.