CMA Music Festival features star-studded lineup
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The festival’s lead off performance by Montgomery Gentry at 10 a.m. Thursday and the celebration doesn’t stop, with concerts and activities happening throughout the four days, until the closing fireworks Sunday night at The Coliseum.
The CMA Music Festival has been dubbed “Country Music’s Biggest Party” with more than 400 country music artists and celebrities appearing, more than 70 hours of concerts, and four days of autograph signing.
“CMA Music Festival is fast becoming a world-class event, mixing music stars with celebrities from sports and television,” said Ed Benson, CMA executive director. “This uniquely Nashville event celebrating America’s music is enjoyed by thousands of visitors from across the nation and around the globe.”
All the artists and celebrities participating in CMA Music Festival donate their time. They are not compensated for the hours they spend signing autographs and performing.
In gratitude of their support, CMA donates half the net proceeds from the event to charities designated by the participating artists as part of CMA’s Cause For Celebration charitable benefit program.
In 2004, 241 artists selected 94 separate charities as beneficiaries of the program. To date, CMA has donated $400,000 on behalf of the artists.
The donations are appreciated, but at its heart the CMA Music Festival is — and always will be — about the fans and their relationship with the artists and celebrities. And this week fans are descending on Nashville from every state and more than 20 foreign countries.
The nightly concerts at The Coliseum (home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans) feature many of the biggest names in country music together with some of the hottest, rising stars. The concerts begin each night at 8 p.m. and feature non-stop entertainment with state-of-the-art production on dual stages and fireworks at the conclusion of each show.
Reserved seat tickets for each nightly show at The Coliseum cost $30 and can be purchased in advance through the CMA Music Festival Ticket Office at the Gaylord Entertainment Center Box Office, 501 Broadway, Nashville, Tenn., or toll-free at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378).
Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster at (615) 255-9600, at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket price does not include applicable handling fees.
CMA Music Festival lineup
Thursday, June 9: Trick Pony, Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton and The Grascals, Julie Roberts, Sugarland, Keith Urban, Phil Vassar and Lee Ann Womack
Friday, June 10: Sara Evans, Josh Gracin, Alan Jackson, Craig Morgan, Rascal Flatts, SHeDAISY, Blake Shelton and Travis Tritt
Saturday, June 11: Trace Adkins, Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Messina, Joe Nichols, Kenny Rogers, Wynonna and Trisha Yearwood
Sunday, June 12: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Big & Rich with Special Guest Appearance by Cowboy Troy, Diamond Rio, Jeff Bates, Andy Griggs, Sawyer Brown, Van Zant and Gretchen Wilson