CMA Music Festival sets attendance record

“They didn’t let the weather spoil the fun. They were on their feet singing in the rain and dancing in the aisles until the very end,” Country Music Association Executive Director Ed Benson said of the four-day festival formerly known as Fan Fair.

Benson was particularly pleased by a 38 percent jump in single-event ticket sales. The other tickets are four-day passes usually purchased by tourists.

The CMA has been trying to boost local support for the festival, which has in the past been viewed by many Nashvillians as a tourist trap. The growth in single-ticket sales indicates that perception is changing, Benson said.

“Local companies and individuals are embracing this event as never before,” he said.

Attendance totals are aggregate, meaning an individual who attends each of the four days is counted four times in the total. Attendance has grown from 124,000 in 2003 to 132,000 in 2004 and 145,355 this year, according to the CMA.

Performers at this year’s festival included Gretchen Wilson, Alan Jackson, Big & Rich, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt, Kenny Rogers, Trace Adkins, Jo Dee Messina, Montgomery Gentry and many others.