CMA Fest

WSM radio, coordinating with the Country Music Association (CMA), created Fan Fair in 1972 so that fans would refrain from attending the annual radio industry-only convention meant more for disk jockeys and other radio dignitaries that the CMA hosted in the fall.{{cite web|last=Orr|first=jay|title=Final Fan Fair at Fairgrounds: Annual Country Fest in for a Change, Benson Says|url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1472907/20030619/cma.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930060750/http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1472907/20030619/cma.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2007|publisher=CMT|access-date=2007-07-09}} The inaugural Fan Fair was held from April 12–15, 1972, at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. The inaugural four-day event was attended by 5,000 fans and featured 20 hours of live entertainment and 100 exhibit booths, including autograph booths. The following year, Fan Fair was moved to June in the hope of finding better weather conditions and attracting more visitors—attendance doubled to 10,000 fans. In the third year, Paul McCartney, the first non-country musician in the lineup, was invited to perform, and Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner performed a duet for the last time before dissolving their partnership.{{cite web|title=History|publisher=CMA Music Festival|year=2007|url=http://www.cmamusicfest.com/2007/general/history.aspx|access-date=2007-07-09|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223155649/http://www.cmamusicfest.com/2007/general/history.aspx|archive-date=2007-02-23}}

By 1982, the festival was moved to the Nashville Fairgrounds, and the All American Country Games competition was added. This event, which raised money for the Tennessee Special Olympics, was canceled in 1989 to add more shows. In 1991, singer Kathy Mattea attended Fan Fair despite being under doctor's orders not to speak or sing, so that her injured vocal cords could heal. She used a computer to type messages for her fans to read as she held "conversations" with them.{{Cite news|last=Patterson|first=Jim|title=Nashville Sound: Democracy in action at Country Music Fan Fair|newspaper=The Oak Ridger|date=June 30, 1999|url=http://www.oakridger.com/stories/063099/stt_0630990057.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130215715/http://www.oakridger.com/stories/063099/stt_0630990057.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 30, 2013|access-date=2007-07-09}}

Garth Brooks decided at the last minute to attend the 25th anniversary of the festival in 1996. He was swarmed with fans, and stayed in his booth signing autographs for 23 hours and 10 minutes without a single break.{{Cite news|last=Bream|first=Jon|title=Q&A with Garth Brooks|newspaper=Minneapolis Star Tribune|date=October 5, 1998|url=http://www.planetgarth.com/news/article.php?cid=00304|access-date=2007-07-09|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011123204/http://www.planetgarth.com/news/article.php?cid=00304|archivedate=October 11, 2007}}

Fan Fair underwent major changes in 2001. For the first time, the event was held over a long weekend (Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 17) instead of during the work week. At the same time, the festival moved from its long-time home at the fairgrounds to several sites clustered in downtown Nashville, including Nissan Stadium, the Nashville Convention Center, Bridgestone Arena, and Riverfront Park. The fairgrounds itself was converted to a temporary campground for attendees.{{cite web|last=Brooks|first=Kix|title=Fan Fair 2001 Proclaims Itself 'The Biggest' |publisher=MTV Networks|date=November 28, 2000|url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1472390/20030606/brooks_kix.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930055706/http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1472390/20030606/brooks_kix.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2007|access-date=2007-07-09}}

Until 2001, the evening concerts were organized by record labels, with each label choosing which of its artists would be able to perform, and the length of the appearance. Beginning with Fan Fair 2001, these main concerts were grouped instead by record distribution group. This allowed for four main concerts, for Sony, WEA/EMI, UNI, and BMG. The artists are not paid to attend the festival or for their performances during it.{{Cite news|last=Cooper|first=Peter|title=A little rock, a lot country|date=June 12, 2006|newspaper=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-06-11-roadtrip-cma-festival_x.htm|access-date=2007-07-07}}

File:Sugarland at CMA Music Festival 2008.jpg performing at CMA Music Festival in 2008]]

In 2004, the CMA renamed the event to the CMA Music Festival in order to change negative perceptions, embrace the CMA brand, and expand its appeal.{{Cite web |title=Fan Fair changes leave faithful feeling blue |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-06-15-0306150298-story.html |access-date=2023-03-15 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=15 June 2003 }} Also in 2004, the ABC network televised the event as a two-hour special known as CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock.{{cite press release|title=ABC to Air CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock in July|date=May 3, 2007|publisher=ABC|url=http://www.movieweb.com/tv/news/36/19536.php|access-date=2007-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716052432/http://www.movieweb.com/tv/news/36/19536.php|archive-date=2007-07-16|url-status=dead}} The first special, which aired on July 14, 2004, ranked number 16 in viewers, with an estimated 9 million people tuning in. The annual special, re-edited from the three days of events, continues to air on ABC as of the present.{{when|date=September 2020}}

A new attendance record was set in 2007 with 191,154 fans attending. Those in attendance participated in more than 100 hours of concerts, 30 hours of organized autograph signings, family activities, celebrity sports competitions, interactive exhibits, giveaways, games and other activities. Over 400 celebrities made appearances at the 2007 CMA Music Festival.

The name was changed to CMA Fest in 2017.

The festival went on hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned in 2022.

Through 2000, the CMA Music Festival was considered a sell-out if 25,000 people attended. Attendees span all ages, from infants to the elderly and come from 41 countries, including Canada, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and Russia. After moving to its new, larger and air-conditioned home in 2001, attendance numbers soared, with the 2002 festival drawing 126,000 fans. Attendance slipped slightly the following year, partially because many of the more-renowned country music stars declined to appear at the festival. However, in 2003, attendance was down only 1.7% over the year before, compared to a 25% decline in overall U.S. tourist travel for the same period.{{cite web|last=Flippo|first=Chet|title=Nashville Skyline: Fan Fair: Show Up or Get Lost|date=June 12, 2003|publisher=CMT|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1472637/20030612/id_0.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930062040/http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1472637/20030612/id_0.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2007|access-date=2007-07-07}} The attendance slippage was not permanent; in 2007, a record-breaking crowd of 191,000 people attended the festival.{{cite web|title=CMA Festival Has Record Breaking Numbers|url=http://www.wsmv.com/news/13452265/detail.html?subid=10106691|date=June 6, 2007|publisher=WSMV News|access-date=2007-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213725/http://www.wsmv.com/news/13452265/detail.html?subid=10106691|archive-date=2007-09-27|url-status=dead}}

In 2010 and 2011, a record 65,000 people a day were estimated to have attended ticketed and free events. In 2011, total combined attendance for the four-day event was estimated to have exceeded 250,000 people at ticketed events and in free areas.{{Cite web |url=http://nashvillemusiccouncil.com/blog/cma-fest-its-wrap |title=CMA Fest: It's a Wrap {{pipe}} Music City Music Council |access-date=2011-06-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721123447/http://nashvillemusiccouncil.com/blog/cma-fest-its-wrap |archive-date=2012-07-21 |url-status=dead }} Visitors came from 41 nations, and all 50 US states.{{Cite web|url=https://musicrow.com/2010/06/festival-attendance-booms-up-16-percent/|title=Festival Attendance Booms, Up 16 Percent|date=14 June 2010|access-date=16 December 2021}}

In 2015 tickets sold out seven months in advance and had a record-setting attendance of 87,680 fans attending the event besting 2014 by 9.6%.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cmaworld.com/news/2015/06/2015-cma-music-festival-sets-attendance-record-with-87680-fans/ |title=CMA World {{pipe}} 2015 CMA Music Festival Sets Attendance Record with 87,680 Fans - CMA World |access-date=2016-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529100315/http://www.cmaworld.com/news/2015/06/2015-cma-music-festival-sets-attendance-record-with-87680-fans/ |archive-date=2016-05-29 |url-status=dead }} In 2022, the festival returned for the first time (1099 days) since closing during the COVID-19 pandemic and sold out with fans from across the US and 39 countries.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-13 |title=CMA Fest return marks 80K in attendance |url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/cma-fest-return-marks-80k-in-attendance |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF) |language=en}}

• List of country music festivals

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|https://www.cmafest.com}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120405030952/http://www.tennesseeconcerts.com/fanfairmenu CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair Photo Gallery]

Category:Music festivals in Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Country music festivals in the United States

Category:Folk festivals in the United States

Category:Tourist attractions in Nashville, Tennessee

Category:Annual events in Tennessee

Category:Music festivals established in 1972

Category:1972 establishments in Tennessee