NASHVILLE— “CMA Fest,” the Music Event of Summer, premieres this Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network. The primetime concert special brings the hottest music acts together on one stage for three full hours of epic collaborations and must-see performances. Hosted by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini with special guest host Bobby Bones, “CMA Fest” brings Country Music’s Ultimate Fan Experience to a national television audience for a 16th straight year. Viewers who don’t have a cable or streaming subscription can visit ABCinstantaccess.com to sign up for a service of their choice, most of which offer a free trial period.
Filmed during Nashville’s 48th annual CMA Fest in June, the television special showcases more than 30 of today’s hottest hits performed by the biggest names in music as they hit the stage during the four-day festival. Catch performances by Lil Nas X joined by Billy Ray Cyrus and Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini and The Chainsmokers, Brothers Osborne with Brooks & Dunn and Ashley McBryde, Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell, Tim McGraw and Luke Combs, Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile, and Carrie Underwood with Joan Jett. Additional performers include Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown,Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Janson, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett and Brett Young.
Thomas Rhett returns to host “CMA Fest” for a fourth year, first co-hosting the special in 2016, while Kelsea Ballerini returns for a third year. Special guest host Bobby Bones appears for the first time. “CMA Fest” is executive produced by Robert Deaton.
Four-day passes for CMA Fest 2020—which takes place in Nashville Thursday through Sunday, June 4-7 —are available for purchase today at CMAfest.com or by calling the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST. Passes include admission to each of Nissan Stadium’s four nightly shows, four-day admission to Xfinity Fan Fair X, meet-and-greet opportunities inside Xfinity Fan Fair X and free access to daytime and nighttime shuttles.
**Suggested Tweet** .@ThomasRhett & @KelseaBallerini co-host “CMA Fest,” the Music Event of Summer with special guest host @MrBobbyBones. Don’t miss unforgettable performances & collaborations this Sunday at 8|7c on@ABCNetwork. #CMAfest 2020 passes are on sale now. CMAfest.com/four-day-passes
About CMA Fest
The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™ began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Now in its 48th year, the legendary festival has become the city’s signature Country Music event that hosts tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 international countries. In 2019, CMA Fest featured 11 official stages with hundreds of artists performing—all to benefit music education. CMA Fest is a one-of-a-kind festival with artists donating their time to perform so ticket proceeds can directly benefit high-quality music programs across the country through the CMA Foundation. CMA Fest is filmed for a primetime ABC Television Network special, with 2019 marking the 16th consecutive year the event has been filmed for television, a feat no other music festival has achieved.