NASHVILLE—The Country Music Association announced today “CMA Fest,” the Music Event of Summer, will air Wednesday, Aug. 3 at 8/7c on ABC. The three-hour primetime concert special, bringing Country Music’s Ultimate Fan Experience to a national television audience, will be hosted by Dierks Bentley and Elle King.
“I’m thrilled we get to partner with Dierks and Elle as our hosts this year,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “They have such passion for the fans. I know the chemistry and camaraderie they bring to the stage will be felt by the millions of TV viewers around the globe.”
“We are excited to once again collaborate with our longtime partners at CMA for this summer's must-see music event, 'CMA Fest,'" says Rob Mills, Executive Vice President, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, Walt Disney Television. "With Dierks Bentley and Elle King hosting the evening, music fans everywhere can be sure to expect an unforgettable night featuring the biggest names in Country Music."
This marks both Bentley and King’s “CMA Fest” hosting debut. In addition to hosting, King joins the list of performers for the Nissan Stadium stage on Sunday, June 12. As previously announced, Bentley will also perform Sunday.
Filmed during Nashville’s four-day CMA Fest Thursday through Sunday, June 9-12, the television special features performances and surprise collaborations on stage at Nissan Stadium. 2022 marks the 19th consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.
“CMA Fest” is executive-produced by Robert Deaton.
Hundreds of artists perform at CMA Fest, donating their time so a portion of ticket proceeds can directly benefit high-quality music education initiatives across the United States through the CMA Foundation. CMA Fest is unlike any other, with tens of thousands of Country Music fans descending upon downtown Nashville for four straight days of live music on eight official stages as well as meet-and-greets and up-close-and-personal experiences for fans inside Fan Fair X. CMA Fest’s outdoor daytime stages are free and open to the public. All stage lineups are available in the Official CMA Connect App as well as CMAfest.com. Artist lineups are subject to change.
A limited number of four-day passes, plus recently announced single night tickets, for the Nissan Stadium nightly concerts are available at CMAfest.com or through the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST. Tickets are also available for CMA Fest Nighttime Concerts at Ascend Amphitheater, Fan Fair X and CMA Fest’s new Riverside Retreat, an exclusive premium destination along the Cumberland River. View all the perks and purchase four-day and single-day tickets at CMAfest.com/tickets.
Named the “gold standard” and topping Billboard’s list of the 10 Best Country Music Festivals, CMA Fest is the longest-running Country Music festival in the world. The 2019 CMA Fest sold out with capacity crowds and had the largest engagement by Country Music fans in the event’s history, with visitors from all 50 states and 37 international countries flocking to downtown Nashville.
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 celebrating its 49th year, the legendary festival has become the city’s signature Country Music event that hosts tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states and 37 international countries. In 2019, CMA Fest featured 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. This is the 19th consecutive year CMA has produced a summer music program to be broadcast as a network television special.