Jun 5, 2024 - Music
A look at country stars at CMA Fests from the past
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Tanya Tucker performs at Fan Fair in 1987. Photo: Beth Gwinn/Getty Images
CMA Fest launched as a way for country music fans to meet their favorite stars, but it has evolved into a downtown tourism colossus.
- From its humble beginnings at the fairgrounds as Fan Fair to its current iteration as a massive concert spectacular at Nissan Stadium, we're looking back at CMA Fest through the years.
Tell us: Email [email protected] to let us know your favorite CMA Fest memories. Or do you celebrate each year by avoiding the festival altogether?
💠Adam's thought bubble: Growing up in Nashville, I was always excited by the events going on at the fringes of the festival. Attending Trisha Yearwood's 2006 fan club party was a teenage dream come true.
- WPLN's Jewly Hight wrote a fascinating story about the legacy of fan club parties at CMA Fest, which offered face time with the biggest stars of the day.