We went for a walk around Nashville and as time passed the streets filled with people. We finally called it quits before sunset when bars, sidewalks, and streets were packed shoulder to shoulder with rowdy crowds. Definitely a party atmosphere around CMA. read more

CMA Fest - Midday on Friday with street closures as the weekend ramps up - Festivals Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

We have been coming here for years for the concerts at Nissan Stadium. Granted we sit in a suite, yes they are sweet! The staff on the east side are amazing! They greet us by name and big a smile! Only suggestion, they need to sell merchandise on the suite area where the food is. read more

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First and probably last CMA FEST, at least with a kid. But it was cool to at least go to one! Just very crowded and full of rude people. Vibe wasn't there but still enjoyed the food trucks and the live music. Also tip-- if you buy a drink from the food trucks, you can't take it into the area with the live music. You have to throw it out, walk through security and buy a new drink. Even kids juice and such. read more

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Just compare these performances to Hank Williams Jr. These performances pale in comparison. It's just pitiful we have to listen to this crap. read more

What an F'ng joke on Friday. Letting Rita Wilson song crap. Shaboozey go three songs deep and allowing Parker McCollum to go his full set while city tiny superstars Cody Johnson and Kelsie Bellerini to 3 songs was absolute bull shit $1000 dollar tix and this is what you idiots made to do??? Total bull shit read more

First time going to CMA Fest, I'm a huge county music fan and loved going! Lots of free concerts around, big stages, all outdoors. The big-name artists are all paid but some of them did free concerts, as well as a ton of smaller artists. Free snacks from various vendors on Broadway as well, nicely made map and app too. Very crowded, hard to find parking (but there was a garage on Broadway that was $20 for the day), awesome to be surrounded by people who love country music too! read more

Great concerts. Well organized. Would highly recommend. Excellent lineups. Great vibe. VIP tickets well worth it.

I worked at and the people were very friendly and helpful and easy to deal with and they were also very considerate and cooperative when asked to do something read more

Floor seats have no room what so ever. Tiny seats all strapped to each other. Zero room to move. Anyone over 150 lbs will be partially sitting on the laps of the people next to you. 4 songs from the big artists 2 from the smaller ones with 20 minute breaks to spend alot of money on inconsistent drinks. Flat beer and dbl cocktails that you can't taste the alcohol. The talent was 10 outta 10. The venue was the absolute worst I've ever been to. read more

I saw this on TV and was left with kind of a boring taste and this wasn't good as last year's event. Parker McCollum, Riley Green & Cody Johnson's performance were good but didn't stop the show from not being energetic. When Cody Johnson performed "She Hurts Like Tequila" with Carín León, Carín León's performance was very embarrassing to watch. He sounded autotuned and very intoxicated with a slurred speech, they shouldn't have allowed Carín León to perform because of this. Very sad. I'm at least happy they didn't invite garbage pop stars to this show. I expect better from Carín León. read more

If you love live country music, then the CMA Fest is the place to go. If you only like country music but love an awesome party atmosphere, then the CMA Fest is the place to go. 4 days of non stop live country music and a huge party. First, tickets. You only need tickets for the stadium shows. You can buy all 4 nights like we did and get to see alot of the big names in Country music. I.e. Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Luke Bryan, and more. Each performer does about 40 minutes of their fan favorite songs. It started around 8:00pm and finished after midnight. During the band changes, they had other performers perform a few of their sons. So that included Ashley Cooke, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker and more. Our tickets for all 4 shows were somewhere around $350 each. We sat in section 222 across from the stage. Better seats will cost you more. You can sell an individual night if you want. We went all 4 nights. During the day, there are multiple outdoor stages around the South Broadway area with live music from around 10am-5pm. These are all FREE and open to the public. So most of the artists you listen to on the radio are performing 25 minute sets somewhere. We would look thru the schedule and make note of who we wanted to see that day and figure out our plan. So you can go hear some great music for free. While all of these performances are going on there are sponsor/vendor booths/tents set up on South Broadway where there is free shwag to pick up. Also on South Broadway is a number of honky tanks with live music and lots of alcohol. Our favorite was Whiskey River Saloon. Good drinks and good music. Many of the big artists own the honky tanks and they show up there after the stadium shows. It is crowded and you do have to put up with a couple of idiots demonstrating against politicians or telling us we're all sinners. But not much of that. Mostly just a big party. I suggest getting in early the day before and doing any shopping before it gets crazy. It can be hard to walk around during the fest. We also had a condo just less than a mile from downtown and the stadium. Worked out great. We will definitely be going back. read more

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For the past several years, we have made plans to attend a country music festival. In 2018, we decided on CMA Fest as nearly every artist shows up at some venue during the festival. We had a great time, but it was a bit different than what we expected. We had tickets to the evening performances, which are held at Nissan Stadium. So it's a 30+ min stadium concerts for each performer. However, they were also filming for the CMA special, which got a bit tiresome after awhile when they needed to record intros multiple times. During the day there are multiple stages and artists performing on a first come first serve basis or based on a lottery. This are free to attend which is great for fans, but I honestly thought my purchased ticket would get me some privileges, and it did not. Honestly, that was a bit annoying. I understand making it accessible to all, but standing in a huge line to 'maybe' get in is not my thing, so we just stopped going and spent the days at the Honky Tonks on Broadway instead. Still fun, but then I don't have to be in Nashville during the CMA Fest. The one really cool thing which we discovered was a small stage inside the Convention Center (which was a ticketed entry area) that showcased new and upcoming artists. This was great fun and got us a bit of a taste of not just the big stars, but the writers and new artists. We're going to choose another festival for 2019, probably Tortuga, and come to Nashville again when it's not so hot and crowded. read more

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We paid for a concert and our singers want to sing for their fans. CMA should make a REAL tv show, not a fake one, where the fans have to reinvent their clapping for a fake show. The media outlets need to start getting back to REAL. On a positive note, very family friendly, very organized and felt safe. It was wonderful to see appreciation for the fans from so many artists. read more

Watched on television. IMO the majority is NOT country music. What happened? Maybe I heart radio would be a better forum? It's fun, i get it, but it's not country music. I'm curious to see what Alan Jackson, George Strait, Toby Keith and other have to say. Maybe it's all inclusive now? Loved Vince and Luke. Loved Lainey. So there is good and meh, not so good. read more

the cma country music festival is really good. except war and treaty. What was that? and who are they ??? Not country at all not even pop .Absolutely terrible and very disappointed that they were even allowed to be performing... read more

Well where do I begin, we needed to cancel our trip. Bought tickets on Ticketmaster but then you have to sign up with CMA fest and link the tickets. You could not sell or transfer tickets until 2 days prior. Listed these tickets after 2 hours on Stub Hub....could not list as 4 day package. CMA Fest made 4 individual tickets could not transfer the 4 day ticket. The tickets were way overvalued, wait for stubhub listing in 2025 they were going for less than half. Zero customer service or a way to contact CMA Fest. read more

The CMA Music Festival is a free, 4 day country music extravaganza hosted in the Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville. There were about 10 different stages and places to watch the artists/bands perform. There were so many more artists performing than the ones I named which is crazy to look back on and think about how I got to watch almost anyone who is on the country radio nowadays. Part of Broadway is closed off and dedicated to CMA fest fan experiences. Tips: -If you want to see some of the biggest names currently in country you will want to purchase a 4 day pass for the nightly performances at Nissan Stadium. I highly recommend doing this if this is your first time attending this festival. When you select a seat this will be your seat for all 4 nights of the concert. A few of my favorite Nissan Stadium performances throughout the festival were: Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne and Darius Rucker (not to mention Garth Brooks popped on stage to surprise everyone!) Important to note about attending the Nissan Stadium concerts is there is a strict bag policy. I saw many women who had to purchase a locker because their bag was too large. Make sure you check the regulations online prior to going to the stadium. -Get to the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage earlier in the day to watch a few performances. This area is fenced in and if they reach capacity they will turn people away from entering. This is the biggest free stage and will have the best artists so expect people to flock here. Some of my favorite performances from this stage included Joe Nichols, Kane Brown, Cam, Michael Ray (who brought out Randy Travis!) & Josh Turner -Wear comfortable shoes/boots. I wore my cowboy boots all 4 days since they are comfortable and this made a big difference when we were walking between stages and to call Ubers. -Pop into a few of the honky tonks on Broadway to escape the burning Summer heat and take a break. After being in the sun for a few hours it's a good idea to have a cold beer inside and cool off for a while before walking around to enjoy other artists. -If you are from out of town and know you will want to come then book your hotel far in advance. There are a few downtown which would be walking distance to Broadway and the festival. -Check out the Xfinity Fan Fair X (daily pass $10, 4 day pass $25 or included with your Nissan Stadium CMA pass) which is located inside the Music City Center. There are 3 of the stages located inside of here which you get to enjoy while being inside the air conditioning for a change. We went to the CMA close-up stage to hear Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood being interviewed which was very cool. We also saw Walker Hayes perform on the Radio Disney Country Stage and we went and took free photos with different vendors which make for fun souvenirs. -Eats & Beats is where the food trucks were lined up along 5th avenue by the Country Music Hall of Fame. We grabbed some lunch one day here which is a quick and easy way to take a break in the shade and have some good eats (shoutout to Cousins Maine Lobster truck!) -The HGTV Lodge had a long line to get in since they had some great opportunities for meet and greets. We didn't make it in so we were disappointed. If you really want to see someone then get there very early! Verdict: I've been to Coachella, Bonnaroo, Pilgrimage and other music events but CMA Music Festival is one of my favorite experiences. We had a blast and the whole thing is very well-organized. The location of everything is convenient and the shows that are put on are incredible. read more

CMA Fest - Nissan Stadium - Festivals Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Not as great after 2 year hiatus! The extra $300 for the Riverfront Retreat was a complete waste. No big screens to see the performances, not enough seating, expensive and limited food & drink. Lower Broadway was filthy and smelled like garbage & human waste . Disappointed in the vendors at Music City Center also. read more

It never last long enough obviously but it was definitely one hell of a show! Enjoyed it and the great variety of artist and music! Outstanding performance from all the country and rock singers! Thanks for putting on a great show! read more

This is our second year at CMA Fest. This year was much different than last year. It was still fun, but it seems that the concerts are turning into concerts that you can only enjoy if you pay for a pass. We usually listen to the free concerts and grab a couple of beers, but this year it was almost impossible, due to the fact that the people who bought a pass got into the "free" concerts first. So it would fill up within an hour. I don't know if we will be back next year because we enjoy cheap fun & this seems to be turning into even more of a money pit. read more

Sound system at Nissan stadium sucks tonight . Keith urban sounds awful . Wtf cma fest?

Definetly put your walking shoes on. This place is nuts!! Tons of people. There are Pedi cabs that you can pay a fortune for to take you and drop you off to different locations or just call Uber on your phone and get around much cheaper like we did. The shows at the Nissan Stadium are awesome!! Great line ups. The free shows at the riverfront stadium were ok. No shade. Very hot. ALOT of vendors on Broadway handing out free items to try, alot prof free samples were given out. They have a walking bridge that goes directly to the Nissan Stadium with an elevator or stairs leading up to it on 2nd Avenue between demonbreun and Broadway street. They wash the streets down after 3am Plenty of police around. They are on every corner, on bikes, standing. Great experience if you haven't been. ALOT of free concerts. Seen Bucky Covington, Luke Bryan did a special surprise concert, and Lo Cash. We didn't partake in all the free concerts as it was very hot and couldn't walk cause of my ankles. Took alot of Uber rides. Fireworks at midnight every night from the Nissan Stadium. Highly recommend getting to the stadium very early. read more

CMA Fest - Bucky covington! - Festivals Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This is a fairly decent music festival with less than crazy foot traffic. The city does things right and closes off Broadway for foot traffic. However, for some reason the intersections are still open? So, you will meet with insane lines when the lights turn red. Of course, this event brings Ina ton of tourists, so if you're a local bent on discovering niche festivals, this will not be your cup of tea. However, if you're willing to brave the crowds, there's great free music and freebies in the mix for you during the daytime. Vendors seen super speedy and friendly earlier during the day towards the opening of the festival, but I'm not sure that I would recommend going later in the day. Nashville summers are unforgiving, and the menacing combination of body heat, humidity, and sun screams irritated visitors. I was also sunburnt after 30/50 minutes walking to and fro around noon. Be prepared with sunscreen and with a tolerance for cowboy boots and you'll be more than fine. read more

This is the Super Bowl of country music. If you're a fan of this genre, the CMA Fest is one those things you must add to the bucket list. 4 days of concerts all day and all night with lots of giveaways, autograph signings, and pure Nashville fun. read more

This was my first year, and I had an awesome time!! Four days of free country music was amazing. If you don't like a band at one stage, there are many other stages nearby as well as bars and food trucks set up. It was crazy hot but definitely worth braving out the weather. I honestly didn't notice until we were all slightly burned at the end of the week. My boyfriend surprised me with tickets to Nissan. It was an amazing lineup. Definitely worth the money if you like country music, as this has most of the big names. Parking is atrocious. I preferred using Uber/Lyft (lyft offered discounts to those attending cma fest) and avoiding driving and crazy, expensive fees. Most places accepted cards but there were also plenty of atms set up as well. I would definitely, definitely go again! read more

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Best weekend of my life. The free stuff was amazing. The Nissan Stadium concerts were unreal. I will never miss this event ever again in my life. Everything was so fun. Loved the Riverfront Stage. I wish we had more time to do more things. Loved the surprise artists like Sam Hunt, Garth Brooks, and Thomas Rhett. read more

Five stars is for the city of Nashville for making this event seem effortless. To begin I love Nashville,great town and even better people. First I have to admit that I did not consider myself a true Country fan, just one more thing I was wrong about. Found myself knowing almost every song,and enjoyed the crowd at LP stadium singing along to every song. Even with 2 hour rain delay (in concert) not one incident. Everybody waited patiently till the music started again.Incredible concert (all 4 days) After each concert the crowds dispersed into the city of Nashville to continue the music and partying read more

CMA Fest - Festivals Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I watched on tv. Country music has become "hard rock country music". Country songs today all sound pretty much the same ... a lot of loud, fast music with words you can't decipher. The female co-host should get some lessons on how to dress and the female performer looked like she was headed to the nearest corner. The men were all dressed like they either just rolled out of bed or just came in from doing chores in the barn. Don't people have any self respect anymore? I had to turn it off before it ended. read more

I've been going to this festival since 2013. Love it. You should invest in the full 4 day pass so you can do FanFairX and the nightly concerts. So much fun. The money you spend here allows you to see a lot of well known artist's concert's over 4 days at a reasonable price. The nightly concerts usually have surprise performers and legendary performers you normally don't see. read more

the riverfront retreat VIP passes are a waste of money. they are very far from the stage and offer hardly any seating. it's not VIP treatment. you basically get better bathrooms that's it. the music is also tending to rap/hip hop and not country music. it won't be Country music much longer with this trajectory. read more

I love CMA Festival. I flew in from CA for the event, as I am a ginormous fan of Country, and I was surprised how big the event was. It was like a city-wide party. There were performances at the riverwalk, at the LP field, all kinds of bars/clubs jam packed with people from all over the place. Nashville is such a great, energy filled city with awesome people who know how to party. I would come back every year if I could. It's also SO COOL how many artists hang out around town, and make appearances at local spots. If you are even a slight Country fan who likes to travel- check this place out, you'll have a blast! My tip- I would suggest staying in the downtown Nashville area, even if it is a little more expensive. Also, if you really want to enjoy the music, get tickets closer to the stage- LP field is HUGE and the higher cheap seats are no bueno. :) read more

Whether you dig todays country music or not - I have to hand it to the CMA for a very well organized and ran music festival with a wide variety of activities for everyone. I'm a pretty big attendee of various music fests of varying genres and country music lover or not - this one is well done. Places to sit in the shade? Check. Indoor activities? Check? Clean restrooms with low lines? Check. Ability to get up close and personal in the photo pit? What? You've never heard of such a thing? This festival allows anyone with a lower bowl ticket to stand in line to be like 5 feet from the action. VERY awesome. They also have family friendly activities like a play zone and a celebrity baseball game (never been to those) As a Nashville resident I've never purchased the whole shebang ticket, but I do enjoy the free waterfront music (yup, its FREE) and an occasional LP Field nightly show - disclaimer, I usually score those for free too, but I would be okay spending the fairly low ticket price as well. But one of my favorite activities during CMA fest week, is putting aside all my cool cred and crowdaphobia to head downtown to look for mullets, jorts, fanny packs, pink sparkly cowboy hats and party with friendly midwesterners just so happy to join us in our city! The energy is infectious and anyone who hates it is just too hipster for their own good or a grump. Hey, sometimes I like to drink a miller lite and jam some Sugarland, mmmkay? My only question for the CMA would be 'what is with all the creepy soap stars "featured" throughout the week?' read more

The CMA Music Festival has a lot of good points, but it is seriously failing the attendees in lots of ways: -The Concert Saturday night had a SCHEDULE. The schedule was a joke as they inserted some rock act (at a Country Music Festival?) that no one really cared about. A pathetic attempt to pander put the entire program off schedule. ADMIT IT! THIS IS A COUNTRY WESTERN MUSIC FESTIVAL? ALL KINDS OF COUNTY ARTISTS WOULD LOVE TO GET ON THE "BIG STAGE" AND YOU WASTE OUR TIME WITH THIS CRAP? PLUS NOT GIVE THE CHANCE TO SOMEONE WHO WILL APPRECIATE IT? We realize we may not always like the "new Country", and that is fine. Change is necessary and younger fans will have different tastes. BUT WASTING AN HOUR WITH SOME JOKE THAT IS JUST NOISE????? THIS IS A COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL--WHY NOT ADMIT IT AND PLAY COUNTRY MUSIC. LET THE OTHER MUSIC HAVE IT'S OWN FESTIVAL!!!!! The Music Hall (Fan Hall) IS NOT "Disability friendly", in fact I don't believe it complies with ADA standards. The CMA Festival staff was rude, uncaring and the worst experience I have ever had at a music festival or even an event. We were ignored, laughed at and given wrong information just to get rid of us. My wife is not disabled, just can't walk stairs. There is NO WAY into the BRAND NEW MUSIC HALL. What a joke. WHY SHOULD I WASTE MY MONEY ON THIS AGAIN? read more

What is there not to love about CMA Fest, Y'all!!! And to make it all even more special, this year was the 40th Anniversary of the Festival - what does that mean? Even more impromptu performers, special guests and TV cameras galore ... Tune in later this Summer for the special on ABC. I am a true Country fan, have been as long as I can remember, but my BFF that journeyed from California to Tennessee with me (on our long awaited Nashville trip - we've wanted to trip here for years together) was not. By the time we left town, she had her 1st Country Crush, Jason Aldean of course, knew all the songs, and even requested that I turned on the Country station in the car ... Score 1, CMA Fest! Not only are all the fans blessed with Nightly performances at LP Field of all the greatest Country stars, but every day of the Fest there are musical performers at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage, Hard Rock Stage and another few nestled in the downtown area. Music. Music. Music. Beer. Beer. Beer. I can't wait to make the journey again next year and the year after. The excitement, the buzz, the adrenaline is alive in Nashville this entire time - a must for all fans to visit at least once, but likely far more ... Night 1 - Opening Night: Zac Brown Band (special walk-on performances by Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, newbie Sonia Leigh, Amos Lee), Easton Corbin, Sara Evans, Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley - - Zac Brown opened the Fest with a huge bang! They were AMAZING!! Jason Aldean knows how to bring Rock to the Country crowd with such excitement and steamy hotness ... Amazing 1st night - we knew it would be a lot to live up to for the following nights. And they did ... Day & Night 2: Riverfront Stage: We took in some great, stand up and dance around performances by Frankie Ballard and Sawyer Brown Nighttime LP Field: Ashton Shepherd, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban (walk-on by Jake Owen), Sugarland, Lady Antebellum and Reba - - WOW, another night of amazing performances, terrific walk-ons and non-stop fun. Plus these girls made it down to the Gold Circle ... Yeehaw! Day & Night 3: Riverfront Stage: Delicious David Nail (my 2nd time seeing this hot number - love his tunes and love watching him sing 'em ...) Nighttime LP Field: Chris Young, Little Big Town, Josh Turner (deep voice hotness), Trace Adkins (tough man Country star, rocks it), Martina McBride and Rascal Flatts - - To top of all the amazingness of the night, Rascal Flatts had a special flashlight giveaway as you walked in for their performance of "I Won't Let Go" - just wait til you see it on ABC this Summer. Amazing! Day & Night 4 - Last Day of Fest - boo hoo: Riverfront Stage: LoCash Cowboys, Troy Olsen, Josh Kelley (aka Bradley Cooper look-alike and Katherine Heigl hubby; brother of Lady A singer - awesome) Nighttime LP Field: Jane Dear Girls, The Band Perry, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift (could have done without her) - - Killer last night of the Festival! Honestly, how can you not love Blake Shelton doing his version of "My Prerogative" by Bobby Brown - finishing up with saying how he hated himself for doing that. love it! The only bummer of the night, even with our floor seats, was Taylor Swift doing the drama pose -thang her entire performance as she closed it down. Boo! Please, CMA, we can do without this next year ... All in All, AMAZING!!! We saw over 40 performers in 4 days ... Take note, y'all - visit for the 41st! read more

We planned our Tennessee trip months ago without planning on being here during the festival. Wow we got lucky what a great experience! Loved all the exhibits, bars and performances. We saw Big and Rich 6 rows from the front all free. Cool to watch Keith Urban sign a cowboy hat for a young wrangler and we bumped elbows with Blake Sheldon popping in on a jam session. On top of all this downtown was filled supporting their Predators! Way to go police and fire support to make this a safe experience for us out of towners. read more

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First things first--I have to explain my four-star rating from a local's perspective. I give the CMA Music Fest four stars because I love Nashville, and Nashville has its roots in country music--this is a country music festival. Also, anything that attracts thousands of folks from all over the country and heck, all over the world, is great for our city. The revenue it brings in is mind-boggling. These things aside--do I personally like this event? No. I do not. But, that's just me. I'm not a fan of humongous crowds in the hot summer sun, and while I love music, I can only take "new" country in small batches. This event is a sort of kickoff to the summer months. The official dates for this year are June 5th-8th, but earlier in the week there are "unofficial" events gearing up for the festival. You can purchase four-day passes, or buy daily tickets. The main nightly concerts (the big names) are at LP Field, and the daily shows are on various stages in Riverfront Park. There are great artists at the CMA Fest though, don't get me wrong--it's not an amateur show! From Carrie Underwood to Alan Jackson to Jack Ingram, Jewel, Faith Hill, Sugarland, The Oak Ridge Boys, and many many many more--even Jenna Von Oy--yes from Blossom, remember her? This place will be crawling with stars and fans from all over. Interested in checking out the lineup and all the activities that are packed into the week? Check out the website. It's very informative. Don't like to battle crowds? Well, let this serve as your warning--don't go near downtown Nashville the first week of June! Just enjoy our city's economic boost from afar! read more

I'm a huge fan of CMA Music Festival. It's about a week, where Country music, artists and fans take over downtown Nashville. They usually close off Broadway and you can walk up and down the street seeing all the different vendors, etc. There are numerous stages set up ranging from Riverfront park to the lot next to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. There is a kids zone, a sports zone, etc. There are daily autograph sessions at the Nashville Convention Center were all the celebs show up (not just country singers - actors have been known to attend). Not to mention the nightly concerts at LP Field. It is usually sweltering during this week and you're outside on your feet forever, but it's a lot of fun. There are always fun surprises during the nightly shows and a range of cool things during the day. read more

Well...... I avoided the steep parking charges by riding my bike to the festival and locking it up right in front of where the cops patrol parking..... So, I saved about $65. I got a seat (you use the same seat every night of the festival) near the exit gate so coming and going was a breeze. Same level. The seats in LP field are made of steel... So when the temperature is at 95 degrees with 200% humidity, you stick..... superglued would be the better word.. And you sit next to the same people every night... The person sitting next to me overflowed into my seat, every night... so when you have hot sweaty flesh sticking to you from the person next to you ..... it's a wonder I didn't throw up. I did it once..... It was good enough for me. Now, I sit in my front yard in my beach chair and listen to the concert. Sound travels nicely, along the river!!! read more

Take bad country pop music, overwhelming crowds, bad corn dogs (that's what I imagine the cuisine is, anyway), and nascar racing... and throw them in a blender with souvenirs from a bad country music store on Broadway.... and... TADA... CMA WEEK. I try to avoid downtown at all costs during this event. You would be wise to do the same. Unless you're into Trace Adkins and Dale Earnhardt and Velveeta cheese. yeah. No disrespect to velveeta, but what in the hell is it anyway? Exactly. And bad beer. Lots of bad light beer consumption happening here. Man, this review is harsh. But I'm not going to personally dislike the event, then give it a 4 star rating. Sorry, I suck. But so does CMA week. Stay far far away, unless you love love love velveeta and bud light and twangy auto-tuned pop country music. Man, I am a critic. Sorry. I deserve a 1 star rating for this review. At least I am being honest??? God Bless America. read more

So, In full disclosure, I'm not a huge fame of modern country. Old school Dolly, Loretta, Patsy, sure thing. So as a northern transplant to Nashville, I can always find something I love in the honky strip, at least in covers. CMA music festival is great in that there's a ton of free music on the riverfront, and even if that music isn't totally your jam, it's free, people are generally happy and friendly, and you didn't have to go to a muddy field in the middle of nowhere to see it. So very solid stars as a visitor going to the festival. As a resident of downtown, this week is pretty rough on the traffic front, so if you have commuting and/or children to plan logistics for, plan to give yourself LOTS of extra time. read more