2014 Festival’s popularity continues to grow

CMA Music Festival sold out a record 15 weeks in advance prompting large, enthusiastic crowds at the Festival’s numerous free stages and event areas including AT&T U-verse® Fan Fair X at the Music City Center matching 2013’s attendance record of 80,000 fans per day. “The advance sell out speaks to the strength of the event with our fans,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. “The popularity of our artists and the entertainment value of this Festival is what drove attendance and filled the streets of downtown Nashville.” Attendance figures for 2014 include four-day ticket packages and promotional tickets, as well as attendance in Fan Fair X, and free areas downtown. In all, more than 450 artists participated in more than 150 hours of concerts on 11 different stages. Fans obviously liked what they saw: tickets for 2015 CMA Music Festival, which will be held Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14, are selling quicker than ever. Ticket sales are 28% ahead of last year with 75% of available tickets already sold. Fans can order tickets by calling the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Intermittent rain on Thursday and severe thunderstorms Saturday impacted attendance in the free areas and delayed the start of the Nightly Concert Saturday, but fans in rain ponchos were undeterred, waiting out the weather to see their favourite stars perform. Attendance in the numerous free areas including The Buckle, Fan Alley, public events, and concert venues was brisk and attendance at many stages showed significant growth year-to-year. Opening day at Chevrolet Riverfront Stage saw tens of thousands of fans pass through the gates for the free concerts. Crowds for the new Samsung Galaxy Stage in Walk of Fame Park were strong, and attendance at the Bud Light Stage on the Bridgestone Arena Plaza increased over 2013. The BMI Tailgate Party stage at LP Field, which debuted in 2012, was a hit with fans entering the stadium for the nightly concerts. Corporate brand partnerships are a key element to the marketing, fan experience, and support of the Festival. Nearly 60 different brands participated in the CMA Music Festival – a 39% increase from 2013. “This year’s Festival featured sold-out shows at LP Field in record-setting time, so we knew our corporate partners were going to benefit from the excitement and attendance generated by this event,” said Damon Whiteside, CMA Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships. “The strategy for our partnerships is to develop innovative experiential and marketing opportunities that will engage our passionate fans not only during the June Music Festival, but throughout the summer season leading into our ABC Network TV special, ‘CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock.’ Along with the amazing lineup of talent and fan experiences at all of our stages and AT&T U-verse® Fan Fair X, our brand partners are creating some of the best activations the Festival has seen to date, which is essential for CMA to keep the fans excited to come back year after year.”