Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, And Carrie Underwood Are First Artists Announced To Perform At 2013 CMA Music Festival

Nashville’s Signature Music Event Benefits Music Education And Will Once Again Be Filmed for ABC Television Special

The one-of-a-kind, award-winning CMA Music Festival takes over downtown Nashville for four days this summer, Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, with a star-packed lineup that includes Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, and more artists to be announced soon.

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, bringing 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. More than 40 years later, the legendary festival has become the city’s signature music event, which annually attracts tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states and around the globe and has raised millions of dollars for music education. The event will once again be filmed for an ABC Television special airing later in the summer, shining a national spotlight on both Country Music and Music City.

“What an exciting lineup – and we are just getting started,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Ticket sales are stronger than ever and we are always researching and developing ways to enhance the Festival experience for our attendees and the artists who continue this time-honored tradition of giving back to the fans.”

Bryan was nominated for CMA Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for tailgates & tanlines and will launch his first headline tour, the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour,” this week. Bryan last performed at CMA Music Festival in 2012, where he also co-hosted the “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” special on ABC last summer.

Platinum-selling group Lady Antebellum, made up of members Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott, has won seven CMA Awards, including Vocal Group (2009-2011), Single (2009 for “I Run to You” and 2010 for “Need You Now,” which also earned them an additional Award for producing), and New Artist of the Year (2008). They last performed at the Festival in 2012.

Reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year,Little Big Town – consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook – has received a career total of 11 CMA Award nominations and two wins in 2012 for Single of the Year for “Pontoon” and their first Vocal Group of the Year trophy.

A five-time CMA Award winner, Underwood will also perform on the Nightly Concerts at LP Field during 2013 CMA Music Festival. Underwood has won three CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Awards (2006-2008); and has co-hosted the CMA Awards for the last five consecutive years. After winning “American Idol” in 2005, she made one of her first public appearances at CMA Music Festival, and has been a strong supporter of the event ever since. Underwood last performed at CMA Music Festival in 2012.

Fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. They can also purchase them by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378). Ticket prices are based on the level of seating at LP Field for the Nightly Concerts, and range from $125 to $350plus handling fees. A limited number of four-day parking passes for LP Field are also available (parking is not included in the Festival ticket price), ranging from $60 for Cars to $140 for an RV/Motorcoach, plus handling fees.

Ticket and parking prices are subject to change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable. Four-day ticket pricing corresponds to seating levels at LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted FREE. For information on ADA seating, please call 1-800-CMA-FEST.

Fans can stay in the loop by visiting CMAfest.com, the official website of CMA Music Festival, where they can sign up for the CMA Exclusive e-news, follow the CMA Facebook and Twitter feeds for more insider info and of course see the entire lineup of Country Music’s biggest stars as they are announced in the coming weeks.

CMA Music Festival celebrates the unique relationship between Country Music artists and their fans in the heart of Music City. The artists participate for free, and on their behalf, CMA donates half the net proceeds of the Festival to support music education through the Keep the Music Playing program.

To date, more than $6.1 million has been donated to purchase musical instruments and supplies, providing thousands of students with the resources and opportunities they could not have afforded on their own, and giving many of them the motivation to remain in school. The total also includes a $1 million endowment for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Words & Music program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in the basics of songwriting. CMA will announce the donation from the 2012 CMA Music Festival in February.

Featuring concerts, autograph signings, family activities, and more, CMA Music Festival is an unparalleled celebration of America’s music.

In 2012, more than 450 artists performed more than 200 hours of concerts. The event drew a record 71,000 fans daily from all 50 states and 24 nations and for the third consecutive year sold out each nightly concert at LP Field. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, direct visitor spending generated by the Festival totaled more than $35 million. CMA Music Festival is a four-time winner of the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s LIVE! Award for Festival of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).

CMA Music Festival will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 10th consecutive year that the event has been filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton.

CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. Fan Fair® is a registered trademark of CMA. Chevrolet™ is the Official Ride of Country Music. Transitions Optical; The Official Eyewear of the CMA Music Festival.
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