CMA Fest Postponed to 2021 Amid Heightened Virus Concerns

Music City will be unusually silent in June. CMA Fest, Nashville’s signature country music festival, has been pushed to 2021 due to escalating coronavirus concerns.

The four-day festival was set to take over Nissan Stadium and various stages around Nashville June 4-7, with some 200 artists making up the entire bill. 2020 headliners were yet to be revealed before the event got axed, however superstars like Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean have all appeared in recent years.

“After careful deliberation, and in following the latest guidance from national, state and local authorities, we are sad to announce that CMA Fest will not take place in 2020,” reads an official statement. “Whether you planned to attend CMA Fest for the first time, or you have attended many times throughout the last 48 years, we know how special this festival is for Country Music fans around the globe and that many will be disappointed by this decision. As the world is still greatly affected by the spread of COVID-19, we cannot in good conscience risk the health and wellbeing of our fans, artists, staff and Country Music community.”

Organizers went on to say that fans who already purchased four-day passes will see them be honored for the 2021 edition, scheduled for June 10-13.

“In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to bring Country fans and artists together to celebrate the unique spirit and sense of unity that is at the heart of what CMA Fest stands for. We will also share information about future CMA events and ways to support those within our community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement concludes.

CMA Fest is not the first country-only festival to be impacted by the pandemic, but it is the most prolific one to see its 2020 presence eliminated entirely. California’s Stagecoach Festival was one of the first major spring events to be postponed as a precaution. Underwood, Eric Church and Thomas Rhett will serve as headliners for the weekend-long bash, which will now take place in October. Additionally, the Arizona dates for Country Thunder were also postponed amid virus concerns.