CMA Fest takes place this week in Nashville. It’s the biggest Country Music Festival In the world, naturally as it’s coming from the home of Country Music! Running from 1972, this year it celebrates 45 years of bringing the best of Country to the streets. It attracts almost 400 artists from around the Country world.
Last year after the 2016 CMA Festival I was able to catch up with good friend, Gillian Wilson from Ballymena. She was just back from an exciting trip to the USA, which also incorporated the four day CMA Fest in Nashville a place I’ve been too myself the year previous.
I was keen to find out of her Nashville experiences and what she thought of the place. Here’s what she had to say..
“This year I got the pleasure of going to the 2016 CMA Festival in Nashville … what an experience!
Tickets for the CMA Festival need to be purchased a year in advance…so this time last year I happened to hear about the festival from a friend. On an impulse I bought the ticket and got a place booked in Nashville Downtown Hostel. Flights weren’t released yet so I bought them only in January this year. It’s probably better to get them as soon as they’re released as they’ll be a little cheaper. This was a solo travel trip so I was a bit nervous about going. I needn’t have been!!
I jumped on the plane in June – flying Belfast to Newark to Nashville. Pretty handy flights – all with United Airlines. Let’s start with the hostel… perfect location just down the road from one of the main stages. It was the perfect place to meet people – I met numerous people to hang out with at some of the concerts or go for coffee with. The people were a big part of what made the holiday. Everyone was there for the same purpose so that common interest automatically bonds people and gives you something to talk about.
Nashville is amazing during the CMAs!! Totally buzzing! All over the town is alive with live music – both by well-known country artists and up-and-coming. There’s a number of dedicated free stages around for free, daytime concerts. Events usually start around 10am and run on until early evening. After that the key event commences in the Nissan stadium. For about 3-4 hours big names in country bring the stadium alive! In 2016, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts and many, many more graced the stage. Nashville rarely sleeps during the festival – there’s an endless selection of acts performing just about everywhere across town, day and night. Even if you haven’t tickets for the stadium you won’t be bored – there’s plenty to keep you entertained.
The festival is a time where the artists show appreciation to their fans – you’ll often come across a line waiting for meet-and-greets, close-up stages and possibly even bump into someone famous on the street. You’ll get introduced to new artists to checkout at home. It’s also worth planning a visit to the Bluebird Cafe, Ryman and Grand Ole Opry to round off your trip. You’ll need to pre-book Bluebird Café tickets a week before an event as it’s incredibly popular and sells out in minutes.
The CMA experience is something that can’t be justified in words. The only way to really appreciate it is to see it for yourself. You don’t need to have someone to go with, as you constantly meet people everywhere you go. The friendliness of the people is amazing!! I met people from Canada, Wisconsin, Scotland, Australia, Texas and Nashville. Friends who I plan to keep in touch with and possibly catch up on future travels or maybe even a future CMA Festival.”
Thanks to Gillian for her input and advice!
If you’re feeling inspired tickets for next year’s CMA Fest go on sale Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 10:00am.
