2020 CMA Fest Canceled Due to Coronavirus
CMA Fest has been canceled for 2020 due to of health concerns amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The announcement was made on Tuesday (March 31), via a press release. The 2020 CMA Fest had been scheduled to take place on June 4-7 in Nashville. The next CMA Fest is slated for June 10-13, 2021, and tickets purchased for 2020 will be honored then. Refunds are also available, and within the next two days those who purchased four day passes should receive an email with instructions.
The cancelation marks the first major festival slated for June or later to be moved or canceled. A note from the Country Music Association shares that organizers could not in good conscience move forward at the risk of jeopardizing the health of fans, artists and staff. It's the first time in 48 years that the festival (previously known as Fan Fair) has not happened in Nashville. The full statement is below.
Relive Carrie Underwood's 2019 CMA Fest Performance:
Artists for the 2020 CMA Fest had not yet been announced, although typically it's a spread of headliners across four stadium shows at Nashville's Nissan Stadium. Elsewhere, concerts and showcases happen throughout downtown Nashville, with various meet and greet experiences being staged in hotels, convention centers and bars. In 2019, 50,000 people attended each stadium show. Overall the festival generated $65 million in visitor spending, per Nashville's News Channel 5.
Next year's date marks a change for CMA Fest. Typically, the festival has been held during the first weekend of June, but in 2020, it will move back to the second weekend. No artists have been announced as performers yet.