CMA Fest Canceled For A Second Year Due To Ongoing Pandemic

See You In 2022

For the second consecutive year, the COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (CMA) has had to cancel its long-running JUNE event, CMA FEST, as a result of the ongoing pandemic. The four-day event funds music education programs. The organization released the following statement TODAY (3/2):

“After thoughtful deliberation, we are saddened to share that CMA FEST will not take place in 2021. We know our fans near and far have hoped that the festival could safely return this summer, and while we are encouraged to see COVID-19 vaccines becoming more widely available, we still face several challenges that prevent us from bringing our fans around the world the CMA FEST experience they have come to expect. But rest assured, we have already started planning what will be the most epic celebration of Country music next summer. Mark your calendars for CMA FEST, JUNE 9-12, 2022!”

The statement went on to detail refund and ticket rollover options for fans who purchased passes to the canceled 2020 event. No tickets were ever put on sale for 2021. “We appreciate your patience, understanding and ongoing support of CMA FEST and Country music as we look forward to the days when we can come together again,” the statement continued. “To be the first to get CMA FEST 2022 updates, including the on-sale date for limited four-day passes as well as artist announcements, follow CMA on social media and sign up for CMA Country Connection emails.”

In a letter sent to CMA members this morning, the organization’s CEO, SARAH TRAHERN, further detailed the reasons behind the decision to cancel. “We are deeply disappointed that yet another summer will pass without seeing so many of you who help bring Country music to our fans around the world,” she wrote. “While we are optimistic with the pace at which COVID-19 vaccines are becoming more widely available, we still face several challenges that prevent us from bringing our many artists, crew members and fans together safely for the full CMA FEST experience we know everyone has come to expect. I would like to explain some of these challenges with you.

“Unlike many other music festivals that take place from a single location, CMA FEST has a rather large footprint that spans across the entire downtown NASHVILLE area, including NISSAN STADIUM, ASCEND AMPHITHEATER and MUSIC CITY CENTER,” she continued. “We know that many of our performers and attendees will ask why we cannot reschedule our event to take place later in 2021, however, to produce CMA FEST at the scale we normally do requires a significant amount of advance planning and production. Given the length of our production window, it was simply impossible to find an available window later this summer or into the fall.  

“Additional challenges we face this year are capacity restrictions, not only with brick and mortar venues, but at many of our outdoor locations. We are incredibly grateful that the majority of those who purchased four-day passes for CMA FEST 2020 have made the decision to hold onto their seats for the nightly concerts at NISSAN STADIUM. The last thing we want to do is make a decision that leaves any of our loyal attendees in the dark due to capacity restraints. 

“We also took into account travel concerns. In addition to welcoming visitors from all 50 states, 10 percent of 2019 CMA FEST attendees traveled to NASHVILLE from more than 37 foreign countries. With domestic and international travel still significantly impacted, we did not want to disappoint our many participants around the globe.”

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