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CMA Fest, hosted by Thomas Rhett & Kelsea Ballerini, premieres Aug. 8 on ABC

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Fri, Jul 27th 2018 04:20 pm
Event features 29 of country music's biggest names, including Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban
CMA Fest premieres Wednesday, Aug. 8 (8 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. The three-hour prime-time special broadcasts for its 15th straight year with Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini returning as hosts, bringing country music's ultimate fan experience to a national television audience.
Filmed during Nashville's 47th annual CMA Fest in June, the television special showcases 29 of music's hottest acts as they hit the stage during the four-day festival. Performers include Jason Aldean, Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, Midland, Old Dominion, Jake Owen, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Brett Young. Special guest collaborations include Lauren Alaina joining Brown, Julia Michaels joining Urban, Morgan Wallen joining Florida Georgia Line, and Dwight Yoakam joining Bentley. Brown, Combs, Midlad, Michaels, Pardi, Pearce and Wallen make their debut performances on the CMA Fest" television special.
2018 marks the 15th consecutive year of the broadcast, a feat no other U.S. music festival has achieved.
Rhett returned to host CMA Fest for a third year, while Ballerini returned for a second year. Both artists hosted CMA Fest in 2017.
About CMA Fest
The "Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience" began in 1972 as Fan Fair, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. Having just wrapped its 47th year, the legendary festival has become the city's signature country music event and hosts fans from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 foreign countries.
In 2018, CMA Fest featured 11 stages with more than 300 acts - all to benefit music education. Since 2006, CMA and the CMA Foundation have invested more than $21 million to sustainable music education initiatives across the U.S. thanks to the fans who attend CMA Fest and the artists who donate their time.

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