CMA Fest is almost here, a four-day event that brings hundreds of artists, performing in front of more than 80,000 fans, from all over the world. While there is a charge for the nighttime shows at Nissan Stadium and Ascend Amphitheater, the daytime stages are free, with artists like Chapel Hart, Lauren Alaina, Mark Wils, Home Free, Travis Denning, Priscilla Block, Breland, Jackson Dean, Maddie & Tae, Thompson Square and more performing all over downtown Nashville.
In addition to the shows that are part of the official CMA Fest lineup, there are plenty of other concerts and music events happening in and around Music City next week. Keep reading for five of our favorites.
1. Country Kick-Off concert
Brett Young, Scotty McCreery, Russell Dickerson, Morgan Evans, Tenille Arts will help kick off CMA Fest on June 6 for the Country Kick-Off concert. The event, which begins at 7:00 PM, will be held at Skydeck on Broadway. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Musicians on Call. Tickets are available here.
2. Country For A Cause
Jake Hoot, Brandon Davis, Wade Hayes, Moe Bandy, John Conlee, Terry McBride, Elizabeth Cook, Mark Wills, Jamie O’Neal and more will perform for the annual Country For A Cause event, held on June 7 at 3rd & Lindsley at 7:00 PM
TG Sheppard and his wife, Kelly Lang, will once again serve as the hosts for the event, which benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
3. Grand Ole Opry CMA Fest celebration
Carrie Underwood, The Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner, Bill Anderson Riders in the Sky, Lukas Nelson and Lainey Wilson will perform two back-to-back shows on June 6, at 7:00 and 9:30 PM, to help kcik-off CMA Fest. Other performers throughout CMA Fest include Pam Tillis, Rhonda Vincent, Chapel Hart, Terri Clark, Vince Gill, Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Bill Anderson and more.
Tickets are available here.
4. Craig Campbell’s Annual Celebrity Corrnhole Challenge
Craig Campbell is once again hosting his Celebrity Cornhole Challenge, followed by a concert by Campbell and some of his guests. Proceeds from the event, which will be held on Jun 6 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at 6th and Peabody, benefit the Kenny Campbell Foundation, a nonprofit started by Campbell, named after his father, to raise money for research to find a cure for colorectal cancer.
Participants include Charles Esten, Mitch Rossell, Tim Montana, James Otto, Lucas Hoge and more.
5. Darius Rucker & Friends
Darius Rucker is gathering his friends again for an unforgettable concert at the Ryman Auditorium. Now in its 14th year, Darius & Friends, held this year on June 5 at 7:00 PM, benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To date, Rucker’s event has raised more than $3 million for St. Jude.
While Rucker hasn’t announced his special guests yet, previous guests included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers and more. Tickets can be found here.
A complete lineup of all of the CMA Fest activities, including both free and ticketed events, can be found at CMAFest.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of CMA