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2011 CMA Music Festival Was Another Sell Out

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The CMA Music Festival sold out at LP Field for the second year in a row, reaching an estimated daily attendance of 65,000 people. Even with record high temperatures in Nashville, attendance at free zones, public events and concert venues was strong.
 
"To meet the outstanding sell out of 2010 again in 2011 speaks volumes about the strength of this event, the dedication of our fans, the support of our local community and the popularity of our music and artist," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore. 
 
After Nashville's flood in 2010, festival attendance went up 16.7 percent from 2009, and attendance has stayed strong for another year.
 
"Last year there was a terrific amount of support for our event following the floods that ravaged our city," said Moore. "We hit a benchmark that was higher than anyone expected to meet. That number again this year is an accomplishment and speak directly to the music."
 
In 2010, the CMA Music Festival generated $24 million in Nashville, according to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Figures for 2011 have not yet been released, but they are expected to be high as well.
 
The festival started as Fan Fair in 1972, but it has grown tremendously since then. This year, people from all 50 states, as well as 26 countries, attended the festival.
 
"Almost unbelievably, this event continues to get bigger and better every year," said Butch Spyridon, the President of the NCVB. "CMA Fest is not only Country Music's biggest bash, it's Nashville's too, and we anticipate record spending again this year."
 
The performers at the festival work free of charge, but CMA donates half of net proceeds in their honor to "Keep the Music Playing," a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education. CMA has donated $4.7 million so far.
 
"CMA has consistently kept its commitment to music education and stood behind it," said Pam Tidwell, the NAPE Executive Director. "This is how you make great things happen, with consistency over time. I always want to thank the artist. Their contributions are such an enormous benefit. This program has made a difference in the lives of so many children. The bigger this gets, the more impact it has. It gets better and better."
 
Tickets for the 2012 CMA Music Festival will go on sale Saturday, July 30.