Luke Bryan and The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry host the summer’s hottest television music event “CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" airing Monday, Sept. 17 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.
The three-hour special features the A to Z of country music’s hottest stars with a stellar lineup including: Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Kix Brooks, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Hank Williams Jr., and Zac Brown Band.
Filmed June 7-10, the special features behind-the-ropes access and interviews, late-night jams, and full-throttle performances by today's most exciting country music hitmakers. This is the eighth time ABC will broadcast this special – which invites the whole country to America's biggest country music bash.
Originally started as Fan Fair® in 1972, the legendary event has featured performances by every major star in the format. What started with 5,000 fans has grown to a daily attendance of more than 71,000 representing every state and two dozen foreign countries.
The primetime television special, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock,” debuted in 2004 on CBS as a two-hour special highlighting the Festival and Music City. In 2005, the special moved to the ABC Television Network, and expanded to three hours in 2009. The special will air annually on ABC through 2021.
In 2011, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” drew an average audience of 7 million viewers and finished as the most-watched program in its three-hour time period.
Featuring concerts, autograph signings, family activities, and more, CMA Music Festival is the ultimate Country Music fan experience – a four-day celebration of Country Music.
