CMA MusicFest Attendance Up

Posted by amyclark on 08/25/2008
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6/10/2008 Lisa Ann Schleipfer Taylor Swift at Fan Fair The 2008 CMA Music Festival was a huge success, as organizers report that attendance for the June 5-8 festivities was up 9.4 percent from last year's event. Average daily attendance was 52,000 fans, a number that shows how devoted fans are to the annual Nashville event. "Even with gasoline prices around $4 a gallon and weak economic conditions around the country, we saw an increase in our attendance on every level from local and regional participation to those fans that traveled from around the world," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. Music Fest fans are so enthusiastic, they've plunked down cash for next year's festival—without an announced lineup.  Tickets for the 2009 Music Fest, to be held June 11-14, went on sale Saturday.  In fifteen minutes, the four-day Gold Circle packages were sold out. Sold-out shows weren't the only surprises at this year's festival. The concert stages boasted some surprise guests, including Rascal Flatts, Jessica Simpson and Kix Brooks. Our favorite soon-to-be father Keith Urban surprised one fan during his Friday night performance, by autographing his guitar and handing it over. Fans who missed out on the extravaganza in Nashville need only look to ABC. CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock will air on Monday, September 8, at 9:00 p.m. EST. The recap show will be hosted by a trio of Country Music sweethearts: Julianne Hough, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift. The special will show performances from the four-day festival, and give fans behind-the-scenes looks at their favorite artists, as well as follow a few Country Music enthusiasts on their festival experiences.