CMA Fest to Feature LGBTQ+ Artist Showcase
Pride is coming to CMA Fest. On Thursday (June 9) from 6-10pm, an LGBTQ+ artist showcase dubbed "Country Proud" will take place at the Assembly Food Hall in Downtown Nashville, coinciding with the first night of the star-studded country music festival.
"Country Proud" will feature performances by Shelly Fairchild, Chris Housman, Sonia Leigh, Harper Grae, Lila McCann, the Kentucky Gentlemen, Breann Young and others.
The event will be hosted by the Nash News and RNBW Queer Music Collective — a community organization that hosts weekly showcases for queer talent in Nashville — in partnership with CMA and CMT.
"The awesome folks over at the Nash News asked us to do a Pride month show at their Assembly Hall Residency,” RNBW co-founders Emily and Jamie Dryburgh explain in a joint statement. “The given date happened to align directly with CMA Fest and we realized that there could be something much bigger here."
"With the help of our friends and likeminded partners, we were able to strategically pull together what would be the first queer-centric event at a country music festival in American history,” they continue. “Our goal was not to break records but rather set a precedent: Love is as universal as music is."
News of the LGBTQ+ showcase comes on the heels of CMA’s announcement that Confederate flags and imagery will be prohibited on festival grounds.
Fans can show their support by registering for "Country Proud" on the Assembly Food Hall website. This year's CMA Fest will take place from June 9-12 and feature performances by a staggering number of country stars, whose ranks include queer country stalwarts Brothers Osborne, Brooke Eden, Ty Herndon and Lily Rose.
11 Country Singers Who've Come Out as Gay: