CMA Fest TV Special Gets Air Date, New Title for 2017
Fans who didn't get a chance to attend CMA Fest this year will still be able to witness the action when the annual television special airs later this summer. But this year, Country's Night to Rock has a new name.
The CMA is mixing things up with the introduction of CMA Fest: The Music Event of Summer, which will air on Aug. 16. The special has aired every year since 2004, always several months after the event in Nashville.
In addition to its fresh name, The Music Event of Summer will feature new hosts in Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini. Little Big Town, Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler have hosted in years prior.
The special will include clips from the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium during the 2017 festival, which drew thousands of country music fans to downtown Nashville from June 8-11. Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Brett Eldredge, Eric Church, Keith Urban, LBT and many more performed on the massive stage.
CMT Fest 2017 brought with it some surprises that you probably won't see when the TV special airs in August. Randy Travis joined Ray during his performance on the Riverfront stage for his hit “Forever and Ever, Amen,” and Garth Brooks stunned the crowd at Nissan Stadium with an impromptu set on June 8, singing hits like “The Thunder Rolls,” “Friends in Low Places” and more.
CMA Fest: The Music Event of Summer airs at 8PM ET on ABC on Aug. 16.
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