The very first CMA Fest was held in 1972 at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. At that time, the event was called Fan Fair and about 5,000 people showed up for the event. This year, it is estimated that 90,000 people came to this year’s 4-day event which ended just a few days ago. Needless to say, it’s sort of a big deal to country music fans. It certainly was for Jelly Roll.

“Stepping onto the stage in front of 50,000 people to host CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium in my hometown of Nashville was indescribable,” says Jelly Roll who hosted the event alongside Ashley McBryde. “The magnitude of the moment really hit me, to be across the street from the juvenile detention center I was in and to now be onstage hosting—how do you describe being in the same exact place while being in a place that couldn’t be more different, at the same time.”

CMA Fest is so popular, tickets for next year’s version of “The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™” go on sale next on Tuesday, June 25^th on Ticketmaster, the same day that ABC airs the three-hour TV special commemorating this year’s event. It will the 21^st year that ABC has presented the special.

“When my buddy Jelly Roll and I walked out into this massive crowd and felt the electric energy for the first time, it felt important,” says McBryde. “We were nervous! But it also felt good, because at the root of it all, it’s just me and my pal cutting up, only we’re doing it on national television for CMA Fest.”

This year’s concert event features numerous collaborations and performances that took place during the fest from performers which include:

• Kelsea Ballerini — “Penthouse”
• Big & Rich and HARDY — “Save A Horse (Ride a Cowboy)”
• Clint Black and Jon Pardi — “Killin’ Time”
• Brothers Osborne — “Break Mine” and “I Won’t Back Down”
• Luke Bryan — “Love You, Miss You, Mean It”
• Terri Clark and Lainey Wilson — “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me”
• Jordan Davis — “Next Thing You Know”
• Jackson Dean — “Fearless”
• HARDY — “SIX FEET UNDER (Caleigh’s Song)”
• Jelly Roll featuring Keith Urban— “Halfway To Hell”
• Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson — “Save Me”
• Cody Johnson — “That’s Texas”
• Little Big Town — “Girl Crush”
• Lynyrd Skynyrd — “Sweet Home Alabama”
• Lynyrd Skynyrd featuring Billy F Gibbons from ZZ Top — “Call Me The Breeze”
• Ashley McBryde — “The Devil I Know”
• Parker McCollum – “Burn It Down”
• Megan Moroney — “I’m Not Pretty”
• Carly Pearce — “truck on fire”
• Post Malone featuring Blake Shelton — “Pour Me A Drink”
• Shaboozey — “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
• Brittney Spencer — “I Got Time”
• The War And Treaty — “Called You By Your Name”
• Thomas Rhett — “Beautiful As You”
• Keith Urban — “Messed Up As Me”
• Keith Urban with Lainey Wilson — “GO HOME W U”
• Gretchen Wilson and Ashley McBryde — “Redneck Woman”
• Lainey Wilson — “Hang Tight Honey”
• Bailey Zimmerman — “Where It Ends”

According to ABC, the CMA Fest “is a one-of-a-kind festival with hundreds of artists donating their time to perform so ticket proceeds can directly benefit high-quality music programs across the country through the CMA Foundation.”

The 2024 CMA Fest airs on June 25 at 8 p.m. on ABC and will stream the next day on HULU.

Main Image: CMA Fest hosts Ashley McBride and Jelly Roll (Disney/Robbie Klein)