LOS ANGELES — CMA Fest is known as the ultimate country music fan event, drawing fans and artists to Nashville every year.
The festival spans four days, showcasing live music on various stages across the city, culminating in a grand finale at Nissan Stadium with performances by a stellar lineup of artists.
This year’s Nissan Stage performers included Luke Bryan, Megan Moroney, Jason Aldean and Kelsea Ballerini, to name a few.
Highlights from the event will be featured in a new special called “CMA Fest Presented by SoFi,” set to air on ABC on June 26, and will be hosted by Cody Johnson and Ashley McBryde.
“I’m a little more nervous about reading that teleprompter than I am performing,” Johnson told On The Red Carpet. “Performing I could do sick, tired, it doesn’t matter. But hosting, I’m afraid I’m gonna screw it up.”
This is Johnson’s first time emceeing the event.
McBryde, who hosted last year with Jelly Roll, had some words of encouragement for her rookie partner.
“I was telling Cody you can’t get this wrong, and all we have to do is let the audience in on what we’re doing,” she said. “So, if we need to say, ‘We’re doing TV magic right now. It’s the top of the show, I realize it’s 9 p.m. and you’ve been here a couple of hours,’ you let them in on that and they’ve got your back.”
In the new episode, “On The Red Carpet at CMA Fest,” you’ll hear more from this year’s CMA Fest hosts along with Nissan Stage performers like Lainey Wilson, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Trade Adkins, Keith Urban, Zach Top and more.
“CMA Fest Presented by SoFi” airs Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC.
Watch the full episode, “On The Red Carpet at CMA Fest,” in the video player above.
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