CMA FEST Hosted by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini Premieres Wednesday, August 8, on ABC

"CMA Fest," the Music Event of Summer, premieres WEDNESDAY, AUG. 8 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. The three-hour prime-time special broadcasts for its 15th straight year with Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini returning as hosts, bringing Country Music's Ultimate Fan Experience to a national television audience.

Filmed during Nashville's 47th annual CMA Fest in June, the television special showcases 29 of music's hottest acts as they hit the stage during the four-day festival. Don't miss performances by Jason Aldean, Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, Midland, Old Dominion, Jake Owen, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Brett Young. Special guest collaborations include Lauren Alaina joining Brown, Julia Michaels joining Urban, Morgan Wallen joining Florida Georgia Line, and Dwight Yoakam joining Bentley. Brown, Combs, Midland, Michaels, Pardi, Pearce and Wallen make their debut performances on the "CMA Fest" television special. 2018 marks the 15th consecutive year of the broadcast, a feat no other U.S. music festival has achieved.

Thomas Rhett returns to host "CMA Fest" for a third year, and Ballerini returns for a second year. Both artists hosted "CMA Fest" in 2017. "CMA Fest" is executive produced by Robert Deaton.

**Suggested Tweet**: The @CountryMusic Association announced lineup for #CMAfest airing Wed, Aug 8 at 8|7c on @ABCNetwork. Performances include @Jason_Aldean, @LukeBryanOnline, @CarrieUnderwood, @KeithUrban, hosts @ThomasRhett & @KelseaBallerini & many more singing their latest hits.

About CMA Fest

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™ began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. Having just wrapped its 47th year, the legendary festival has become the city's signature Country Music event that hosts fans from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 foreign countries. In 2018, CMA Fest featured 11 stages with over 300 acts - all to benefit music education. Since 2006, CMA and the CMA Foundation have invested more than $21 million to sustainable music education initiatives across the U.S. thanks to the fans who attend CMA Fest and the artists who donate their time.

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