PHOTOS: Carly Pearce, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, & More Backstage At CMA Fest

See photos from backstage at CMA Fest in Nashville.

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

July 19, 2023

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10:07 am

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Carly Pearce, Luke Combs, Nicole Combs, Cody Johnson; Photos by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA

On Wednesday evening, country music’s biggest stars will be taking over ABC for CMA Fest, a three-hour country music extravaganza. 

The music event of the summer will feature 30+ performances and surprise collaborations from some of Country music’s hottest stars, including Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Leon Bridges, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Avril Lavigne, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Darius Rucker, Tanya Tucker, Keith Urban, and Lainey Wilson. 

Bentley, King, and Wilson will host CMA Fest on ABC, airing on Wednesday, July 19 at 8/7c on ABC.

Everything You Need To Know About CMA Fest On ABC

Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Elle King.; Photo by ABC/Robby Klein
Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Elle King.; Photo by ABC/Robby Klein

The special was filmed at the 50th Anniversary of CMA Fest in Downtown Nashville at Nissan Stadium during the star-studded, four-day festival, which took place Thursday, June 8 through Sunday, June 11.

For many artists, CMA Fest gives them a chance to showcase gratitude for the fans who have supported them along the way. 

“CMA Fest to me is the most unique experience and weekend in any genre of music because we as artists count on the fans to make our worlds go ‘round and they do and what it means to me is to be able to just give back to them and love on them and give them unique experiences and just say thank you, thank you for all of my dreams coming true,” Carly Pearce shared at the festival.

It’s also a chance for the artists to reconnect with each other since they are usually on tour across the country and rarely have the opportunity to meet up. 

While fans will get to re-live what happened in front of the cameras at CMA Fest on Wednesday during the ABC special, here’s a look at what happened behind the scenes at the festival. 

Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Faith Hill, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Faith Hill, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Faith Hill, Megan Moroney; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Faith Hill, Megan Moroney; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Bryan; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Bryan; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Randy Travis, Dierks Bentley; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Randy Travis, Dierks Bentley; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
BRELAND, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
BRELAND, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Dierks Bentley, Ashley McBryde, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Dierks Bentley, Ashley McBryde, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Elle King, Dierks Bentley; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Elle King, Dierks Bentley; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Nate Smith; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Nate Smith; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Jon Pardi; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Jon Pardi; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Karen Fairchild, Alana Springsteen; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Karen Fairchild, Alana Springsteen; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Brittany Aldean, Jason Aldean; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Brittany Aldean, Jason Aldean; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Alana Springsteen; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Alana Springsteen; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Devin Dawson, HARDY, Lauren Alaina; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Devin Dawson, HARDY, Lauren Alaina; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Dierks Bentley, Reba; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Dierks Bentley, Reba; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Miranda Lambert, Leon Bridges; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Miranda Lambert, Leon Bridges; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
HARDY, Caleigh Ryan; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
HARDY, Caleigh Ryan; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Cody Johnson; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Cody Johnson; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Dierks Bentley, Jelly Roll; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Dierks Bentley, Jelly Roll; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Elle King, Jelly Roll; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Elle King, Jelly Roll; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Abby Smyers, Dan Smyers; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Abby Smyers, Dan Smyers; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley, Elle King; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Combs, Vince Gill; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Combs, Vince Gill; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Vince Gill; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Vince Gill; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Jordan Davis, Dierks Bentley; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Jordan Davis, Dierks Bentley; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Combs, Nicole Combs; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Combs, Nicole Combs; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Combs; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Luke Combs; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Carly Pearce; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA
Carly Pearce; Photo by John Shearer, Getty Images for CMA

CMA Fest marked its 50th Anniversary with a record-breaking celebration in Nashville, June 8 through June 11. 

The four-day event hosted an estimated daily attendance of over 90,000, a 12% increase from 2022, according to the Country Music Association. Additionally, the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium saw 10% growth from 2022.

The festival also hosted fans from all 50 states as well as a record-breaking 51 countries.

“What a weekend! As we’ve spent the past year reflecting on this milestone celebration, one theme has persisted—the incredible connection between Country Music fans and the artists,” Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, shared in a statement. “It’s magical because it still matters after all these years. From first-timers to legends, so many artists started as fans—some as far back as Fan Fair. Almost every artist who performs during the festival has had their own experience as a fan, so for many of them, taking the stage at CMA Fest is a full-circle moment. We only get the chance to celebrate our 50th anniversary once, and to do so in such an impactful way has meant the world to us. Thank you, Country Music!”   

More than 300 acts took part in CMA Fest this year, including performances at the Chevy Riverfront Stage, Dr Pepper Amp Stage, Chevy Vibes Stage, Maui Jim Reverb Stage and the Hard Rock Stage as well at Fan Fair X inside Music City Center. 

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.