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CMA Fest: Tips for an Unforgettable Trip

Country music fans from around the world flock to Nashville every summer to enjoy the largest country music festival in the world. The official concerts ring through the downtown streets for four nights, but the fun doesn’t stop there. The entire city opens up to the numerous visitors. Restaurants, bars, shops, and more are excited to show you a good time.

There is a lot to take in and even more to think about. But you don’t want to spend your time pondering what to do and where to go, so we’ve compiled a handy guide to make sure you get the most out of your time in our beautiful city.

Here are our tips to make your trip to Nashville’s CMA Fest 2020 unforgettable.

Secure Your Tickets and Room Ahead of Time

CMA Fest 2019 brought visitors from all 50 states and 37 international countries. The city fills up each year with visitors packing hotels, motels, and short-term rentals. Lodging is a crucial consideration if you plan on visiting the city during this time. Book your rooms as far in advance as possible because they are going to fill up.

All of these visitors are here to take in the high-caliber music. Tickets to these shows need to be locked in as early as possible as well. It seems like it would be easy to find a seat at the main shows each night at Nissan Stadium. But 2019 saw these shows sell out all 50,000 seats each night.

The good news is that you can secure both of these essential considerations right now.

Visit Sweet Magnolia Tours and check out their CMA Fest 2020 Packages that include lodging and tickets in one convenient place.

Bring the Essentials

Proper planning is the best way to make sure you have everything you need. You don’t want to be in the middle of a crowd with your friends and realize you forgot something. So here are some things you should consider when packing.

The majority of the concerts are outside. This means you have to plan for being in the elements for most of the day. It can get quite hot and sunny in Tennessee, so bring along sunscreen lotion (aerosol sunscreens aren’t allowed), hats, and sunglasses. You’re also going to be spending a lot of time on your feet so wear shoes that will be comfortable for long periods of time.

The show will go on in the event of rain, so bring along a rain poncho. Umbrellas aren’t allowed in the festival.

Pack all of this stuff into a clear bag or backpack. Non-clear backpacks won’t be allowed into the festival. Neither will cameras with detachable lenses, noisemakers, selfie sticks, and stainless steel or glass containers. Security is a major focus for festival staff and they aim to remove any possible risk, no matter how slight it may seem.

Plan Your Days

There’s a lot to see! There will be eleven CMA Fest stages this year. That’s a lot of shows to keep consider. The best way to make sure you don’t miss a thing is to download the CMA Fest app for your smartphone.

The app lets you know each day’s lineups as soon as they are released and keeps you updated throughout the festival. Along with this useful information, you can also win free stuff! You can register for CMA Fest Fan Access for a chance to win a trip for two to next year’s festival, as well as other offers. It also allows you to chat with other attendees of the festival, listen to music, and shop for official merchandise.

Not only that, it allows you to shop around the festival itself. Select vendors offer an “Order Ahead” feature that allows you to place your order for merchandise and beverages. Simply place your order, pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay, and go get your items!

See the City

CMA Fest goes almost all day long. Luckily there are plenty of great things to see around Nashville if you want a break from the crowds. Whether you want to take a walk through beautiful Shelby Park, check out one of the many cool neighborhoods, or dig through some record crates, there’s something for every mood.

We recommend putting together a list of restaurants, bars, or shops you might be interested in visiting before coming into the city. This way, you have a list of things you can do if you decide you want a break from the festival. Perhaps you want to have some great barbecue, coffee, or maybe you want to see what the Nashville Hot Chicken craze is all about. There are plenty of wonderful establishments you’ll only be able to find in Music City.

Reserve your CMA Fest Package with Sweet Magnolia Tours today. All that will be left for you to do is get ready to have an unforgettable time.