Saturday, June 6, 2026

Question: What was CMA Fest originally called?

Answer: Fan Fair. The first CMA Fest, originally called Fan Fair, was held in Nashville from April 12-15, 1972. The inaugural four-day event was held at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. It was created by the Country Music Association (CMA) and WSM radio to relieve crowding from the industry-only disk jockey convention and give fans a dedicated space to meet their favorite country stars. That first year drew 5,000 fans.