Party preparations have begun in downtown Nashville for the 2016 CMA Music Festival with multiple events to kick off the music-filled week.
"Everywhere you turn there's going to be a show of someone who is either a Country music veteran or a brand new artist," Lucie Silvas, who will be playing CMA Music Festival for the first time this year, said. "I think that's the best thing about it."
Silvas, riding off the success of her recently released album "Letters to Ghosts", will be playing a show on Friday at 1:50 p.m. at the Chevrolet Cruze Park Stage in Hall of Fame Park, a venue that will see changes to make the atmosphere better for Country music fans.
"It's free, it's an amazing thing," Silvas said of CMA Fest. "They're spending the money to get here, then they can see music for free, which is a great thing. I think it's the way it should be."
Silvas will also be playing a show with Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots at one of CMA Music Festival's newest venues, Ascend Amphitheater. The Amphitheater will host two new stages, the AT&T Skyview Stage and the Budweiser Acoustic Stage.
Silvas said that there has never been a more exciting time to play for her fans.
"I've watched so many of my favorite bands play, and now to be playing on those stages and to eb a part of it is pretty amazing," Silvas explained. "I didn't really expect it to happen."
Thousands of fans would soon be in town for the Country Music Association’s festival. Around 85,000 people are expected each day, making it the largest festival ever.
One of the first events to kick off the week was the 7th annual Darius Rucker and Friends benefit concert Monday at the Wildhorse Saloon. Proceeds of the concert, as well as an auction and golf tournament went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
"It's always great when we put the lineup together I see the names that are willing to support St. Jude and support me too," said Darius Rucker. "It's pretty cool."
Yet, it’s not the only event to set up the festival; special events have been scheduled all week getting ready for CMA Fest, including the CMT Awards on Wednesday night.
CMA Music Festival will not only see the addition of the two new stages at Ascend Amphitheater, bringing the total stages to 11 for the festival, but they are also modifying the Chevrolet Cruze Park Stage in Walk of Fame Park with a new placement of the stage allowing fans to be closer to performances.
A lot of focus has been placed on the Fan Fair X at Music City Center, where many artists have been set to conduct Question and Answer sessions with fans.
"Everybody is in town," said Scotty McCreery, before participating in Darius Rucker's benefit concert. "It's all about the fans. The artists are always on the road traveling and they come to us. This week we come to them in Nashville and have a good time."
For more information on CMA Fest, you can visit their website: http://www.cmaworld.com/cma-music-festival/
To learn more about Lucie Silvas and her future tour dates, you can visit her website: http://luciesilvas.com/home
