The Country Music Association is celebrating the 50th anniversary of CMA Fest with a new documentary, set to premiere July 5 on Hulu, TheWrap can reveal exclusively.
Told through one-on-one interviews and never-before-seen archival content and festival performances, “CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair” will track the country event’s history from its humble beginnings as Fan Fair in 1972, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, to its move to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in 1982 and then ultimately to downtown Nashville in 2001.
Today, the festival draws more than 90,000 fans a day, across four days, with attendees from all 50 states and 51 countries.
“CMA Fest has taken several shapes throughout its storied history,” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said in a statement. “As we step into our 50th year, our hope with this film was to underscore the one thing that has remained with the festival — its heart. We are thrilled to share the evolution and magic of this incredible event with the Hulu audience.”
The 75-minute documentary features country music heavyweights including Bill Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Breland, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Valierie Ellis, Vince Gill, Wynonna Judd, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Mark Miller, Craig Morgan, Lorrie Morgan, Dolly Parton, Carly Pearce, Jeannie Seely, Frankie Staton, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young.
“What better way to tell the story of CMA Fest than through the eyes of the artists and the fans,” CMA senior vice president of marketing, content and communications strategy Kelly Striewski said. “This film really showcases the connection and community that exists within CMA Fest and how the festival has continued to grow over the years. We couldn’t be happier to have this story debut on Hulu.”
The project marks CMA’s foray into long-form content as a producer, with Trahern and Striewski serving as the film’s executive producers.
“We have a long and valued partnership with CMA and are excited to expand on that by adding this extraordinary film to the Hulu slate,” Rob Mills, Walt Disney Television’s executive vice president of unscripted and alternative entertainment, said. “We can’t wait to share this with music lovers everywhere, who will be treated to a behind the scenes look at the heart of CMA Fest and its many contributions to the Country Music community.”
CMA Fest’s 50th anniversary milestone was celebrated from June 8–11 in downtown Nashville.
