CMA Fest 2023: Where to park? Who's performing? A Nashville guide

CMA Fest can be a lot. We're here to help.

From free music to parking, weather and wardrobes, read on for your one-stop guide to CMA Fest 2023.

Launched five decades ago as "Fan Fair," the annual nonprofit event CMA Fest brings mainstream country music fandom to downtown Nashville for four days of stadium performances, intimate showcases, meet-and-greet sessions and fan club parties each June. Proceeds benefit the CMA Foundation, a non-profit wing of the organization that supports music education.

The festival runs Thursday-Sunday, with unofficial events begining as early as Monday evening.

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From honky tonk bars to pop-up shows and unofficial parties, music pours from virtually every corner of downtown during CMA Fest. Here's a look at this year's confirmed CMA Fest stages.

* denotes a ticketed stage

** denotes a free stage

Day-by-day CMA Fest:Who's playing CMA Fest 2023? Here's the full Nashville lineup and schedule

Inside Music City Center, passholders can visit "Fan Fair X" — a place for shopping, food, label freebies, panel discussions, book signings, intimate performances and meet-and-greet sessions. Fan Fair X hosts an "Artist of the Day" to kick off each morning. This year's "Artist of the Day" lineup includes Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire, Brothers Osborne and Wynonna Judd. Additional Fan Fair X highlights include:

The Country Music Association offers a handful of ticket packages and upgrades for fans flocking to downtown Nashville, including a four-day pass that gives attendees access to Fan Fair X and A-list performances at Nissan Stadium throughout the event. At publication time, a four-day pass started at $332.15 before fees via ticketmaster.com.

CMA Fest 2023:Here's which Nashville roads are closed and streets to avoid

Parking in downtown Nashville — especially during major events — can cause a major headache (while being painful on one's wallet). A few options to help guide festival-goers:

Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft can be flagged at the following locations during CMA Fest:

CMA Fest offers shuttles on festival grounds for four-day pass holders.

As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service called for sunny skies and warm temperatures for CMA Fest 2023. High temperatures could reach the mid-80s on Thursday and Friday, peaking at 89 degrees Saturday. The high temperature reaches 90 degrees Sunday, with a 30 % chance of a showers and thunderstorms on the festival's final day.

Be smart. Fans at CMA Fest typically walk ... a lot. Boots may look great, but may not be the healthiest option for hiking up-and-down Lower Broadway on a sweaty June afternoon. Those preparing for a long weekend should pack sunscreen, a rain coat (in case of a pop-up thunderstorm) and a credit or debit card (official CMA Fest locations don't accept cash). Pack a refillable water bottle; stay up-to-date on water refill stations via cmafest.com and the CMA Fest moible app.

CMA Fest adopts a clear bag policy for attendees, per the event website. Security allows one clear bag no larger than 12" x 12" x 6" per festivalgoer. Event producers prohibit non-clear bags, mesh bags, coolers or seat cushions. Bags may be inspected upon admission into events.

Prohibited items at the 2023 festival include firearms and weapons, e-cigarettes, drugs, chairs, outside alcohol, signs on poles or sticks and Confederate imagery, among others. See a full list at cmafest.com/faqs.

ABC tapes performances at Nissan Stadium for a future network broadcast. This year, the CMA Fest special airs July 19 at 7 p.m. CST. Dierks Bentley co-hosts with Elle King and Lainey Wilson.