This year’s CMA Fest was punctuated by periods of heavy rain and stormy weather. Still, the fans made the best of it, attending nightly shows under downpours, which is why Luke Bryan says they deserve the credit for the success of the four-day event.
“I think if you sign up for this week as a country music fan to come to CMA Music Fest, you know some form of the weather always comes in to play when you’re in Nashville for a week,” Bryan shared with PopCulture.com and other media. “It is amazing. I mean, we’ve seen fans bear the unbearable through 100 degree days in the sun all day. We’ve had rain through my years of being a part of this, and that’s just a part of the experience.
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“I think the fans understand it, but this is their week,” he continued. “This is their week to absorb every bit of Nashville, country music and what CMA Music Fest does. They’re not going to let a little lightning or rain get in their way.”
Bryan returned for the second year in a row as the final performer of CMA Fest, taking the stage on Sunday night (June 9) to close out CMA Fest.
“I’m always amazed, even when I closed the show last year on Sunday night and you look out there and there’s still so many people out there,” said the singer. “You got some hardcore fans out there. That’s what makes country music so great.”
There’s a lot of pressure with ending the show, especially this year, since Bryan followed a slew of successful stars, including Chris Janson, Old Dominion and Keith Urban.
“I’ve seen that slot go well for people and not go well for people. It’s never fun being on Keith Urban‘s night. That gets frustrating,” Bryan said with a laugh. “Even looking at Janson in the background, it’s a great night. Great night of entertainers. I think if you’re an artist here doing this, you’re here for the fun of it. You’re here for the fans. I’m very honored to be closing out the show.”
CMA Fest came shortly after Bryan kicked off his Sunset Repeat Tour, which made for a busy few days for the Georgia native.
“I did, obviously CMT Awards Wednesday, I went and did three shows on my tour, did one in Hershey Park, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati last night,” said Bryan. “You can hear my voice is a little raspy, and I did that last year. It’s just fun going out, playing your shows, coming back, finishing your week off here at CMA Fest.”
Photo Credit: Getty images/Jason Kempin
