CMA Music Fest Breaks Attendance Record

If the economy is in the crapper no one told fans at CMA Music Festival in Nashville. The four-day festival hit an all-time attendance record this year, with a 7.2 percent increase over 2008.

The average daily attendance in 2009 was 56,000. By comparison, in 2008 the average daily attendance was 52,000. The uptick was felt in single concert tickets and attendance in the festival's free zones and concert venues, including Riverfront Park, which was free to the community for the first time.

Fans were already snatching up tickets for next year. Tickets for the 2010 event went on sale this past Saturday and consumer ticket sales, which include pre-sale tickets, were up 4.6 percent over 2008.

"You know you are giving the fans what they want when they put down their hard-earned money—especially in light of economic uncertainty—for an event that is 12 months away," says CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese.

Next year's festival takes place June 10-13.

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