15 Things We’ll Remember from the 2015 CMA Music Festival

The 2015 CMA Music Festival has come and gone. This year’s festival was one of the biggest in history, boasting more than 500 live performances, countless artist autograph signings, and non-stop fun. With the festival behind us, here are 15 things we’ll remember from the 2015 CMA Music Festival…

1. Breakout “CMA-Fester”: Country newcomer Kelsea Ballerini did CMA Fest right! Not only did she host her very first Fan Club Party, she was constantly on the move performing and meeting fans. They say you have to “shake a million hands to make a million fans,” and that’s exactly what Ballerini is doing.

2. LP Field First Timers: Playing LP Field during CMA Fest for the first time is always a special moment in an artist’s career, and that was no different for Cole Swindell and Maddie & Tae, who each had the chance to play their first full band set during this year’s festival. From the looks on their faces as they sang, it was clear that it was something they’d never forget. In fact, they all appeared to be a bit emotional about it, so that made it even more memorable.

3. Best Cover Song: Fans absolutely erupted when the Zac Brown Band busted out a high-energy cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Everyone was singing along and it was definitely one of the highlights from the nightly concerts at LP Field.

4. Biggest Party: Florida Georgia Line obviously brings the party wherever they go, so it’s no surprise that LP Field turned into one giant party when they took the stage.

5. Best Sing-along: There’s nothing better than hearing a sold-out stadium crowd sing in unison. It makes for such a cool moment. While there were several sing-alongs throughout the festival, the one that stands out most is when Luke Bryan sang his hit “Drink A Beer” and asked the tech crew to turn out the stage lights. Fans sang along as they held their cell phone lights in the air. It was a beautiful moment.

6. Most Active “CMA-Fester:” If you attended any CMA Fest-related events last week, chances are, you saw Charles Esten. The “Nashville” actor was EVERYWHERE. He signed thousands of autographs, performed at the Riverfront and at the HGTV Lodge, presented at the CMT Music Awards, and played in the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge. We only have one question after hearing all that – does he ever sleep?!

7. Best Pop-Up Performance: You know you’re in Nashville when you get to see a superstar like Keith Urban perform a surprise show in front of a hundred or so people. That’s exactly what happened on Thursday when Urban performed at the Nashville Visitor Center. How cool is that?

8. Most Memorable LP Field Moment: Chris Young has attended CMA Fest since he was a child growing up just south-east of Nashville in Murfreesboro, TN. For him, having the opportunity to perform at LP Field means the world. One of the most special moments of the nightly concerts at LP came when Young was finishing his set. The crowd began cheering so loudly that Young himself was taken aback by the reaction he was getting from fans. He stood there to soak up the moment before leaving stage with a huge smile on his face. The fans’ response to Young’s set was one of the best we saw all week.

9. Best Collaboration: Eric Church and Keith Urban performed at LP Field on the same night, so fans had their fingers (and toes!) crossed with hopes that the pair would come together for the chart-topping hit, “Raise ‘Em Up.” They performed the song together and it couldn’t have been better!

10. Top Riverfront Performers: Aside from LP Field, the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage is the most popular CMA Fest stage. Not only are the shows free, the talent is amazing. This year, some of the top acts performing included The Swon Brothers, who gifted a signed guitar to a super fan who had been waiting outside in the heat all day, Clay Walker, who performed some of his biggest hits, and Ashley Monroe, who showcased her killer vocals and amazing songwriting skills.

11. Best Crowd Surfer: Leave it to Brad Paisley to dive into a crowd of fans! The superstar closed out the festival with a performance on Sunday night, and he wasn’t afraid to get up close and personal with the audience!

12. Veteran “CMA Fest-er:” Country isn’t country without Alan Jackson! We’re so glad he performed at CMA Fest again this year. There’s nothing better than Jackson’s traditional country sound! And yes, CMA Fest was “hotter than a hoochie coochie!”

13. Carrie’s Comeback: Carrie Underwood has graced us with her presence at CMA Fest several times in the past 10 years since she rose to fame on “American Idol.” The superstar has been flying under radar since giving birth in February. We’re so glad she’s back!