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CMA Fest joins other music festivals in banning all imagery related to the Confederate flag for this year’s event.
The four-day event in Nashville, beginning June 9, lists “images of the Confederate flag of any kind” in the list of prohibited items and activities.
Hardy performs to an energetic crowd on the Chevy Breakout Stage on day two of the CMA Music Festival on June 7, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Leah Puttkammer/Getty Images)
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual festival that began in 1972 returns to Nashville. The festival regularly attracts about 50,000 country fans.
A Rebel Confederate flag waves in the wind against a blue sky background in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. (iStock)
The Country Music Association told The Tennessean that the decision to enact a ban on images of the Confederate flag this year was based on protecting fans’ personal safety and preventing discrimination.
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“This year’s CMA Fest is our first major fan event in nearly three years,” the statement said. “We’ve always had policies protecting the safety of our fans and prohibiting discrimination, but we felt it was important to further refine our language to explicitly state what is and isn’t tolerated.”
Maren Morris performs during Day 4 of the 2019 CMA Music Festival at Nissan Stadium on June 9, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (John Shearer/Getty Images for CMA)
The Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, this year banned images of the Confederate flag and all other “divisive symbols” and “racially hating” depictions.
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Country star Maren Morris has urged other country singers to call on festivals and shows to ban the flag. Luke Combs has also apologized for showing up earlier with the Confederate flag and said there was no apology.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.