Nashville, Tenn (AP) – CMA Fest bans any Confederate flag images at its four-day festival after similar bans at other country music festivals.
In a statement to The Tennessean, the Country Music Association said the decision to adopt this year’s policy was based on fans ’personal safety and preventing discrimination.
“This year’s CMA Fest is our first big event with fans in almost three years. We have always had a policy that protects the safety of our fans and prohibits discrimination, but we considered it important to further improve our language to clearly define what will be tolerated and what will not, ”the statement said.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual festival, which began in 1972, returns to Nashville, Tennessee, beginning June 9. The festival regularly attracts about 50,000 fans of country music.
This year, the stagecoach festival in India, California, banned images of the Confederate flag and any other “symbols that cause disunity” and “racially degrading” demonstrations.
Country star Maren Morris has urged other country singers to call for festivals and shows to ban the flag. Luke Combs also apologized for having previously appeared with the Confederate flag, saying there was no excuse.
