Lainey Wilson Joins Dierks Bentley and Elle King as 2023 'CMA Fest' Co-Hosts
The televised special will air July 19th on ABC.
Dierks Bentley and Elle King will be joined by Lainey Wilson as the trio cohosts the upcoming CMA Fest summer concert special, airing Wednesday, July 19 on ABC, the Country Music Association announced on Monday.
The three-hour primetime event will be filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, during CMA Fest's milestone 50th anniversary, scheduled for June 8-11. This year also marks the 20th consecutive year that CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.
"I could not be more excited to welcome Dierks, Elle and Lainey as our CMA Fest hosts this year," said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern in a statement. "As fans experienced last year, the energy Dierks and Elle bring to the stage is palpable and will only be amplified with the addition of Lainey this year. Each of these artists have a deep passion for CMA Fest and Country Music fans from around the globe who travel to Nashville for the event. We are thrilled to have all three of them together to help us celebrate 50 years!"
The CMA Fest television special will feature never-before-seen performances and surprise collaborations, with performers to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Last year, ET was with Bentley and King as the prepped for their co-hosting gig.
"They asked us if we could, you know, if we wanted to host together, and for me, anything with Elle, it doesn't feel like like work. It's just fun, you know?" Bentley said. "I just like doing things that are easy and fun."
Bentley added that "having the chance to be the faces of country music for that four-day festival is a huge honor, so it's going to be fun"
"I'm just trying to get a free ticket to the show," King added with a laugh.
CMA Fest airs Wednesday, July 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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