Industry Weekly

[Evolution]

The ACM Awards’ assault on Vegas reaches new heights

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Keith Urban is among the multitude of stars performing at T-Mobile Arena on April 2.
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Last year, the Academy of Country Music’s annual awards show and Party for a Cause events spanned three days of outdoor concerts at the MGM Resorts Festival Grounds at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. When the ACM announced it would change up the format this year by building a weekend around the awards show at T-Mobile Arena, some took that to mean it might shrink. Instead, it’s only gotten bigger.

The main event, broadcast live from Vegas on CBS Sunday, just announced a massive wave of performers: country music megastars Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Cole Swindell, Chris Stapleton, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and more. And the Party for a Cause has spread out with many more events at venues up and down the Strip. There are pool-centric parties at the Hard Rock Hotel, Mandalay Bay and Flamingo and concerts at the House of Blues, Stoney’s and the Pearl. Each night of the weekend offers an afterparty, be it at the Park near T-Mobile or the new Redneck Riviera at Bally’s Grand Bazaar Shops. The best part about the Vegas takeover? The money it will raise for ACM Lifting Lives, which funds diverse causes including disaster relief, music education in schools and veterans-support services. That’s as inspiring as watching one of the biggest nights in music evolve into something more. Where else but Las Vegas? 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena, April 2.

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