Fans won’t be able to walk past the stage to take photos at this year’s CMA Music Festival. Heightened security measures will keep fans at a distance from the performers.
Other security measures limit the size of the bags allowed onto the grounds and require that bags be see-through, and concertgoers might also see more checkpoints than in previous years.
Some fans, like longtime attendee Marianne Noah, say the security measures do make them feel safe but detract from the experience.
“You used to be able to walk in the park and just sort of go anywhere you wanted to, but now you’re really restricted,” said Noah, who has been going to the festival for nearly a decade. “It’s changed a lot.”
The new policies are in line with other major festivals in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting last year, where 58 people died.
Increased security makes sense for Shannon Rafferty, who is attending her second CMA, but it can get in the way. Last time she went to the festival more than a decade ago, she says it was more about the fans, but now things feels more corporate.
“There are more stages, more concert venues, but the fan access isn’t as easy as it used to be,” Rafferty said.
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