Country Goes International With Country to Country Festival

Brad Paisley and Zac Brown Band are leading the pack of country artists set to perform across the pond.

London and Dublin will be looking a lot like Nashville from March 14-17, as country artists converge on the cities for songwriter showcases, industry panels and stadium concerts. The Country to Country (C2C) concerts will feature two nights of performances in each city.

“The fans in this market are very enthusiastic and supportive of country music,” CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern says in a press release. “Our artists are experiencing successful tours there, and the business opportunities for the industry are obvious."

The C2C concerts will visit the O2 in Dublin for the first time on March 14 and 15, as well as returning for a second year in London March 15 and 16. Paisley and Brown are headlining the event, along with performances by the Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, the Band Perry and Chris Young.

The CMA Songwriters Series will also take place during the weekend, marking the series' third visit to the UK. The event will be hosted by songwriter Bob DiPiero and will feature McBride, Brett James and Striking Matches. Paisley will also be taping a Brad Paisley and Friends BBC/CMA Songwriters Show at the BBC’s New Broadcasting House.

"The series provides music lovers with a unique opportunity to learn the back story of how a song is written and brought to life,” says Milly Olykan, Senior Event Producer at the O2 and a member of the CMA Board of Directors. “Having Martina McBride appear at both the Songwriters Series and the following day perform at C2C will give UK fans a real appreciation of an artist’s relationship with a song from its origins through to performing it live to thousands.”

On Monday, March 17, the second annual CMA International Marketing Summit will take place in London, with speakers Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Label Group and CMA Senior Director of Market Research Karen Stump.

More info about the event is available here.