Jake Owen to Open Riverfront Stage at 2016 CMA Fest

The Riverfront Stage at CMA Fest this summer is going to be kicking things off with a bang thanks to high-energy performer Jake Owen, who’s officially been tapped to start off the stage’s lineup. Owen will open the festival at 10AM on June 9, followed by artists like the Cadillac Three, Brothers Osborne, Maddie & Tae, A Thousand Horses, Maren Morris and more.

The Riverfront Stage is free for anyone to listen, smack dab in the middle of downtown Nashville. The four-day show will also include performances on the stage from Old Dominion, Jana Kramer, Granger Smith, Cam, Kellie Pickler, Parmalee and several others over the course of the weekend.

The CMA Music Festival is the biggest gathering of country artists and fans each year, including opportunities for meet and greets, fan parties and of course, great music. All events at Nissan Stadium are sold out, but fans can still purchase Fan Fair tickets, which include access to concerts, fan experiences and general admission to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Owen has been busy balancing single dad life and working on his upcoming album, but he took some time to pay tribute to one of the greats after Merle Haggard’s death with a live show via Facebook. The artist played some of his favorite Haggard tunes, including “My Own Kind of Hat” and “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink."

He recently released a new single, “American Country Love Song,” inspired by songs he loved growing up. The artist tells Taste of Country he’s thinking July for a target release date on the new record, which he says will be very personal.

“I think you’ll hear a lot of what’s been going on in my life,” he explains.

Owen and ex-wife Lacey split last year, bringing a hard time for the singer.

“I kind of went through a spot there just personally and everything with a lot in my life, and it kind of just flipped a switch for me to kind of revert back to some things that worked for me,” he says.

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