Kelsea Ballerini co-hosts this year's CMA Fest

Summer is the time for music festivals. All across North America, fans of all musical genres gather together in the great outdoors to see acts both big and small perform under the hot summer sky.

If you're a fan of country music, the CMA Music Festival is the No. 1 place to get your fix, and for those who can't make it, ABC has you covered. The annual CMA Fest special airs Wednesday, Aug. 8, on the alphabet network, with country artists Kelsea Ballerini and Thomas Rhett returning as hosts. The three-hour broadcast condenses the standout performances from the annual festival that is actually held over four days in venues across Nashville, Tennessee.

CMA Fest began as Fan Fair in 1972 and has steadily grown over the years -- it now attracts more than 50,000 country music lovers from across the world to its 11 featured stages in Nashville. This year, more than 350 artists and 1,100 musicians, including many up-and-coming acts, put on a show for energized CMA Fest audiences looking for their new favorite artists.

This is ABC's 15th annual broadcast special of the festival's highlights, featuring stellar performances from Nissan Stadium, as well as some of the festival's free shows.

One of country's brightest stars, Keith Urban, has captivated audiences at Nissan Stadium many times, and it's a gig he always looks forward to, as he told Billboard before his performance this year:

"It's one of the rare times that you know that passionate country artists have come from not just all over America but all over the world, so they're all here to have a great time. I can't think of any other festival anywhere that brings so many people from all over the world to one ginormous stadium for one moment like that. For us as a performer, it's magical."

Songstress Ballerini serves double duty as both host of ABC's special broadcast of the event and as a top-billed performer. The two-time host's rise to country superstardom began with her first single's chart debut. Her RIAA Platinum-certified 2014 hit "Love Me Like You Mean It" was the first solo female debut single to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart since Carrie Underwood's debut single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel," after her "American Idol" win in 2005.

Ballerini was humble about her accomplishment, noting that the next week's No. 1 belonged to Underwood. She shared with Rolling Stone that "there are a lot of girls on the charts right now who'll probably have No. 1s or close to it. So it was kinda like someone busting the gate back open."

It's been a continuous rise to the top for Ballerini, whose second album, "Unapologetically," earned her big nominations at 2018's ACM Awards and Billboard Music Awards. Ballerini debuted a sneak peek of the music video for the album's second single, "I Hate Love Songs," at Nissan Stadium for her CMA Fest audience.

Keith Urban is a featured performer at this year's CMA Fest

The mark of Ballerini's star power is evident in a recent Instagram mystery. The singer shared an aerial shot of crop circle art in her likeness and left the photo with caption "...". Anticipation built, and the next day it was revealed that Spotify Hot Country collaborated with crop circle artist Stan Herd to promote Ballerini along with country stars Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, also performers at CMA Fest. The superstar can be seen opening for fellow CMA Fest performer Urban during his Graffiti U World Tour during what is truly the summer of Ballerini.

This year marks the third time songwriter and musician Rhett has taken the reins as host of the CMA Fest special broadcast, and he, too, is also a featured performer. Rhett's 2017 album "Life Changes" was a major hit, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and garnering him a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album.

Rhett received reviews remarking on the genre-spanning influences heard on "Life Changes" and shared that that openness to reach beyond country music for song inspiration came from his father, fellow musician Rhett Akins. The "Craving You" singer told Rolling Stone that he was introduced to all kinds of music by his dad on drives to school, saying, "one day it would be The Beatles and one day it would be 2Pac."

With his music video for "Leave Right Now," Rhett continues to break down barriers of what is considered country. The original song featured electronic pop influences, and the video features a DJ Martin Jensen remix of the song, embracing a new facet of his sound.

The dynamic artist isn't afraid to fail if it means trying new things with his music, and he's optimistic about attitudes about the boundaries of country music changing. Rhett shared with Rolling Stone that "radio and country music and every genre are always ever-changing, so you just never know what's gonna work."

Don't miss some incredible performances and festival highlights when ABC broadcasts its CMA Fest special on Wednesday, Aug. 8.