CMA Fest bans Confederate flag imagery at country music fest

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The CMA Fest is prohibiting Confederate flag imagery at its four-day country music festival. The Country Music Association said in a statement to The Tennessean that the decision to enact the policy this year was based on the personal safety of fans and to prevent discrimination. The festival, which began in 1972, returns to Nashville, Tennessee, opening and opens June 9 after a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, enacted a similar ban on Confederate flag imagery earlier this year. Country stars have been calling for bans on the flag at festivals and concerts.