How the Route 91 Harvest Festival Got to Vegas

After Sunday night’s (Oct. 1) tragic mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, the three-day country concert quickly became the subject of live news coverage all day on Monday.

As the world began to mourn the victims of the tragedy, the country community came together. Because anyone who follows the music knows that the artists, songwriters, fans and friends that make up the country family know that festivals like Route 91 are what often bring us closer together.

And Route 91 — in its fourth year in Las Vegas — certainly wasn’t the only one of its kind. Live Nation has continued to roll out fest after fest, adding to the country music landscape across the U.S. for the past six years.

In 2012, the Watershed Festival kicked off these special kinds of festivals at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington.

In 2013, Live Nation launched the Faster Horses Festival at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

In 2014, Route 91 was launched, with Jason Aldean headlining that first year.

In 2015, Country Lake Shake was the first fest of its kind in the city of Chicago, taking place on Northerly Island overlooking Lake Michigan.

In 2015, there was the FarmBorough festival in New York’s Randall’s Island Park.

Below are scenes from the Route 91 Harvest music festival from Friday through Sunday (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) before tragedy struck.

CMT’s philanthropic initiative CMT One Country is supporting the Red Cross in the wake of this tragedy. Our hearts are with everyone affected by the mass shooting in Las Vegas. If you are trying to locate loved one, please call the Red Cross hotline: 1-866-535-5654. If you are in Nevada and would like to donate blood, please go to www.bloodhero.com to find out where to give.

Jason Aldean

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: Recording artist Jason Aldean performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Sam Hunt

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Recording artist Sam Hunt performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic
LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Fans cheers during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Fans cheers during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

Josh Abbott Band

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: Recording artist Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott Band performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

Big & Rich

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: Recording artists Big Kenny (L) and John Rich of Big & Rich perform during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Kane Brown

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: Recording artist Kane Brown performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Jordan Mitchell

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: Recording artist Jordan Mitchell performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Muscadine Bloodline

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 01: Recording artists Gary Stanton (L) and Charlie Muncaster of Muscadine Bloodline perform during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Bobby Bones and Natalie Stovall

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Bobby Bones and violinist Natalie Stovall of Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots perform during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

Morgan Wallen

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Recording artist Morgan Wallen performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

Brett Young

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Recording artist Brett Young performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Kelleigh Bannen

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Recording artist Kelleigh Bannen performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

Lee Brice

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: Recording artist Lee Brice performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic
LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: Fans cheer during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images


Tucker Beathard

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: Recording artist Tucker Beathard (L) performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Lauren Alaina

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 30: Recording artist Lauren Alaina performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Ashley McBryde

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been converted to black and white.) Recording artist Ashley McBryde (L) and bassist Christian Sancho perform during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

Brothers Osborne

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: John Osborne (L) and T.J. Osborne of the Brothers Osborne perform during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Michael Ray

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: Recording artist Michael Ray performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

High Valley

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: Recording artists Curtis Rempel (L) and Brad Rempel of High Valley perform during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)David Becker/Getty Images

Eric Church

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 29: Recording artist Eric Church performs during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival at the Las Vegas Village on September 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)Mindy Small/FilmMagic

Alison makes her living loving country music. She’s based in Chicago, but she’s always leaving her heart in Nashville.

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