As the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards return to Las Vegas for the first time since 2022, the academy is lining up a number of festivities surrounding the May 17 awards ceremony.
On May 15, the annual ACM Lifting Lives fundraising event will take place at Topgolf Las Vegas. Country on the Green: Riley Green & Friends will feature Green headlining a show featuring a slate of other artists. The intimate evening concert takes place on the Topgolf golfing green. Tickets are $200 for VIP Early Access and $150 for general admission. The concert benefits Lifting Lives, the academy’s philanthropic partner that provides financial aid to those in need. Last year, the organization provided $5.8 million in emergency relief and is currently offering grants to country music industry professionals affected by the recent severe winter storm in Nashville.
Also returning is ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash. The May 16 concert takes play at the Mandalay Bay Beach and Wave Pool and features performances from country’s rising stars.
“We are thrilled to be returning to our roots out west for the 61st ACM Awards,” ACM CEO Damon Whiteside says. “The energy in Las Vegas is electric and we can’t wait to bring that spirit to the awards, as well as all of our awards week events. Kicking this announcement off with Riley Green as headliner of ACM Lifting Lives Country On The Green is helping to set the stage for an exciting lead up to the big night. Stay tuned for more!”
Tickets to the ACM Awards and the ACM Awards week events will go on pre-sale to subscribers to ACM A-List free email newsletter at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday (Feb. 25) and to the general public on Friday (Feb. 27) at 1 p.m. ET via AXS.com. Sign up to the A-List newsletter here to get a pre-sale code.
The awards will stream live on Prime Video for the fifth year, but from the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the first time. (The four previous years were streamed from Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium and then from the Ford Center as the Star in Frisco, Texas for the past three years).
The ACM Awards are the longest-running country music awards show and last year celebrated its 60th anniversary in a show hosted by Reba McEntire that features performances and appearances by more than 40 artists. This year’s host and performers are expected to be announced shortly. Nominees will be announced in April.