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The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
'Incredibly difficult experience': Local musician refused entry into US
Newcastle musician Austin Mackay has described the situation as "heartbreaking" after he was refused entry into the United States for a music festival due to a visa issue. The former St Francis Xavier student was en route to Nashville last week to perform at the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest when he was detained for 16 hours at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), before being sent back to Australia. The four-day CMA Fest is one of the biggest country music festivals in the US and featured Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Jason Aldean and Australian stars Keith Urban and Casey Barnes on the lineup. Newcastle's 2025 Golden Guitar-winning female artist of the year, Max Jackson, also performed at CMA Fest over the weekend. Mackay was booked to perform on the Spotlight Stage as part of Fan Fair X, where artists play acoustic sets in front of intimate audiences. "Despite having what I believed to be the correct visa and all the official invitations to perform, I was detained at LAX for 16 hours and ultimately had to return home to Australia without being able to play the shows I'd worked so hard for," Mackay wrote on social media. "It was an incredibly difficult experience, not only emotionally but also professionally and financially. "Missing the opportunity to play at CMA Fest is heartbreaking." Mackay has faced and overcome numerous setbacks in his young career. Mackay's talent was first identified in 2019 when his school indie-rock band Maple Syrup won a St Francis Xavier battle of the bands to support rock legends Kiss and the Screaming Jets at the Newcastle Supercars concert. Unfortunately, Kiss cancelled the gig due to frontman Paul Stanley's health issue. Mackay's next band, Honey Hills, was also gathering momentum before the pandemic ended that project and Mackay focused on his solo career. Since then he's released the EPs Dancing Through The Fire (2022) and Hearts On Fire (2024) and steered his music from indie rock towards a more contemplative folk-country sound. He has supported the likes of Morgan Evans, Brad Cox, The Dreggs, and Thirsty Merc and in February he played at the Howlin' Country music festival on the Newcastle Foreshore. Newcastle musician Austin Mackay has described the situation as "heartbreaking" after he was refused entry into the United States for a music festival due to a visa issue. The former St Francis Xavier student was en route to Nashville last week to perform at the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest when he was detained for 16 hours at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), before being sent back to Australia. The four-day CMA Fest is one of the biggest country music festivals in the US and featured Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Jason Aldean and Australian stars Keith Urban and Casey Barnes on the lineup. Newcastle's 2025 Golden Guitar-winning female artist of the year, Max Jackson, also performed at CMA Fest over the weekend. Mackay was booked to perform on the Spotlight Stage as part of Fan Fair X, where artists play acoustic sets in front of intimate audiences. "Despite having what I believed to be the correct visa and all the official invitations to perform, I was detained at LAX for 16 hours and ultimately had to return home to Australia without being able to play the shows I'd worked so hard for," Mackay wrote on social media. "It was an incredibly difficult experience, not only emotionally but also professionally and financially. "Missing the opportunity to play at CMA Fest is heartbreaking." Mackay has faced and overcome numerous setbacks in his young career. Mackay's talent was first identified in 2019 when his school indie-rock band Maple Syrup won a St Francis Xavier battle of the bands to support rock legends Kiss and the Screaming Jets at the Newcastle Supercars concert. Unfortunately, Kiss cancelled the gig due to frontman Paul Stanley's health issue. Mackay's next band, Honey Hills, was also gathering momentum before the pandemic ended that project and Mackay focused on his solo career. Since then he's released the EPs Dancing Through The Fire (2022) and Hearts On Fire (2024) and steered his music from indie rock towards a more contemplative folk-country sound. He has supported the likes of Morgan Evans, Brad Cox, The Dreggs, and Thirsty Merc and in February he played at the Howlin' Country music festival on the Newcastle Foreshore. Newcastle musician Austin Mackay has described the situation as "heartbreaking" after he was refused entry into the United States for a music festival due to a visa issue. The former St Francis Xavier student was en route to Nashville last week to perform at the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest when he was detained for 16 hours at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), before being sent back to Australia. The four-day CMA Fest is one of the biggest country music festivals in the US and featured Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Jason Aldean and Australian stars Keith Urban and Casey Barnes on the lineup. Newcastle's 2025 Golden Guitar-winning female artist of the year, Max Jackson, also performed at CMA Fest over the weekend. Mackay was booked to perform on the Spotlight Stage as part of Fan Fair X, where artists play acoustic sets in front of intimate audiences. "Despite having what I believed to be the correct visa and all the official invitations to perform, I was detained at LAX for 16 hours and ultimately had to return home to Australia without being able to play the shows I'd worked so hard for," Mackay wrote on social media. "It was an incredibly difficult experience, not only emotionally but also professionally and financially. "Missing the opportunity to play at CMA Fest is heartbreaking." Mackay has faced and overcome numerous setbacks in his young career. Mackay's talent was first identified in 2019 when his school indie-rock band Maple Syrup won a St Francis Xavier battle of the bands to support rock legends Kiss and the Screaming Jets at the Newcastle Supercars concert. Unfortunately, Kiss cancelled the gig due to frontman Paul Stanley's health issue. Mackay's next band, Honey Hills, was also gathering momentum before the pandemic ended that project and Mackay focused on his solo career. Since then he's released the EPs Dancing Through The Fire (2022) and Hearts On Fire (2024) and steered his music from indie rock towards a more contemplative folk-country sound. He has supported the likes of Morgan Evans, Brad Cox, The Dreggs, and Thirsty Merc and in February he played at the Howlin' Country music festival on the Newcastle Foreshore. Newcastle musician Austin Mackay has described the situation as "heartbreaking" after he was refused entry into the United States for a music festival due to a visa issue. The former St Francis Xavier student was en route to Nashville last week to perform at the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest when he was detained for 16 hours at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), before being sent back to Australia. The four-day CMA Fest is one of the biggest country music festivals in the US and featured Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Jason Aldean and Australian stars Keith Urban and Casey Barnes on the lineup. Newcastle's 2025 Golden Guitar-winning female artist of the year, Max Jackson, also performed at CMA Fest over the weekend. Mackay was booked to perform on the Spotlight Stage as part of Fan Fair X, where artists play acoustic sets in front of intimate audiences. "Despite having what I believed to be the correct visa and all the official invitations to perform, I was detained at LAX for 16 hours and ultimately had to return home to Australia without being able to play the shows I'd worked so hard for," Mackay wrote on social media. "It was an incredibly difficult experience, not only emotionally but also professionally and financially. "Missing the opportunity to play at CMA Fest is heartbreaking." Mackay has faced and overcome numerous setbacks in his young career. Mackay's talent was first identified in 2019 when his school indie-rock band Maple Syrup won a St Francis Xavier battle of the bands to support rock legends Kiss and the Screaming Jets at the Newcastle Supercars concert. Unfortunately, Kiss cancelled the gig due to frontman Paul Stanley's health issue. Mackay's next band, Honey Hills, was also gathering momentum before the pandemic ended that project and Mackay focused on his solo career. Since then he's released the EPs Dancing Through The Fire (2022) and Hearts On Fire (2024) and steered his music from indie rock towards a more contemplative folk-country sound. He has supported the likes of Morgan Evans, Brad Cox, The Dreggs, and Thirsty Merc and in February he played at the Howlin' Country music festival on the Newcastle Foreshore.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Stormy weather leads to outdoor stage suspensions, delays at CMA Fest
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Severe weather is rolling through Middle Tennessee Friday, including Nashville, where thousands of people have gathered for CMA Fest. A Tornado Watch is currently in effect for parts of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky until 8 p.m. on Friday, June 6. While Davidson County is not covered by the watch, the area is still experiencing rainy weather. Severe storms possible through the weekend The Country Music Association announced on social media platform X at 3:08 p.m. that all outdoor daytime stages and nighttime performances at the Hard Rock Stage are suspended for the rest of the day. Attendees were urged to take shelter immediately or head to Fan Fair X inside Music City Center to enjoy more music. In addition, organizers said the opening of the gates at Nissan Stadium and Ascend Amphitheater will be delayed at least 90 minutes due to incoming storms. WATCH: Severe weather plan for CMA Fest 2025 The weather team for CMA Fest tracks any lightning activity within an 8-mile radius of the event, so if a strike happens within that zone, the festivities pause for 30 minutes, according to officials. CMA plans to provide another update on the festival by 5 p.m. Don't forget to take the power and reliability of the WKRN Weather Authority with you at all times by downloading the News 2 Storm Tracker app. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
CMA Fest weather delays: What causes them and what to know amid Nashville storms
Amid a severe weather risk, Nashville's CMA Fest continues — albeit with some setbacks. The festival kicked off on June 6 with delayed outdoor performances and fans were encouraged to keep the party going inside Music City Center at Fan Fair X. Inside Fan Fair X, many cowboy boot-wearing, denim clad fans were passing the time by grabbing a bite to eat from one of the multiple vendors, playing corn hole or just lounging by one of the many exhibits. Beth and Dusty Butler, a married couple from Utah, were waiting indoors after a performance from Kelsey Hart — the artist they were most eager to see — was postponed. The couple, attending CMA Fest for the first time, are excited to see the evening performances at Nissan Stadium, especially Blake Shelton, and hope the weather won't disrupt their experience again, they said. "It's been fun so far, hopefully the lightening will let up," said Dusty Butler. "We can live with the rain." Due to storms, all outdoor daytime stages and nighttime performances at the Hard Rock Stage were suspended for the remainder the day, festival organizers announced on social media. Attendees were advised to take shelter or head to Fan Fair X. With more severe weather expected during the evening hours, the gates at Nissan Stadium and Ascend Amphitheater are scheduled to open at least 90 minutes later than originally anticipated. A tornado watch is in effect for parts of Middle Tennessee until 8 p.m. Weather is closely monitored during the four-day festival. According to a social media post from the Country Music Association, a team tracks any lightning activity within an 8-mile radius of the event. Whenever a strike happens, events are paused for 30 minutes. When severe weather strikes, guests are encouraged to immediately follow the instructions provided on-site and seek the shelter at the following locations. If you are unable to get to one of these safe shelters, proceed to the nearest business for cover. Music City Center Garage, Sixth Avenue between Demonbreun and Korean Veterans Boulevard Music City Center, 201 Rep. John Lewis Way (10:00 a.m. to 5:30 PM) Hilton Hotel Underground Parking Garage, 121 Fourth Avenue S. 222 Garage, 222 First Avenue S. Festival organizers recommend downloading the CMA Fest app to get up to date notifications due to weather. At Nissan Stadium and Ascend Amphitheater, follow the instructions provided in the venue. Per Nissan Stadium usual weather policy: Umbrellas are not allowed inside, but rain ponchos are allowed in and will be available to purchase in the stadium. Blankets, jackets and coats are allowed into the stadium. When it comes to inclement weather, follow the directions of stadium staff and pay attention to the screens around the stadium. They will direct fans to covered or interior shelter areas if necessary. Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@ or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Fest weather policy: What causes delays amid Nashville storms
