The Academy of Country Music Awards — colloquially dubbed the genre’s biggest party — are leaving Frisco for Las Vegas in 2026.
For three consecutive years, country luminaries and rising acts have descended upon the Ford Center at The Star.
It’s unclear why the event, which transformed the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility into a full-fledged production, will not be in North Texas next year. A spokesperson for the ACM could not immediately be reached.
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Damon Whiteside, the ACM’s chief executive, told The Dallas Morning News earlier this year that the organization “fell in love with The Star District,” citing advantages like the football field’s capacity for a larger stage, the slew of newer hotels and the proximity to Dallas Love Field and DFW International Airport.
The event first came to North Texas in 2015 for a 50th anniversary show held at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, before migrating back to Sin City. It returned in 2023 for an inaugural Frisco ceremony.
The latest awards show commemorated the ACM’s 60th anniversary.
“They had a long run there,” with three “great years,” Marla Roe, the executive director for Visit Frisco, told The News in an email, directing further questions to the ACM.
The 61st awards will stream live on May 17 on Prime Video and Twitch from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
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