In January 2022, I featured the effervescent Julia Cole in my Music Spotlight column. On July 16, 2022, the songstress made her Opry debut.
Julia Cole has now teamed up with the award-winning country music and lifestyle network and official home of the Grand Ole Opry, Circle Network, to bring exclusive country music entertainment into the homes of Circle’s audience via their newest series, “Circle’s Ultimate Fan Fest “ which debuts Thursday, April 13 at 10:30 pm ET/ 9:30 CT.
As host of the new show, they followed her as she traveled the country to different festivals including CMA Fest, Darius Rucker’s Riverfront Revival, Country Thunder Arizona, the State Fair of Texas, and more.
As a musician herself, Cole is right at home at a music festival, but she also gets out of her comfort zone in the series, visiting festivals focused on IndyCar racing, skiing, low country boils, and more. “Circle’s Ultimate Fan Fest” will give Circle viewers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the country’s most exciting festivals through the eyes of Cole as she explores the events and talks to performers, grounds crews, fans, and more about what it’s like to prepare for a festival and the most exciting parts of the event, including the food, fashion, music, and more.
“Partnering with Circle in my first-ever TV hosting role has been more fun than I could imagine,” said Cole. “This show brings a community’s culture and lifestyle into the homes of country fans who can’t attend in person.”
Golfing with Darius Rucker and snuggling puppies with Lindsay Ell are just a couple of the amazing experiences she shares with the rest of the world.
However, “Nothing,” she reports, “tops getting to include my family in the story on my Grand Ole Opry debut on the network - a dream come true. I’m so excited to continue this partnership with Circle Network and bring the light of country music into as many homes as possible.”
The series was filmed at festivals in multiple states like Arizona, Colorado, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, Wyoming, and Tennessee to name a few.
Cole told me, “Cheyenne Frontier Days was so much fun. As was the Music City Grand Prix which is so cool because it’s such a different music festival with Indy cars and monster trucks in addition to all the music.”
She continued, “I am passionate that this project comes out in a way that represents how much I want people to feel empowered and included. The coolest part about the show is that we get to shine the spotlight on these locals who put these festivals on and make them possible. With hundreds of thousands of people who attend, I don’t know how they do it. I am really in awe.”
Based in the heart of Music City, Circle Network has the unique ability to partner with musical artists and curate one-of-a-kind opportunities for them on the network, bringing intimate and entertaining moments with the artist into the homes of their biggest fans. Through programs like “My Opry Debut,” where artists share their first Opry performance with viewers, “Talking in Circles With Clint Black,” where artists sit down with country icon Clint Black to talk about music, life, and more, and “Inside the Base,” where guests show their support for the troops by joining them in some of their training endeavors, Circle Network allows fans to connect with their favorite artists in ways they can’t anywhere else. “Circle’s Ultimate Fan Fest,” is no exception.
This new series, hosted by Cole, will show her interacting with some of her famous friends and taking on unique experiences across the U.S., from trying different foods to performing on new stages. Under the same umbrella as the Grand Ole Opry and Ole Red, Circle is also able to host live showcases with the artists to help preview and promote their new music or other projects on the network, ultimately bringing these performances and moments to the fans via digital livestreams across Circle’s platforms.
“As a Nashville-based network, we’re always looking for ways to expand and bring country music to those outside of our city,” said Drew Reifenberger, Circle Network’s General Manager. “Partnering with festivals and artists is a great way to do this - we’re able to put some of the most exciting events and musicians into our original programming, giving viewers an all-access pass to the country music lifestyle. Julia brings such great energy to everything she does and is the perfect artist for our network to partner with on ‘Circle’s Ultimate Fan Fest’ and more.”
The premiere of “Circle’s Ultimate Fan Fest” will then air on Thursday, April 13 at 10:30 pm ET/ 9:30 CT. New episodes of “Circle’s Ultimate Fan Fest” will air every Thursday following the premiere at 10:30 pm ET/ 9:30 CT.
You can follow Circle Network on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Spotify.
You can follow Julia Cole on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and all music platforms.
– – –
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Bethany Writes, Instagram, and Twitter.