Academy of Country Music events at a glance

Fremont Street shows

The Academy continues its tradition of offering big, current hitmakers for free, not counting the price of a yard-glass margarita. Luke Bryan ("I Don't Want This Night to End") headlines today and Eric Church ("Springsteen") on Saturday.

Today: (1st Street stage) Love and Theft, 7:05 p.m.; Hunter Hayes, 7:55 p.m.; Scotty McCreery, 9:45 p.m.; (3rd Street Stage) Brantley Gilbert, 8:50 p.m.; Luke Bryan, 10:45 p.m.

Saturday: (1st Street stage) Jana Kramer, 7:05 p.m.; Craig Campbell, 7:55 p.m.; Laura Bell Bundy, 9:50 p.m.; (3rd Street stage) Eli Young Band 8:35 p.m.; Eric Church, 10:45 p.m.

ACM Experience

The actual awards show is still a tough ticket, but the ACM expands its outreach to fans with a free retail expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, coupled with a barbecue contest and a driving track.

A full schedule of free parking lot entertainment includes rising star Kip Moore at 5:30 p.m. today and Steel Magnolia at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Saturday evening brings an ACM "Salute to the Military" at 7:30 p.m., with Lee Brice and Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers among the performers.

ACM Fan Jam

For a second year, the awards show will cut back and forth from the main event in the MGM Grand Garden to this more affordable (with tickets as low as $40) auxiliary event at 5 p.m. Sunday in the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

The Zac Brown Band hosts, with performances from all three New Artist nominees: Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes and Scotty McCreery.

Academy of Country Music Awards

The years have trimmed the awards of much of their cue-card banter and agent-thanking. This year boasts 24 performances and only eight presentations.

"People tune in to see as much music as they can. And it bears out in the viewing patterns," producer Richard "RAC" Clark says. "When those (award) moments are on television, ratings begin to dip a little bit."

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton again co-host the live show that starts at 5 p.m. for the East Coast but will be on KLAS-TV, Channel 8 at 8 p.m.

Entertainer of the Year nominees: Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift.

Lionel Richie & Friends in Concert

CBS will save this one for later, but the efficiencies of having the stars and TV production crew in town generate a Monday night companion event.

This year, it's a live spin on Lionel Richie's new album "Tuskegee," which remakes his R&B and pop hits as duets with country stars including Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride and Rascal Flatts.

"Lionel is a master songwriter," Clark says. "I think the folks in Nashville appreciate that and have embraced him for that."

-- By Mike Weatherford