Although I don't think it's yet become as wide ranging, or as attractive to artists, as the old Wembley Festival (which used to be televised, and had artists from all wings of the genre, intermixed), C2C is definitely growing in its scope as a major Country Music event. This can be seen not only in the increasing number of cities hosting the event, but also in the growing number of shows hosted alongside the headline concerts.
In England, these will include an episode of the CMA Nashville Songwriters series (this is the event that Carrie herself took part in two or three years ago - which I regard as one of her best ever appearances, and which she seemed to enjoy enough to repeat a similar format for her contribution to the Country Radio seminar). The current episode, in London, will include Ashley Monroe.
Bob Harris is also hosting a side-stage event, which will include Kimmie Rhodes, a Texas singer whose been a big influence on many of today's songwriters.
And this is a link to one of the main side-events, which includes a couple of my of my other favourite artists, Jessi Alexander, and Striking Matches (the latter being an example of a duo who have made a big breakthrough in live performance over here). The line up also includes Maren Morris, a Texan singer with Roots connections, who is one to watch for the future, for likely critical approval and a potential leading role in the Mainstream. Charles Esten (who is appearing at a couple of events) is an asset to the Festival, as he has a wide popular following from the TV series "Nashville".
Country 2 Country :: The Bluebird Cafe at The O2
I'd like to pay a special tribute to Carrie, who I believe played a special part in helping this event get off the ground, by saying in interviews that she wanted a Festival here, and by agreeing to headline the inaugural show (something that she has admitted gave her some concerns about how many would know her, or be familiar with her songs; as it turned out, those concerns were unfounded - but it took faith, for someone at the peak of domestic Mainstream popularity, to make that move.)
In coming back for a second headline show, Carrie has continued to support the development - she can potentially act as an entry point for fans who might not otherwise consider this type of show. (Any successful Mainstream artist with an off-genre following could make that claim - but in Carrie's case, I believe it does ring true, partly because she includes Country instrumentation in many of her songs, as evidenced in her "Heartbeat" performance on a Prime time TV show here - and partly because she includes Country references and explanations in most of her interviews.) Anyone who follows Carrie should be in no doubt about what music she identifies with - unlike some artists who sheepishly hide their identity where they don't think it will sell.