StageWater Brings Crew-First Mission to CMA Fest 2026
At first glance, this looks like another festival beverage partnership.
It is not.
StageWater, a premium canned water brand built by touring industry veterans, has been named the official canned water of CMA Fest 2026 presented by SoFi. The deal puts StageWater in front of one of country music’s biggest festival crowds, but the real story is not what is in the can. It is what the brand is doing with the money.
Founded in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown that devastated the touring industry, StageWater was created to support the people who make live music possible – the road crews, stagehands, venue workers, production teams, and behind-the-scenes professionals who are usually the first in and last out.
The company donates 15% of profits to organizations that support music industry workers, including Backline, MusiCares, Music Health Alliance, NIVA, and The Roadie Clinic. These organizations help provide access to mental health resources, healthcare support, hardship relief, advocacy, and emergency assistance for the entertainment community.
StageWater is led by CEO Chris Thacker, longtime tour manager for Dierks Bentley, alongside fellow touring veterans Jay Ballinger and Zach Belcher. Together, they have built a brand that connects directly to the community they came from.
“When everything shut down in 2020, I watched friends I’d toured with for years lose their income, their access to healthcare, and any sense of what came next,” said Thacker. “We started StageWater to make sure the people who make live music happen aren’t left behind again. CMA Fest can only happen because of that community, so this partnership feels full circle.”
That is the part that matters.
Fans see the artists, the lights, the stages, the screens, the guitars, the trucks, the barricades, and the festival grounds. What they do not always see is the army of workers making it all function. Live music is built on people who load gear, run sound, drive overnight, solve problems in real time, keep artists moving, and make sure the show happens.
StageWater is turning a basic festival essential into something with a deeper purpose.
CMA Senior Vice President of Industry Relations and Philanthropy Tiffany Kerns said the partnership is rooted in a shared commitment to the people who power the industry, noting that StageWater’s investment in mental health and well-being reflects the kind of responsibility needed for the future of live music.
For StageWater, the CMA Fest partnership marks its largest placement to date. The brand has already appeared at more than two dozen festivals and events, while also working with artists and touring productions across the country.
In a music world full of logos, sponsors, and backstage branding, StageWater stands out because the mission actually connects to the culture.
It is water with a backstory. And for the people who keep live music alive, that matters.
