CMA Fest 2025: Date, Time, Lineup, Performances, Events and How to Watch

CMA Fest 2025 will take place from June 5 to June 8 in downtown Nashville’s Lower Broadway corridor and surrounding regions. The festival, which is currently in its 52nd year, has brought around a million people to Nashville in the past decade. Lainey Wilson, 2023 CMA Entertainer of the Year, sings, “Country’s cool again.”

The nighttime shows at Nissan Stadium will include artists that have had over 200 No. 1 singles on country radio in the last 25 years. During the day, emerging country musicians will play on stages like the free one at Riverside Park along the Cumberland River.

Long-time and present celebrities such as Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker will perform for Nissan Stadium event ticket holders. Fans of Gabby Barrett, Colbie Caillat, Dasha, Brandon Lake, Midland, Megan Moroney, and Tucker Wetmore may enjoy the free stages on Lower Broadway.

CMA Fest 2025 Lineup

With four nights of stadium shows at Nissan Stadium, this year’s CMA Fest will showcase over 150 artists on various stages, including Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Megan Moroney, Rascal Flatts, and Bailey Zimmerman.

In addition to the main stage, there will be dozens of free performances throughout the day at locations like the Chevy Riverfront Stage, Dr Pepper Amp Stage, and Chevy Vibes Stage.

In an intimate 300-person setting, Spotify House at Ole Red will also return with a major lineup that includes Keith Urban, Shaboozey, Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, and more.

New names are still being revealed in the run-up to the festival, and more artists are scheduled for the Ascend Amphitheater and the indoor Fan Fair X stages.

Nashville attracts attention from across the world with the CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium

An annual CMA Fest special that airs on ABC and Hulu at the end of summer features footage from the event at Nissan Stadium.

How popular is this program? The event’s organizers highlight its global reach, which has been essential in its expansion to become the longest-running country music festival in the world, attracting 20 times as many fans. Thousands of fans from all 50 states and about 50 countries are included in this.

Notably, the Red Clay Strays, Shaboozey, Blake Shelton, Zach Top, Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Jason Aldean, and the 2025 award winners will all perform at Nissan Stadium.

CMAfest.com/tickets offers tickets for one or all four nights of the festival and the ultimate stage for country music.

Free Stages and Other Events at CMA Fest 2025

The CMA Fest experience revolves around free daytime events and entertainment.

No ticket is needed to see hundreds of artists perform on five outdoor stages spread across downtown Nashville. These free performances feature both well-known performers and up-and-coming artists.

Breakout artists Shaboozey and Tucker Wetmore each attracted crowds of more than 5,000 fans to their 2024 concerts in front of the Hard Rock Cafe and Bridgestone Arena.

Additionally, the Fan Fair X indoor exhibition includes exclusive artist meet-and-greets, shopping for festival merchandise, and other indoor activities within Music City Center, simulating what CMA Fest was for three decades prior to relocation to downtown Nashville.

CMA Fest 2025 Performers: Who to Watch

Riverfront Stage: Gavin Adcock, a hard-living countrified rock favorite who is becoming more well-known on streaming services, is a native of Georgia. Tanner Adell is also a streaming-to-real-time favorite, winning over Shaquille O’Neal, Beyoncé, and pretty much every other pop culture icon.

Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park: Texas traditionalist Jake Worthington will perform with a syrupy drawl. Tiera Kennedy is also well-known for her role on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” track “Blackbiird.”

The Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park: The countrified trap-soul song “Oil Money” by singer-songwriter Graham Barham is attracting attention. Additionally, Kashus Culpepper combines gospel-influenced and countrified sounds with the soul of Otis Redding.

The Good Molecules Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza: A class of female singer-songwriters led by Willow Avalon and Carter Faith combine contemporary heartbreak with classic elegance. Additionally, Chapel Hart infuses each live performance with a variety of time-honored, harmony-driven country music traditions.

The Hard Rock Stage in front of the Hard Rock Cafe at 1st and Broadway: Currently playing pedal steel guitar in Post Malone’s live band, Chandler Walters is a singer-songwriter. Ernest, the head of Deville Records, is also a co-signer, and his music, which combines elements of classic rock and traditional country, has the potential to become well-known very soon.

CMA Fest Ascend Amphitheater Events to See

CMA Fest 2025 will feature nighttime concerts at the downtown riverfront Ascend Amphitheater, including four decades of Nashville favorites, such as Country Music Hall of Famer Wynonna Judd, chart-topping artist Jake Owen, and the legendary Whiskey Jam performance series.

Three nights of live music from June 5–7 will include CMA’s collaboration with Whiskey Jam, a “Jake Owen and Friends” performance, including the vocalist of “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” along with Carter Faith, Max McNown, Lukas Nelson, Wynn Williams, and other artists.

Among many others, Hall of Famer Judd’s “Wynonna Judd’s Girls Night Out” on Saturday night will include Noah Cyrus, Sara Evans of the Grand Ole Opry, the award-winning duo The War and Treaty, and rising talent Madeline Edwards.

Public sales of tickets will begin on April 18 at 10 a.m. CT, with prices starting at $17. You may get tickets at CMAfest.com/tickets.