CMA Fest is back and better than ever, gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer.
Serving as the longest-running country music festival in the world, CMA Fest is arguably the biggest and best country music festival there is, hosting tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states and over 40 international countries every year.
Taking place at the iconic Nissan Stadium, as well as various locations throughout downtown Nashville, the 2023 CMA Fest will hit Music City from June 8th to June 11th this year, featuring must-see performances from some country legends.
We have our tickets ready to go! The real question is, do you?
With ten different stages, the larger-than-life music festival has countless opportunities to see today’s biggest stars perform, and you may even find a budding artist that catches your eye.
Located on the third floor of Music City Center, one of CMA Fest‘s most notable experiences for attendees is Fan Fair X, which includes acoustic performances, meet and greets, games, merch and (most importantly) air conditioning.
Considered “The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience,” Fan Fair X includes two indoor stages where you can get up close and personal with your favorite country stars. The CMA Spotlight Stage will showcase TONS of rising country stars with one-of-a-kind acoustic performances, while the CMA Close-Up Stage will feature artist interviews, Q&A sessions, interactive experiences and even more acoustic performances. Both are equally as exciting!
Each day at 10:45 AM, the CMA Close-Up Stage will highlight an “Artist of the Day” as well, where fans can get all of the inside scoop surrounding four of the biggest legends in country music. Dierks Bentley will be showcased on day one, Reba McEntire will be showcased on day two, Brothers Osborne will be showcased on day three and Wynonna Judd will be showcased on day four.
When the day starts to come to a close, the party does NOT stop there! The Nissan Stadium Platform Stage and the Nissan Stadium Main Stage will feature some of CMA Fest‘s top performers, with show-stopping sets that you need to check out for yourself.
Select performances from the Nissan Stadium Main Stage will even be featured in the three-hour CMA Fest television special, which is set to air on ABC later this summer.
If you don’t have the funds to attend, have no fear! For those who want to experience CMA Fest without breaking the bank, the festival has a wide range of stages throughout downtown Nashville that you can attend at no cost.
The Maui Jim Reverb Stage will be set at Bridgestone Plaza, the Chevy Vibes Stage will be set at Walk of Fame Park and the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage will be set at Ascend Park behind Ascend Amphitheater. Regardless of where you decide to set up camp for the day, all three stages will have performances Thursday through Sunday that are sure to knock your socks off.
In addition to this, the Hard Rock Stage at Hard Rock Cafe is making its CMA Fest return this year, with live performances from 10:15 AM to 4:40 PM every day. What could be better than grabbing some grub AND experiencing live country music all at once?
To top everything off, the Chevy Riverfront Stage serves as the largest daytime stage at CMA Fest, with free admission for all attendees. Located at Riverfront Park on the bank of the Cumberland River, this stage will feature must-see performances from some of today’s biggest stars, and you won’t even need a ticket to attend.
With countless opportunities to see some live country music, this year’s CMA Fest is sure to be unforgettable for all attendees!
Click through the gallery for a day-by-day guide to making your CMA Fest experience the absolute best, and let us know how excited you are by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @CS_Country.
Thursday, June 8th
Bright and early at 10:00 AM, Lainey Wilson will kick off all of CMA Fest over at the Chevy Riverfront Stage. Elvie Shane, Lauren Alaina, Ian Munsick, MacKenzie Porter, Chayce Beckham, Corey Kent, Warren Zeiders, Lily Rose and Travis Denning will have some big shoes to fill, as they are set to take the Chevy Riverfront Stage just moments after the bell bottom queen’s opening performance.
To follow Lainey Wilson’s one-of-a-kind set, four budding country stars will get the show started over at their respective stages, with John Morgan kicking off the Maui Jim Reverb Stage, Jerrod Niemann kicking off the Chevy Vibes Stage, RaeLynn kicking off the Dr. Pepper AMP Stage and Texas Hill kicking off the Hard Rock Stage all at 10:15 AM.
To follow up John Morgan’s raw, authentic set, Drew Green, Abbey Cone, Casey Barnes, Riley Roth, Bryan Martin, Thomas Mac, Pillbox Patti, Griffen Palmer and Lathan Warlick will tear up the Maui Jim Reverb Stage until 4:15 PM, with performances that are sure to start off CMA Fest with a bang.
After Jerrod Niemann’s performance, the vibes will continue to be ✨immaculate✨ over at the Chevy Vibes Stage, with Meghan Patrick, Shane Profitt, Tiera Kennedy, Canaan Smith, Ryan Griffin, Halle Kearns, Adam Doleac and Dillon Carmichael performing until 4:15 PM.
Be sure to crack open a ice cold can of Dr. Pepper to fuel up for all of the phenomenal sets the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage has in store as well, with performances from RaeLynn, Frankie Ballard, Alana Springsteen, Caitlyn Smith, The Red Clay Strays, David Nail, Seaforth and Shenandoah, ending with Kidd G‘s must-see set at 4:15 PM.
Regardless of whether or not you are hungry, be sure to get a table at the Hard Rock Cafe ASAP, because you seriously won’t want to miss any of day one’s stellar performers. Texas Hill, Emily Ann Roberts, Matt Roy, Fancy Hagood, Roman Alexander, Skyelor Anderson, Jordan Harvey, Shelby Darrall and Walker Montgomery will take over the Hard Rock Stage up until CJ Solar‘s closing performance at 4:15 PM.
Heading over to Fan Fair X at Music City Center, Dierks Bentley will be featured as the “Artist of the Day” at the CMA Close-Up Stage, while the CMA Spotlight Stage will feature performances from TONS of budding country stars — Julie Williams, Loren Ryan, Nate Barnes, Karley Scott Collins, Flat River Band, Grace Leer, Charly Reynolds, MaRynn Taylor, Pryor Baird, Sarah Allison Turner, CB30 and Alexandra Kay.
After such a fun-filled day, be sure to grab a bite to eat, freshen up and prepare to dance the night away at Nissan Stadium for an unforgettable night of country music!
From 8:30 PM and beyond, the Nissan Stadium Main Stage will consist of must-see performances from some of today’s biggest stars, and we seriously could not imagine a better lineup to kick off night one.
8:30 PM: Jordan Davis will start the evening off by performing hit songs from his most recent project, Bluebird Days, which includes chart-topping tracks like “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan, “Midnight Crisis” featuring Danielle Bradbery, “What My World Spins Around,” “Next Thing You Know” and more. With TONS of emotional ballads, the country crooner is sure to tug on your heartstrings just moments before Luke Combs‘ explosive performance.
9:05 PM: The back-to-back CMA Entertainer of the Year will definitely not disappoint! Like Jordan Davis, Luke Combs plans to continue the night with a bang by performing some tunes from his most recent project as well. Featuring smash hits like “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, “Love You Anyway,” “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” “5 Leaf Clover” and more, we can’t wait to see which songs from Gettin’ Old make it into Combs’ setlist.
9:55 PM: To follow Luke Combs’ phenomenal performance, the lineup will get some much needed #GirlPower from the one and only Carly Pearce. Just a few days ago, the queen of country music took to Instagram to share a photo of her in the recording studio, sending fans into an absolute frenzy. Will her CMA Fest performance feature some unreleased tracks? We will just have to wait and see!
10:40 PM: With his debut solo project, Tyler Hubbard, dropping earlier this year, the former Florida Georgia Linemember is ready to tear up the Nissan Stadium Main Stage with some tracks of his own. With hit songs like “5 Foot 9” and “Dancin’ In The Country” climbing the charts day by day, Tyler Hubbard‘s performance is sure to be nothing short of spectacular.
11:25 PM: Dan + Shay will end the night with a performance that is sure to get the whole crowd on their feet. Consisting of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, the country duo has been teasing a new era of music all over social media for months, and their CMA Fest performance might just be a glimpse into the new tunes that they have in store. Regardless of whatever tricks Dan + Shay may have up their sleeves, their set will truly be one-of-a-kind — We can’t wait to hear it for ourselves!
While everyone will be stomping their boots and dancing the night away inside of the iconic Nissan Stadium, Ashley Cooke and RVSHVD will take the Nissan Stadium Platform Stage outside at 8:55 PM and 9:45 PM.
Ashley Cooke and RVSHVD in combination with Jordan Davis, Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Tyler Hubbard and Dan + Shay make for an A-list lineup to kick off the first night of CMA Fest, and we are beyond excited to see what day two has in store!
Friday, June 9th
Kicking off CMA Fest day two will be Priscilla Block, ready to jam out at the Chevy Riverfront Stage bright and early at 10AM. Her one-of-a-kind set will take place prior to performances from several other budding country stars — Dylan Scott, Parmalee, Ashley Cooke, Kylie Morgan, Hailey Whitters, Jameson Rodgers, Restless Road and Madeline Edwards.
Lucky for all attendees, Priscilla Block’s performance is just the beginning of even more greatness that the day has in store!
Set at Bridgestone Plaza, Brit Taylor will start off the day with 10:15 AM performance at the Maui Jim Reverb Stage, followed by must-see sets from Kyle Clark, Madeline Merlo, Trea Landon, Matt Schuster, Austin Snell, Roan Ash, Jonathan Hutcherson, Stephen Wilson Jr and Meg McRee.
Like Brit Taylor, Jake Worthington will put on the first performance of the day over at his respective stage, the Chevy Vibes Stage, and rising country artists Dylan Schneider, Josh Ross, Georgia Webster, Chapel Hart, Tyler Booth, Catie Offerman, Drew Parker and Mark Wills are sure to keep the good vibes going all day long.
Located at Ascend Park, Ty Herndon, Avery Anna, A Thousand Horses, Uncle Kracker, Frank Ray, Kassi Ashton, Tyler Farr, Love and Theft and Rita Wilson will take the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage from 10:15 AM to 4:15 PM — All nine sets will be nothing short of incredible!
Feeling hungry? Not a problem! At the Hard Rock Stage, Chris Housman, Shelly Fairchild, Adam Mac, Brooke Eden, Angie K, Graham Barham, Lanie Gardner, Southerland and Britnee Kellogg will put on phenomenal performances, concluding with Matt Koziol‘s must-see set at 4:15 PM.
While it is easy to get caught up in all of the fun, don’t forget that you need to check out “The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience” at Fan Fair X. At the CMA Close-Up Stage, Reba McEntire will be featured as the “Artist of the Day,” while Sophia Scott, Nikita Karmen, O.N.E. The Duo, EJ Vickers, Karissa Ella, Chloe Styler, On The Outside, SACHA, Jillian Cardarelli, Conor Clemmons, Dillon James and Ian Flanigan will take over the the CMA Spotlight Stage from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
While all of the daytime performances are sure to be absolutely incredible, there is much more where that came from…
Once the sun sets in Nashville, the Nissan Stadium Main Stage is the place to be! With performances from some of country music’s biggest artists, you seriously won’t want to miss any of the spectacular sets night two of CMA Fest has to offer.
8:30 PM: After kicking off all of CMA Fest at the Chevy Riverfront Stage the day prior, Lainey Wilson will upgrade to the Nissan Stadium Main Stage for day two. Making her acting debut in Season 5 of Yellowstone, supporting Luke Combs throughout his world tour AND winning tons of awards in between, 2023 has truly been Lainey Wilson’s year. With the release of her most recent project, Bell Bottom Country, at the tail end of 2022, we may just hear smash hits like “Heart Like A Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine” during her CMA Fest set — It is sure to be yet another incredible performance from the bell bottom queen!
9:05 PM: Members of “CoJo Nation” were thrilled to see the one and only Cody Johnson on this year’s CMA Fest setlist. The country crooner will continue the night strong, serving as the second performer to take the Nissan Stadium Main Stage, just moments after Lainey Wilson. With his smash hit “’Til You Can’t” ruling country radio at the moment, fans seriously can’t wait to hear it live, as well as any other songs CoJo plans to perform within his highly-anticipated set.
9:50 PM: To follow Cody Johnson’s stellar performance, Miranda Lambert will take over the Nissan Stadium Main Stage for a must-see set. After her one-of-a-kind rendition of “Carousel” at this year’s ACM Awards, we have been anxiously awaiting another live performance from the country legend, and we are thrilled that it will finally arrive on day two of CMA Fest.
10:30 PM: Keith Urban is no stranger to the CMA Fest stage, and he is sure to put on one heck of a show! His performance will come exactly one week prior to beginning his Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood, which will take place from June 16th to July 1st. With chart-topping tracks like “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and “The Fighter,” we can’t wait to see Keith Urban take over both the Nissan Stadium Main Stage AND Sin City.
11:20 PM: We seriously could not imagine a better artist to finish out the night two of CMA Fest than the one and only HARDY. With the release of the mockingbird & THE CROW earlier this year, the country superstar has TONS of new tracks that we might just hear live at the Nissan Stadium Main Stage, including “wait in the truck” featuring Lainey Wilson, “red” featuring Morgan Wallen, “SOLD OUT,” “TRUCK BED” and more. HARDY is known to be quite the performer, and we have no doubt that the crowd will be up on their feet by the end of his set.
While Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban and HARDY will be tearing up the Nissan Stadium Main Stage all night long, Hailey Whitters and Dalton Dover will be putting on a show of their very own. The rising country stars are set to perform at 8:55 PM and 9:40 PM outside at the Nissan Stadium Platform Stage, ending the second day of CMA Fest with a bang.
Aside from the performances both inside AND outside of the iconic Nissan Stadium, the Ascend Amphitheater will return to CMA Fest for just one night only. At this additional stage, The Cadillac Three will put on a headlining performance, and Boy Named Banjo, Elvie Shane, Randy Rogers Band, and Tenille Townes will take the stage beforehand for their respective sets.
Closing out the night with performances that are nothing short of spectacular, day two of CMA Fest will be hard to beat! Day three will have some big shoes to fill, and with its legendary lineup, we already know it will live up to our high expectations.
