Massive hits and collaborations spotlighted Thursday evening's (June 6) CMA Fest performances at Nissan Stadium.
The 51st annual CMA Fest launched on Thursday (June 6), with a cavalcade of artists performing on nearly a dozen outdoor and indoor stages in downtown Nashville. As the sun set, a swarm of festivalgoers — many sunburned and already having taken in hours of music that day — descended upon Nashville’s Nissan Stadium to see some of country music’s biggest artists of the moment perform their hits.
“Last year marked 50 years of CMA Fest, and the next 50 years start tonight,” Nashville, Tennessee mayor Freddie O’Connell told the crowd. Last year’s CMA Fest saw a reported 90,000 daily attendees from all 50 states, as well as more than 50 countries. CMA Fest also generated $74.7 million in estimated direct visitor spending, according to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. The yearly festival serves as a massive welcome party from Nashville to country music lovers, with an estimated 61 % of last year’s CMA Fest attendees being new to the festival, according to a survey from the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp.
The artists on the main stage Thursday night highlighted a patchwork of sonic framings, beginning with featured Cowboy Carter contributor and current America’s Got Talent contestant Reyna Roberts performing the national anthem — followed by performances from Craig Morgan, Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, Shaboozey, Thomas Rhett and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Nissan Stadium Platform stage featured Chapel Hart and Dylan Gossett.
Of course, it wouldn’t be CMA Fest without a few surprise guests — and the Thursday night lineup didn’t disappoint, as Post Malone made an appearance, performing with longtime country hitmaker Blake Shelton.
Here, we look at 5 top moments from CMA Fest’s Thursday night lineup:
Thomas Rhett Offers New Music, Smash Hits
Thomas Rhett made the most of his CMA Fest performance, offering up a double-shot of new music for fans, including his newly released song “Gone Country” (not to be confused with Alan Jackson’s 1994 hit of the same name). Playing a mint green guitar, with a guitar strap emblazoned with the name of one of his daughters, Willa, he also offered songs inspired by his family, including the new tune “Beautiful As You.” But the highlight of his set came with his performance of his 2015 smash “Die a Happy Man,” which he turned into a vocal showcase by the end — switching up the lyrics to sing, “I think if Nashville, Tennessee is the last show I ever, ever, ever get to play/ I think that I could die a happy man.”
Craig Morgan Salutes Military Servicemembers
The multi-talented Morgan opened Thursday night’s CMA Fest run of concerts at Nissan Stadium, sailing Morgan hits including “Redneck Yacht Club,” “That’s What I Love About Sunday” and “Almost Home.”
Morgan, who has served in the U.S. Army for almost two decades and re-joined theArmy Reservein 2023, dedicated the song “Soldiers” to members of the U.S. military. He asked attendees who are serving or who have served in a branch of the U.S. military to raise their hands. “These people represent the less than 1% that serve in the U.S. military,” Morgan said. “Thank you and thank you to your families. We wouldn’t be here without you.”
Ashley McBryde and Gretchen Wilson Bring “Redneck” Energy
Grammy winner Ashley McBryde brought the rock vibes early in her set, wielding an electric guitar and opening with “Blackout Betty” from her 2023 album The Devil I Know. She followed with songs like “One Night Standards” and her breakthrough hit “Girl Going Nowhere.” But the crowd showed their redneck side when McBryde welcomed Gretchen Wilson to the stage to perform Wilson’s 2004 classic “Redneck Woman.” The collaboration between the two singer-songwriters put the long-tail influence of Wilson’s unfiltered songwriting and full-throttle sound in the spotlight, as it was clear that McBryde has taken those influences and made them her own.
Shaboozey Gets the Stadium Crowd a Little "Tipsy"
Shaboozey brought his global smash hit to CMA Fest, performing “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” from a stage centered amid the crowd — singing, twirling, getting the crowd to lift their hands, and instantly turning up the party vibes, compelling an audience of over 60,000 people to lift up their drink-filled cups and exchange their stresses for a few moments of music-filled partying.
Post Malone, Blake Shelton Give the Audience a Surprise
Post Malone made a surprise appearance Thursday night performing his current Billboard Hot 100 smash hit “I Had Some Help” (sans Morgan Wallen, who is currently on his One Night at a Time tour). Walking through the crowd and singing from a satellite stage, Post Malone’s surprise performance marked the highlight of the evening, as the crowd erupted in cheers and began shouting the song’s lyrics. That moment further surged when Post Malone welcomed a special guest.
“I’m making an album right now and I would just like to introduce a guest of mine: Blake Shelton,” Post Malone said. They sang their recently teased collaboration “Pour Me a Drink,” with Shelton’s full-bodied voice a fine match for Posty’s energetic vocal.
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