Every year, country music fans far and wide make their way to Nashville, Tenn., to experience the world’s longest-running country music festival, CMA Fest. The three-day extravaganza, formerly known as Fan Fair, takes place in the middle of summer and features legendary artists and emerging stars.
And this year is no different.
Now, in its 58th year, the annual CMA Fest, presented by SoFi Tickets, will run from Thursday June 5 through Sunday June 8, taking over Lower Broadway and the nearby areas, becoming home to over 300 acts across 10 stages. So whether you’re a first timer or a returning fan heading to the heart of Music City to soak in the live music and entertainment that CMA Fest has to offer, this information is bound to help you get the most out of your experience!
Here, Charted.com shares everything you need to know before you go to CMA fest 2025!
CMA Fest Stages
Depending on the purchased pass, festival goers will have access to their favorite artists at specific locations throughout the weekend. There are 10 stages where artists will appear or perform. They include the Nissan Stadium Main and Platform stages, the Chevy Riverfront Stage at Riverfront Park, The Stage At Ascend Amphitheater, the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park, The Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park, The Good Molecules Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza, The Hard Rock Stage at the Hard Rock Cafe, and the CMA Close Up and CMA Spotlight Stages at Fan Fair X inside the Music City Center.
Of note, portions of the performances at Nissan Stadium will be featured on ABC, as part of a three-hour special dubbed “CMA Fest,” airing later in the summer.
Performers
Nissan Stadium Main Stage
Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Carly Pearce, Luke Bryan, will serve as headliners, closing out nightly shows at Nissan Stadium.
Other notable acts performing at the Nissan Stadium Main Stage throughout the week include Brooks & Dunn, Marcus King (with Brooks & Dunn), Scotty McCreery, Darius Rucker, Riley Green, Ella Langley, Charles Esten, Kelsea Ballerini, Cody Johnson, Carín León (with Cody Johnson), Parker McCollum, Shaboozey, Rita Wilson, Jordan Davis, Megan Moroney, Blake Shelton, The Red Clay Strays, Deana Carter, Dierks Bentley, Dylan Scott, Ashley McBryde, Bailey Zimmerman, Zach Top, and Rodney Adkins.
Nissan Stadium Platform Stage
Max McNown, Tigirlily Gold, Kameron Marlowe, Sam Barber, Tiera Kennedy, Carter Faith, Avery Anna, Kashus Culpepper, and Tucker Wetmore will be featured on the Nissan Stadium Platform Stage.
Chevy Riverfront Stage
Performers for the Chevy Riverfront Stage include Megan Moroney, Josh Ross, Drew Baldridge, Austin Snell, Gavin Adcock, Hudson Westbrook, Ashley Cooke, Tanner Adell, Cooper Alan, Drew Baldridge, Sam Barber, Gabby Barrett, George Birge, Tyler Braden, Colbie Caillat, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Jackson Dean, Marcus King, Randall King, Brandon Lake, Chris Lane, Maddie & Tae, Dylan Marlowe, Kameron Marlowe, Max McNown, Midland, Ian Munsick, RaeLynn, Redferrin, Josh Ross, Conner Smith, Austin Snell, Alana Springsteen, Thelma and James, Tigirlily Gold, the War And Treaty, Hudson Westbrook and Tucker Wetmore.
The Stage At Ascend Amphitheater
The Stage At Ascend Amphitheater — an open-air venue — will feature three shows over three nights. They are Whisky Jam (Thursday), Jake Own & Friends (Friday), and Wynonna Judd’s Girls Night Out (Saturday) with the Thursday night lineup is yet to be announced.
Performers include Jake Owen, Wynn Williams, Carter Faith, Max McNown, Lukas Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Madeline Edwards, Sara Evans, Noah Cyrus, and The War and Treaty.
Dr. Pepper Amp Stage
The lineup at the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Amphitheater includes Rodney Atkins, Frankie Ballard, Casey Barnes, Danielle Bradbery, Blanco Brown, T Graham Brown, Karley Scott Collins, Billy Dean, Tyler Farr, Filmore, Josh Gracin, Ty Herndon, Braxton Keith, Erin Kinsey, Lakeview, Edwin McCain, John Morgan, Kylie Morgan, Jerrod Niemann, Jamie O’ Neal, Mason Ramsey, Owen Riegling, Emily Ann Roberts, Reyna Roberts, Kaylee Rose, Shaylen, Sister Hazel, Iam Tongi, US Navy Band Country Current, Darryl Worley, Charlie Worsham and Jake Worthington.
The Chevy Vibes Stage
Angie K, Graham Barham, Blessing Offor, Craig Campbell, Dillon Carmichael, Mackenzie Carpenter, Ashland Craft, Kashus Culpepper, Dailey & Vincent, Jade Eagleson, Exile, Mickey Guyton, Kelsey Hart, Tayler Holder, Greylan James, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Vincent Mason, Madeline Merlo, Drake Milligan, Lorrie Morgan, David Nail, Meghan Patrick, Dylan Schneider, Shenandoah, MaRynn Taylor, Thompson Square, Pam Tillis, Lauren Watkins, Mark Wills, Rita Wilson and Waylon Wyatt will treat visitors with their songs at The Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park .
The Good Molecules Reverb Stage
The Good Molecules Reverb Stage, will feature artists — Willow Avalon, Maddox Batson, Laci Kaye Booth, Brenn!, Franni Rae Cash, Chapel Hart, Julia Cole, Preston Cooper, Kolby Cooper, Wesley Dean, Melanie Dyer, Madeline Edwards, Mae Estes, Carter Faith, Lanie Gardner, Cole Goodwin, Fancy Hagood, Jack Wharff and the Tobacco Flats, Max Jackson, James Barker Band, Just Jayne, Alexandra Kay, Zach John King, Matt Lang, Bryce Leatherwood, Hannah McFarland, Walker Montgomery, Will Moseley, Elizabeth Nichols, Adrien Nunez, Scoot Teasley, Cameron Whitcomb, Blake Whiten, Austin Williams and Eli Winders.
The Hard Rock Stage
Ashley Anne, Palmer Anthony, Hayden Blount, Bohhi, BoomTown Saints, Luke Borchelt, Cece, Hayden Coffman, Abbey Cone, Crowe Boys, Eddie and the Getaway, Sterling Elza, Brian Fuller, Giovannie and The Hired Guns, Colt Graves, Reid Haughton, Christian Hayes, The Heels, Hueston, Solon Holt, Preston James, Jason Scott & The High Heat, Britnee Kellogg, Alex Lambert, Lecade, Trey Lewis, Tyler Joe Miller, MŌRIAH, Clayton Mullen, O.N.E the Duo, Harper O’Neill, Pistol Pearl and the Western Band, Peytan Porter, RVSHVD, Sacha, Matt Schuster, Sophia Scott, Skeez, Kevin Smiley, Payton Smith, Liam St. John, Colin Stough, Troubadour Blue, Leah Turner, Alli Walker, Carson Wallace, Brendan Walter, Chandler Walters, Jay Webb, Wesko, Angel White and Sam Williams will be on the Hard Rock Stage.
Fan Fair X
Fan Fair X is open from 10:00 am to 5:30 PM CT Thursday through Saturday, and takes place on the third level of Nashville’s Music City Center, offering folks a chance to stay out of the heat and enjoy an air-conditioned space. All meet-and-greets sessions are held on a first come first serve basis. Of note, children under the age of two are able to attend Fan Fair X free of charge.
CMA Close Up Stage
The CMA Close Up Stage includes everything from artist interviews and Q&As to acoustic performances and unique interactive experiences. Trisha Yearwood and Rascal Flatts will serve as the Artist of the Day on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Kaitlin Butts, Tigirlily Gold, Wyatt Ellis, Dailey & Vincent, Dustin Lynch, Drew Baldridge, John Morgan, Vincent Mason, Emily Ann Roberts, Kameron Marlowe, Waylon Wyatt, Mitchell Tenpenny, Marcus King, Alana Springsteen, Morgan Evans, Keith Stegall, Clay Walker, Jamie O’Neal, Jordan Dozzi, Mae Estes, Emmet Stevens Jr., Carin León, Kat Luna, Los Hermanos Mendoza, MŌRIAH, The War And Treaty, Chapel Hart, RVSHD, Coffey Anderson, Dasha, Pam Tillis, Shenandoah, Mark Wills, Billy Dean, Cole Swindell and Liz Rose will also appear onstage at select times throughout the weekend.
CMA Spotlight Stage
Dawson Anderson, Devon Beck, Hailey Benedict, Sara Berki, Laura Bryna, Abbie Callahan, Abby Christo, Abbie Ferris, Ollie Gabriel, Parker Graye, Scotty Hasting, Mary Heather Hickman, Homegrown Trio, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Daniel Jeffers, Karli June, Celeste Kellogg, Callum Kerr, Maddie Lenhart, Kat Luna, Austin Mackay, Tyra Madison, Chandler Marie, Blake O’Connor, Aniston Pate, Shane Proffit, Tyla Rodrigues, Ryan Waters Band, Kaleb Sanders, Mary Sarah, JD Shelburne, Gracee Shriver, Paul Sidoti, Jon Wood, Dylan Wright and Zoee will deliver acoustic performances daily at the Spotlight Stage.
Fan Fair X
Danielle Bradbery, Dillon Carmichael, Jason Scott and The High Heat, Tigirlily Gold, Brittnee Kellogg, Kelsey Hart, Scoot Teasley, Chapel Hart, Hayden Coffman, Mason Ramsey and many more will be available for meet-and-greets with fans throughout the festival.
Schedule of Events
Be sure to check out the CMA Fest schedule here, to view the lineup times and day for each artist. Of note, entry to all daytime outdoor stages open at 10AM with the exception of Good Molecules Reverb Stage opening at 10:30AM. Daytime performances take place inside Fan Fair X. Performances at the Chevy Riverfront Stage, Chevy Vibes Stage, The Dr. Pepper Amp Stage, and The Good Molecules Reverb Stage occur during the day and conclude before 6:00 p.m. CT. The Hard Rock Stage (from Thursday to Saturday) performances run all-day from 11:20-10:35 p.m. Nighttime performances take place at The Stage At Ascend Amphitheater (Thursday, June 5 through Saturday, June 7) as well as at Nissan Stadium.
What if I don’t have a CMA Fest Ticket?
There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy free fun during CMA Fest throughout all four days of the event. Folks can head over to the Chevy Riverfront stage, the Dr Pepper Amp Stage, the Chevy Vibes Stage, The Good Molecules Reverb Stage, or The Hard Rock Stage for free live performances. In addition, there are several unofficial CMA Fest events over the course of the week as well as activities ranging from pop up shops to booths to food trucks and vendors, as well as non-publicized live music showcases and more.
CMA Tickets are still available to purchase here. Attendees also have the option to upgrade their experience by accessing the Riverside Retreat, which runs from 9:30am. to 6:30 p.m. CT each day. More information on the Riverside Retreat can be found here.
Tips & Tricks:
Download the CMA Fest App
Be sure to download the CMA Fest App to get all of the information right at your fingertips. Folks can use the app to schedule out their day-to-day plans, see the lineups, access a map of the grounds, and more. The CMA Fest App is available on Google Play and the Apple Store. The CMA Fest App is a handy tool as festival events often overlap, and it’s easy to lose track of time during shows!
What to Bring.
Be sure to pack light but smart. While country music and cowboy boots go hand in hand, it’s a must to have comfortable shoes along for the ride. There will be plenty of walking throughout the four-day event. There are filling stations nearby, so have a reusable water bottle to save on having to buy water. Pack sunscreen (no aerosol cans), sunglasses, a sun hat, a portable phone charger, and make sure to have a spot for that precious CMA Fest pass as it will be needed throughout the weekend.
Unfortunately, large bags are not allowed. Opt for a clear bag that’s 12″x12″x6″ or smaller. Be sure to have a Photo ID, a medical insurance card, and a credit card on hand as many areas will likely be cashless. The June sun is sweltering hot, but many locals know Nashville has bi-polar weather, which means anything is possible! Carry a poncho or an umbrella in case it rains (aside from Nissan Stadium as they’re not allowed).
What Not to Bring.
Leave the fancy heels at home. Don’t pack a giant polaroid camera, a GoPro, or cameras with detachable lenses or you’ll be turned away from getting into places like Fan Fair X. Expect any item that could be used as a weapon such as glass or knives to be prohibited. Additional items to keep at home include, helium balloons, e-cigarette refill cartridges, battery-powered lights, or laser pointers, signs, and decals or stickers.
Where should I stay/park?
Limited parking is available. So the closer you are to downtown, the better. There are several hotels within walking distance to Nashville’s Lower Broadway as well as near the Music City Center. Much of the downtown area will be blocked off due to the festival events and performances.
Where does my money go for purchasing tickets for CMA Fest?
Not only is CMA Fest about the music, but it’s also about giving back. All artists performances and appearances will go to benefit the CMA Foundation, with a portion of the proceeds being allocated to supporting music education programs for K-12 students across the United States.
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