CMA Fest 2025 launched with a packed night at Nissan Stadium on Thursday, giving the 60,000-ish fans in the audience a summertime soundtrack to drink, dance, and sing along to.
Artists including Charles Esten, Ella Langley, Tigirlily Gold, Riley Green, Darius Rucker, Scotty McCreery, and Brooks & Dunn entertained until after midnight.
If you weren’t in the audience at Nissan Stadium Thursday night – here are four things you missed.
Videos by American Songwriter
Brooks & Dunn and Special Guests
Brooks & Dunn headlined Nissan Stadium and wasted no time wielding surprises. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn welcome Lainey Wilson to the spotlight for a collaboration on “Play Something Country.” Wilson joins the Country Music Hall of Famers on their recent collaboration album, Reboot II, which features a diverse assortment of artists dueting with the duo while reimagining Brooks & Dunn’s biggest hits. Guitarist Marcus King joined the duo on “Rock My World (Little Country Girl)” on the album – and on stage.
Brooks & Dunn shimmied across the stage, singing with the same zeal that captured country music hearts and made them the most successful duo in country music history. The multi-generational crowd cheered and whooped, with some of them being longtime Brooks & Dunn fans. However, just as many were seeing the duo for the first time. And while they knew their songs screamed the lyrics to titles including “Red Dirt Road,” “Neon Moon,” “My Maria,” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” many of the young people appeared shocked and elated at the tireless energy these 70-year-old men brought to the stage.
Brooks & Dunn may be old enough for the senior citizen discount, but the joy and charisma in their set alone was worth the full price of admission.
Riley Green and Ella Langley at CMA Fest
Interest has swirled around the true nature of Riley Green and Ella Langley’s relationship since their smash duet “You Look Like You Love Me.” Langley wrote the first verse with Aaron Raitiere and then gave the sexy song to Green to finish. The song went viral, as did gossip.
Green and Langley have been touring together, and Green included a second duet with Langley – “Don’t Mind If I Do” – on his new album, also called Don’t Mind If I Do.
Fans erupted when the pair sang “You Look Like You Love Me” together at Nissan Stadium Thursday night.
“One thing you should know about me is if I want something, baby, I’m gonna go get it,” Langley said.
Scotty McCreery
McCreery has been a country music sweetheart since winning American Idol as a teenager in 2011 at 17 years old. It took McCreery a few years to reliably find his footing at country radio. But after he did, there was no stopping him.
McCreery’s song about loss, “Five More Minutes,” was his breakthrough hit, and it was a show-stopper Thursday night. McCreery stood on a satellite stage in the middle of the audience, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, as he commanded the attention of the 60,000 people in the seats with his heartfelt lyrics about wanting more time with his beloved grandfather. The fans held up their phones, lighting up the stadium as they sang along.
He followed up with his 2021 George Strait tribute, which is a play on words, “Damn Strait.”
Darius Rucker
Rucker has lived in London as he worked on his new album, but he’s in Nashville this week for CMA Fest. Rucker hosted his Darius Rucker & Friends concert Monday night at the Ryman, raising an additional $815,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
However, on Thursday night, Rucker proved that his voice is truly meant for stadiums. He ripped his solo hits, including “Alright,” “Comeback Song,” “Beer & Sunshine,” and “Homegrown Honey.” Fans exploded in frenzied glee over his solo version of the Hootie & the Blowfish classic “Only Wanna Be with You” and sang along at top volume with “Wagon Wheel.”
Be sure to tune-in to #CMAfest presented by @SoFi on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC to relive your favorite performances!
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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