CMA Fest 2026 Starts Thursday: Here's the Lineup, Free Stages, and Everything Else You Need

Nashville is four days away from the biggest country music weekend of the year - and if you're going, here's what you need to know before Thursday.

CMA Fest 2026 runs June 4-7 at Nissan Stadium and across downtown Nashville, with hundreds of performances spread across 10 stages. The best part? You don't need a ticket to catch a lot of it. 

Thursday Night at Nissan Stadium

Thursday, June 4 opens the stadium run with Jason Aldean, Ella Langley, Tucker Wetmore, Deana Carter, and Gretchen Wilson. Friday brings Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, and Shaboozey. Saturday features Tim McGraw, Jordan Davis, Zach Top, and Carly Pearce. Sunday closes with Bailey Zimmerman, Russell Dickerson, and Stephen Wilson Jr. 

Free Stages - No Ticket Needed

The free outdoor daytime stages include the Chevy Riverfront Stage, Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park, Chevy Vibes Stage at Walk of Fame Park, Good Molecules Reverb Stage at Bridgestone Plaza, and the Wrangler Remix Stage inside Fan Alley. Free performers include Lauren Alaina, Priscilla Block, The War and Treaty, Ty Herndon, Alana Springsteen, and more.

Tickets and App

Four-night stadium passes are on sale now via Ticketmaster. Single-night tickets are also available. Download the CMA Connect app to build your personal schedule and track stage capacity in real time. 

Worth noting: every artist at CMA Fest donates their time, with proceeds supporting music education through the CMA Foundation. That's a tradition worth celebrating - generosity built right into the lineup. 

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