Now Reading: Latest news from Nissan Stadium
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Latest news from Nissan Stadium
Latest news from Nissan Stadium
By the time concertgoers packed Nissan Stadium on Friday evening, the rain had dissipated and performers and fans alike were ready for a rollicking night of country music from the likes of Shaboozey, Kelsea Ballerini and Keith Urban.
Rain put somewhat of a damper on things during the day Friday with stages closing early and the start time for the stadium shows pushed back to 9 p.m.
But fans were still eager to enjoy the temperate 75-degree night with some of country music’s biggest stars.
Follow along here for live updates from Night 2 of CMA Fest.
Keith Urban gleefully feeds off crowd energy with the same whimsical smile small children have while wolfing down birthday cake and ice cream.
Before performing to close Friday evening at CMA Fest, the 13-time Country Music Association Award winner referred to himself and his ever-present guitar as a “package deal.”
Urban and his virtuoso skillset kicked off a brief string of hits with a grooving, jam-session-style take on his 2010 hit “Long Hot Summer.” Did he play his microphone like a percussion instrument during the performance? Yes, that happened.
Currently on tour, the beloved Nashville legend comfortably performed at his peerless peak. Thus, Urban and his retooled band ripped through a take on his rocking 2024 track “Straight Line.”
From intense pop anthems like “Wasted Time” to sing-along torch songs like “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” plus “Somebody Like You” and “Somewhere In My Car” with their thumping banjo and drum-led party grooves, Urban provided a broad, appealing country soundtrack.
Friday evening closed with Urban, as is his trademark, performing midfield at Nissan Stadium, as a still party-ready crowd danced and sang along into the Music City night.
At the sound of her name, fans shot out of their seats for Kelsea Ballerini. Singing from the shadows, she rolled out the welcome mat with “Blindsided” and, yes, it was the “(Yeah, Sure, Okay)” version. The audience chanted the three words at the tail end.
Her emerald, black and white jumpsuit glistened under the bright lights of Nissan.
“CMA Fest, you ready to start unpacking with us?” The 31-year-old put on her blue-green electric guitar to ask the important questions: “You ready to set the tone for the night?” and “Are we collectively damp?”
Ballerini came to CMA Fest as a 12-year-old after her mom surprised her with tickets for Christmas.
“We sat all the way up there in the top,” she said pointing to the east upper echelon. “So I see you, and I’m sending love.”
Due to storm delays, she had to shorten her set. But if an artist plans a surprise guest like Noah Kahan, there will always be time. Wearing a “Kountry Club” shirt he joined Ballerini for a duet of “Cowboys Cry Too” that had audience members losing their voices from all the shrieking.
Kahan stayed in the spotlight as a stagehand brought him a guitar.
“We have one more song for you,” she said explaining June 6 is Kahan’s inaugural CMA Fest performance.
“If you haven’t heard the song, you haven’t been in a Target,” Kahan said introducing his ultra popular song “Stick Season.”
And “that’ll have to do.”
Since roughly Thanksgiving, Christian music superstar Brandon Lake has undertaken a simultaneous country, pop and rock crossover evolution that isn’t as much unprecedented as it feels seamless and entertaining.
That continued at Nissan Stadium on Friday evening.
On a mini-stage set into the 35-yard line, alongside another similarly evolving performer, Jelly Roll, Lake performed their popular duet take on his nearly year-old single “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
Two years have elapsed since Jelly Roll debuted at Nissan Stadium in the same space.
With time comes evolution and artistic growth; now, more than anything, the joy, levity and electric energy the “Need A Favor” performer consistently brings moves the needle for country music’s perpetually eager-to-be-entertained fanbase.
Bellowing cowboy anthems from under a Resistol hat while wearing a starched Wrangler shirt, Cody Johnson appeared more assured than ever as a name-brand country superstar at CMA Fest on Friday evening.
The performer’s growth from being a Music City outlier to an unlikely superstar once defined Johnson’s career arc. Now, he’s a CMA Award-winning superstar who hosts the soon-to-be ABC-broadcast CMA Fest TV special, leads the crowd in a sing-along to chart-topper “Dirt Cheap” and welcomed Northern Mexican country star Carin León to make his Nissan Stadium debut.
They performed their new, lovelorn collaboration “She Hurts Like Tequila” to a warm response from the 50,000-plus in attendance.
Four years after its release, Johnson’s closer “‘Til You Can’t” could be country’s most underrated modern mega-anthem.
“If you got a chance, take it, take it while you got a chance / If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back,” he sang as the crowd responded with chants and cheers as loud as the song’s lyrics.
For Western culture-loving country fans, Johnson’s appearance epitomized the power of that culture’s crossover into pop’s mainstream.
Between the night’s main performances, up-and-coming acts like Kameron Marlowe performed shorter, acoustic sets.
“Alexa, play Sam Barber,” the CMA Fest hosts said to introduce a star on a meteoric rise. A white spotlight highlighted the “Restless Mind” singer-songwriter. Barber strummed a beat up guitar, showcasing his raspy, folksy vocals for a two-song set.
Country star Parker McCollum took the stage just before 10 p.m. In a navy blue “Fresh Western” cap and striped button-up shirt, the 32-year-old proved he was the kind of man Nissan Stadium needed as the lukewarm summer night settled in.
“I appreciate you all waiting in the rain for us,” McCollum said ripping through “What Kinda Man,” “Handle On You” and “Pretty Heart.”
“We’re gonna play y’all a brand-new song,” McCollum said before delivering his punchy “Big Sky” single out June 27.
Before the show, he chatted with The Tennessean backstage about his new album and how he’s only ever performed at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest. He also shared the most country thing he’s ever done — it involved a nude horseback ride. Watch below.
Parker McCollum talks CMA Fest 2025 stadium shows, and the most country thing he’s ever done
Parker McCollum talks CMA Fest 2025 stadium shows, and the most country thing he’s ever done
It’s been 60-plus weeks since the release of his multiplatinum-selling hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” and Northern Virginia native Shaboozey returned to Nissan Stadium after a globetrotting year of ever-increasing acclaim.
Clad in plaid-covered and distressed boot-cut jeans and a tour T-shirt for rock act The Scorpions (of “Rock Me Like A Hurricane” fame), the inherent gospel-meets-jam-band goodness that defines his work was best highlighted when Nashville-born country crossover superstar Jelly Roll joined Shaboozey to perform their new collaboration “Amen.”
“Shaboozey, welcome to my city of Nashville, Tennessee. It’s the most magical place on Earth,” Jelly Roll screamed.
As the crowd cheered, Shaboozey then launched into “A Bar Song.” The crowd roared in approval with the same ferocity the heavens did with a rainstorm mere hours before.
At 8:50 p.m., veteran singer-songwriter Rita Wilson finally kicked off Friday evening’s CMA Fest event at Nissan Stadium. Fans, now dry from the afternoon’s intermittent showers, filtered into the home of the Tennessee Titans as her jaunty, countrified pop track “The Spark” resonated throughout the venue.
Wilson radiated confidence in her material, new and old, while clad in a flowing, iridescent gown.
She performed “W.O.W. (Wild Ol’ Woman),” a countrified rocker with unapologetic lyrics about breaking free from societal expectations, regardless of age.
“She’s a lightning bolt, striking at your back, the whole world’s watching, she should come with a warning. You ain’t seen nothing like a wild ol’ woman,” sang the oftentimes Nashville-based performer, also famously married to actor Tom Hanks.
Doors to Nissan Stadium opened just after 8 p.m. due to scattered showers and the threat of lightning. CMA Fest fans took advantage of the 90-minute delay to kick up their boots on Broadway. Outside the honky-tonks, cowgirls in men’s shirts and short skirts got down to Shania Twain’s hit “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”
Staff inside the uncovered stadium put on ponchos and readied their sections. A slick layer of rain coated the stairs and floor as fans made their way to seats. The DJ played “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, and “Singing in the Rain” by Gene Kelly.
Weather pushed back the schedules at both Ascend Amphitheater and Nissan Stadium.
Gates will open at Nissan at 8 p.m., with performances starting at 9 p.m.
Ascend Gates will open at 7:45 p.m. with performances starting at 8:15 p.m.
Tickets were still available for both shows.
Friday evening’s event at Nissan Stadium features “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” vocalist Shaboozey, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini and Cody Johnson, among others.
At Ascend, a “Jake Owen and Friends” show with the “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” vocalist joined by Carter Faith, Max McNown, Lukas Nelson, Wynn Williams and more, is scheduled.
No rainstorms or tornadoes dotted Music City’s downtown horizons at 4 p.m., so at the pool at the Margaritaville Hotel, country chart-topper Dustin Lynch was able to commence the latest edition of his annual “Pool Situation” rooftop party.
The 18+ event featured many members of Lynch’s Stay Country Club who received exclusive early access to frolick in the hotel’s pool while enjoying libations.
Even amidst the potential of a massive rain shower or tornado alerts, the booze-soaked merriment never stops at CMA Fest.
Since the era following the pandemic quarantine, the chart-topping “Chevrolet” vocalist has been inspired by Luke Bryan’s “Crash My Playa” events in Mexico to develop a national dance and country music-driven event that complements his hard-touring lifestyle.
Of note during the event? Alongside a relatively intimate performance from the “Party Mode” vocalist, his event included bar games, beer helmets and tequila shots.
The event comes as Lynch’s latest single, “Easy To Love” written by Lynch with Ben Johnson, Jon Robert Hall, Hunter Phelps and Zach Crowell, arrives at country radio, blending sun-kissed easy listening with lovelorn desires.
“I’m still thinkin’ maybe one day I’ll find her / They always say when you know, you know / If I know me, she’ll be my next right turn / But I’ll take a left just to see where it goes,” the performer sings.
Festival organizers announced on social media that performances at Nissan Stadium and Ascend Amphitheater will be delayed by at least 90 minutes on June 6 due to severe weather.
All outdoor daytime stages and nighttime performances at the Hard Rock Stage were suspended for the rest of the day, and attendees were advised to take shelter or head to Fan Fair X inside Music City Center.
A tornado watch is in effect for parts of Middle Tennessee until 8 p.m.
Looming lightning forced the hand of Elizabeth Nichols, scheduled to perform the Good Molecules Stage outside of Bridgestone Arena. The canceled set didn’t stop the TikTok star with 340,000 fans from slinging her guitar around her neck and walking amongst a crowd outside the barricade on Broadway and Rep. John Lewis Way.
“These sweet girls came up to me and they’re like, can we come to any of your other shows?” says Nichols who replied to the girls, “I have a show tomorrow at a bar. I don’t know if it’s a 21+, so I said, ‘Let’s just do a little chorus now. They sang with me.”
The two girls were Charley Casrill and Macy Marrione.
“I asked her to sign my birthday sash,” says Marrione who is celebrating her 13th birthday at CMA Fest. “I told her how much we love her.”
Just before noon, CMA Fest organizers posted to Twitter that lightning activity within an 8-mile radius is prompting the current delays. With each given lightning strike, organizers pause the event for 30 minutes, the statement said.
While the 30 minute window has passed, organizers say that they are monitoring more storms to the west that will keep outdoor stages closed until further notice.
Reba McEntire fans can see a pop-up exhibit at Music City Center. The country star is partnering with Realtors.com, among many sponsors at CMA Fest with a collection of outfits, memorabilia and “fancy” souvenirs.
CMA has delayed the opening of stages because of a thunderstorm, festival organizers said.
“Calmly seek shelter at nearest business or parking garage. Stay tuned for updates,” organizers said on the CMA Connect app.
For those who need a shelter, the following places are open:
- Music City Center Garage at 6th Avenue between Demonbreun and Korean Veterans Boulevard
- Music City Center at 201 Rep. John Lewis Way
- Hilton Hotel underground parking garage at 121 4th Avenue South
- 222 Garage at 222 1st Avenue South
On night one of CMA Fest, storied legacies and rising heartthrobs steal the show
At times during day one of the 52nd CMA Fest, it felt as if the genre’s storied legacies allowed time to stand still. Instant classic duets, traditional story songs that felt refreshed and revived, plus crowds shrieking at heartthrobs and roars of approval at the celebration of traditional values of faith, family and freedom dominated the day.
Award-winning female country superstars like Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson, Country Music Hall of Famers like Brooks and Dunn, 30-time country chart-topper Jason Aldean, plus current era breakouts Ella Langley and Riley Green, shone brightest on a humid day and hazy night in downtown Nashville and at Nissan Stadium.
Read our highlights from the first night of performances at Nissan Stadium.
CMA Fest: Severe weather on the horizon
The National Weather Service is predicting a medium to high risk for severe weather June 6 and 7 with damaging winds and heavy rainfall as the main threats.
“Make sure you have a severe weather plan if you plan to be outside or away from home,” the weather service said.
The CMA Connect app will send out real-time alerts when stages are closed, where attendees can shelter and guidance on when it is safe to return to outdoor stages.
CMA Fest Day 2 lineup
Weather permitting, CMA Fest will continue with plenty of country music.
Can’t-miss artists like Marcus King, Max McNown, Ian Munsick and Carter Faith will take to stages across the festival Friday. Performances begin at 11 a.m.
Rita Wilson will kick off the second night at Nissan Stadium for headliners Kelsea Ballerini, Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, Shaboozy and Keith Urban.
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