Top 5 Moments From CMA Fest 2025’s Thursday Nissan Stadium Shows: Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green & More

CMA Fest 2025 kicked off on Thursday (June 5) with more than 300 performers bringing their best performances across seven daytime stages and three nighttime stages in downtown Nashville. As the sun began to set, festival attendees — who had already spent hours immersed in music earlier in the day — made their way to Nissan Stadium to see some of country music’s top artists and rising newcomers perform.

According to the CMA, approximately 90,000 festivalgoers attended CMA Fest each day in 2024, with fans descending on Nashville from all 50 states as well as 46 other countries. According to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., last year’s CMA Fest generated a record-breaking $77.3 million in estimated direct visitor spending, spurring a 3.5% increase over the 2023 CMA Fest.

The artists on the Nissan Stadium mainstage Thursday night represented an aural tapestry, launching with a soul-stirring version of the national anthem by K. Michelle. This was followed by performances from Charles Esten, Ella Langley, Riley Green and Darius Rucker, while Scotty McCreery brought his signature neo-traditional sound to the stadium stage, Jason Aldean offered up a series of his hits, and Brooks & Dunn’s Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks continued showcasing just why they are Country Music Hall of Famers. Meanwhile, the Nissan Stadium Platform Stage featured the soaring, pop-inflected familial harmonies of Tigirlily Gold and the rustic Americana sounds of Max McNown.

Of course, any CMA Fest set includes the possibility of a surprise collaboration, heightening the crowd’s anticipation. The Thursday night Nissan Stadium lineup fulfilled that promise, with Travis Tritt (performing with Jason Aldean), Lainey Wilson and Marcus King (each performing with Brooks & Dunn) among those making surprise appearances.

Here, we highlight 5 top moments from CMA Fest’s Thursday night lineup: