CMA Fest 2026 Presented by SoFi: Complete Lineup, Ticket Info, and What to Expect
CMA Fest is back for 2026, and this year’s edition — officially presented by SoFi — is shaping up to be one of the most expansive in the festival’s 53-year history. Running June 5–8 at Nissan Stadium and multiple venues across downtown Nashville, CMA Fest draws over 100,000 country music fans from all 50 states and dozens of countries each year. It is, by almost any measure, the world’s premier country music festival.
The headlining lineup for the Nissan Stadium night shows is stacked. Bailey Zimmerman, one of country music’s fastest-rising stars, is confirmed for a headlining slot alongside Shaboozey, whose genre-blurring sound has made him one of the most talked-about artists in any format over the past 18 months. Blake Shelton, a CMA Fest perennial who always delivers crowd-pleasing sets, rounds out the Stadium headliners.
Beyond the big names, CMA Fest is defined by its free outdoor concerts on the Cumberland River Stage and multiple stages set up on Broadway and surrounding streets. These shows — often featuring mid-tier artists who could easily headline their own tours — are open to the public without a ticket and create a festival-within-a-festival atmosphere throughout downtown Nashville all weekend long.
Daytime programming at the Music City Center features fan meet-and-greets, panel discussions, and acoustic showcases. This is where the real CMA Fest community experience lives — thousands of fans lining up hours before doors open for the chance to meet artists in an intimate setting.
Stadium tickets for the 2026 festival start at $139 per night and are available through Ticketmaster. Four-night passes offer the best value at $449. Hotels throughout Nashville fill months in advance — book as early as possible.
