CMA Fest Names Hosts For 2026 TV Special & Adds Superstar Singer To Performance Lineup
on May 28, 2026
Anticipation is building for CMA Fest, especially after the festival announced a new headliner and named the hosts of its upcoming TV special.
CMA Fest will be held in Nashville from June 4 to June 7. Some parts of the multi-day festival are free to attend, but tickets are required for the evening headlining performances at Nissan Stadium.
Although the lineup features over 150 performers, fans were surprised to see an A-list artist was initially missing from the list…Lainey Wilson.
CMA Fest listened to the demand and recently got Wilson to join the lineup as a headliner at Nissan Stadium on Saturday, June 6!
“This is the kind of night you’ll be talking about long after the confetti settles,” the CMA teased in a press release about Wilson’s upcoming appearance at the festival.
RELATED: LAINEY WILSON SHARES UNSEEN FOOTAGE FROM HER “DREAM” TENNESSEE WEDDING
Additionally, the CMA just announced that its annual TV special will have two new hosts. The program, featuring highlights from this year’s festival, will air on ABC on June 25 at 8/7c.
Last year’s (2025) hosts were Cody Johnson and Ashley McBryde. This year, country singer and Marshals star Riley Green will host the special alongside Good Morning America‘s Lara Spencer.
A press release from the CMA about Green and Spencer’s hosting duties promises that the TV special will include “unforgettable performances, surprise collabs and pure CMA magic, all on your screen.”
Who Are The Other Artists On The 2026 CMA Fest Lineup?
As mentioned above, the lineup for CMA Fest features over 150 artists this year.
Some of the fan-favorite singers performing at the various daytime stages include Carter Faith, Lauren Alaina, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tucker Wetmore, Craig Campbell, Emily Ann Roberts, Drake White, and John Foster.
In the evenings, artists such as Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, and now, Lainey Wilson, will entertain thousands of fans at Nissan Stadium.
You can view the entire lineup in the poster below to see if your favorite artist is featured and which stage they are on. Do note, Lainey Wilson wasn’t part of the lineup when this poster was released!
You can learn more information about CMA Fest, including more specific performance dates/times and how to purchase tickets, by visiting the festival’s website here.
