CMA Fest 2025 has officially come to a close, wrapping up with the final round of performances at Nissan Stadium last night. When Luke Bryan sang his final note in Country Girl (Shake It For Me), it marked the end of the biggest country music celebration of the year. Looking back, this year’s lineup brought some of the most diverse artists in country music together, shedding light on legends of the past and offering a main stage platform to some of the genre’s strongest up-and-comers.
With performances ranging from Kelsea Ballerini to The Red Clay Strays, the festival didn’t just focus on the mainstream scene. Instead, this year’s performances accurately represented the many sides of country music that have grown popular in recent years, bringing together every corner of the genre in a rare moment of unity. This was the year for many artists’ first-ever main-stage performances at the Nissan Stadium. Main Stage first-timer Zach Top opened the final night of performances with a debut performance of his track “Good Times & Tan Lines,” which was officially released today, along with an announcement for a new album, Ain’t In It For My Health, set to release August 29th of this year.
This year’s performances featured surprise appearances from Noah Kahan, Jelly Roll, BigXthaPlug, Travis Tritt, and more, giving fans much more than they paid for. Although night two was shortened due to dangerous weather, artists like Cody Johnson, Keith Urban, and Parker McCollum still took the stage, delivering slightly shortened sets after the unfortunate weather delay.
During the festival’s second day, Country Central hosted a session at the Fan Fair X Close-Up stage, featuring three rounds of songs from Kameron Marlowe, Vincent Mason, Emily Ann Roberts, and Waylon Wyatt. Each artist brought their own unique style of country, coming together for the first time in such an intimate setting.
