CMA Fest 2026 is upon us, but this year, Undiscovered Nashville is giving you some insight on how to navigate the festival, as well as recommend some performers each day of the festival.
What to Expect at this year’s CMA Fest
The locations of the daytime stages are the same, except for one. The Hard Rock Cafe will not host an outdoor stage this year. Instead, you will find the Wrangler Remix stage on First Ave S. behind Acme Feed and Seed near the pedestrian bridge. Fortunately, you will still be near Fan Alley, the riverfront stage, and the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage next to Ascend Ampitheatre. Stages once again return to Bridgestone Arena Plaza (Reverb) and Music City Hall of Fame Park (Chevy Vibes).
The Spotlight Stage is the only daytime stage that is not free. You must have purchased access to Fan Fair X, and it is an expense well worth it. So, Fan Fair X is a great place to beat the heat, meet your favorite artists, and catch some amazing rising talent.
CMA Fest 2026–Thursday and Friday can’t miss Performers!
Thursday’s lineup features some of our favorite artists. Kaylee Bell, Kelsi Mayne, Karley Scott Collins, Walker Montgomery, and Alexandra Kay are must-see performances. But if you want to see Alexandra Kay, you want to get there early.
Friday’s lineup is packed full of talent! Our day will begin with Kaleb Sanders on the Spotlight Stage, then quickly move to the Dr. Pepper stage to see Dave Fenley. Alana Springsteen hits the Riverfront Park stage at 11:50. She is definitely not to be missed! The rest of the day poses some tough choices, such as deciding between Angie K and Madeline Merlo at 1:45 pm. At 2:45, it’s Maddie Lenhart or Sophia Scott. At 4:15, you can’t go wrong with Erin Kinsey, Melanie Dyer, Gabi Sklar, or Myles Morgan. We end our Friday with MaRynn Taylor or Tyler Rich, followed by Tyla Rodrigues.
Who to see on Saturday and Sunday!
On Saturday, we are excited to see a few artists for the first time. We are experiencing Leah Blevins, Hannah McFarland, Bellah Mae, Tori Darke, Gareth, and Kaitlin Butts live for the first time. However, we are also excited to see Sister Hazel, Cassidy Daniels, CeCe, Zoe Jean Fowler, and Emily Ann Roberts again. CeCe was one of our favorite performers from last year.
On the last day of CMA Fest 2026, the music will power us through the exhaustion. The Sunday lineup is fantastic. We start with Jenna Davis and end with McCoy Moore on the Reverb stage. In between, don’t miss Timmy McKeever, Abbie Cone, Mae Estes, Kelsey Lamb, Will Moseley, Ashland Craft, and Kaylee Rose.
If you have questions or need some recommendations throughout the weekend, you can message us on Facebook or Instagram at Undiscovered Nashville. As always, go to the official CMA Fest site for more information!
