There’s something bittersweet about calling something the last of its kind, especially when that thing has become as iconic as CMA Fest’s run at the current open-air Nissan Stadium.
This past week, roughly 95,000 daily attendees flooded Nashville from June 4–7 for the 53rd edition of what started as Fan Fair back in 1972. What began with an estimated 5,000 fans has grown into a four-day institution that’s now spread across the city in ways the original Municipal Auditorium venue could’ve never imagined. But here’s the thing: the version we just experienced—with all its outdoor, under-the-stars magic—won’t happen again. When CMA Fest returns in 2027, it’ll call a new, enclosed Nissan Stadium home.
That makes 2026 feel less like just another festival year and more like a full stop on a particular chapter. The open-air format brought a specific kind of energy—rain or shine, weathering it all together, that communal feeling of being out in the elements while superstars headlined the nightly shows. Artists ranging from Florida Georgia Line to Brandon Lake to Ella Langley took stages, alongside rising names and genre-hoppers bringing rap-infused country, bluegrass twists, classic country, and Americana-tilted sounds. Over at Fan Fair X, fans watched legacies being celebrated through the careers of Ashley McBryde, Randy Travis, Shaboozey, and more. Billboard’s Country Live event also overlapped Thursday and Friday, adding another layer to the week.
The real story here isn’t nostalgia for its own sake. It’s that CMA Fest has always been about evolution. It moved from Municipal Auditorium to the Nashville fairgrounds to now dominating the open-air Nissan Stadium. The new enclosed venue signals another leap—climate-controlled, year-round capability, room to grow. That’s progress, and it matters for the festival’s future. But there’s no getting back the specific feeling of thousands of country fans standing shoulder-to-shoulder under the Nashville sky, all there for the same thing.
Riley Green and Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer will host a three-hour concert special airing June 25 on ABC (streaming on Hulu June 26), highlighting the top moments from this year’s fest. It’ll be a chance for everyone watching at home to catch what the live crowd experienced—and maybe to appreciate, just a little bit more, that this was the last time CMA Fest happened exactly this way.
What will you miss most about the outdoor Nissan Stadium era?
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
