The final year in the old Nissan Stadium.
If you’ve been to Nashville lately you’ve probably noticed just how quick construction is moving on the new Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans. The new $2.1 billion domed stadium sits right beside the old stadium on the banks of the Cumberland River and have a capacity of around 60,000 (which is smaller than the current stadium).
Designed by Manica Architecture (which also designed NRG Stadium in Houston and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas if you want to get an idea of what to expect), the stadium will also feature a ribbon-style LED display measuring 13 feet high by 2,275 feet wide (making it the the longest display in the NFL) and will total 29,575 square feet (one of the largest displays in the league), as well as…of course, a rooftop bar. It’s Nashville, after all.
The stadium is expected to open in February 2027 and help Nashville compete to host the 2029 Super Bowl.
That timeline means that the 2027 edition of CMA Fest, which is held annually in June, will be one of the first major events in the new venue.
But for 2026, the festival is celebrating one final year in their old home.
CMA Fest returns to Music City on June 4-7, 2026 for four days of nonstop music and partying across the city. And today, CMA Fest began unveiling their lineup for this year, starting with the headliners at Nissan Stadium.
The nightly stadium shows will feature performances from Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top.
Along with the headliners, The Band Perry and Stephen Wilson Jr. will also be performing on the platform stage inside the stadium.
View this post on Instagram
Of course the Nissan Stadium lineup is just scratching the surface of the performers during the four day festival. CMA Fest features six official stages in downtown Nashville, most of them free, each with dozens of performances throughout the day.
Honestly, I’ve lived in Nashville since 2016 and I’ve never even been to the shows at Nissan Stadium because I prefer just hanging out downtown and bouncing around between the free stages. That’s where you’ll be able to catch the best up-and-coming artists as well as performances from some superstars, and you generally get longer performances than the 3 or 4 songs that each artist gets at Nissan Stadium.
As in years past, the stadium performances will also be recorded for a broadcast special to air later this summer on ABC and Hulu as well.
It’s hard to believe that we’re already talking about CMA Fest, but it’s almost March so it’ll be here before you know it. If you’re interested in coming to Music City for the biggest country music festival in the country, it’s time to start making your plans. And it’ll also be your last chance to catch the festival in the old Nissan Stadium.
