ABC 'CMA Fest' TV special features Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, more
A trio of performances by Country Music Association Entertainers of the Year Keith Urban and Lainey Wilson, plus multiple appearances by Brothers Osborne, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Ashley McBryde will highlight ABC's June 25-premiering "CMA Fest" television special.
In total, 30 performances from Nissan Stadium — including by 2024 Billboard all-genre Hot 100 hitmakers including Post Malone (alongside Blake Shelton for "Pour Me A Drink") and Shaboozey (performing "A Bar Song [Tipsy]") — will be spotlighted in the special, hosted by Jelly Roll and McBryde, airing June 25 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on ABC and next day on Hulu.
"Stepping onto the stage in front of 50,000 people to host CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium in my hometown in Nashville was indescribable," Jelly Roll said via a press statement.
"The magnitude of the moment really hit me, to be across the street from the juvenile detention center I was in and to now be on stage hosting — how do you describe being in the same exact place while being in a place that couldn't be more different, at the same time."
"When my buddy Jelly Roll and I walked out into this massive crowd and felt the electric energy for the first time, it felt important," adds McBryde.
"We were nervous! But it also felt good, because at the root of it all, it's just me and my pal cutting up, only we're doing it on national television for CMA Fest."
Other "CMA Fest" special performers include the following:
Kelsea Ballerini, Big & Rich, Clint Black, Luke Bryan, Terri Clark, Jordan Davis, Jackson Dean, ZZ Top's Billy F Gibbons, Cody Johnson, Little Big Town, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Brittney Spencer, The War And Treaty, Thomas Rhett, Gretchen Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman.
CMA Fest 2025?
CMA Fest's 2024 attendance from June 6-9, 2024, matched the 2023 50th anniversary's attendance of about 90,000 daily attendees.
According to the CMA, 2024's attendees arrived from all 50 states and 46 countries.
"This year's CMA Fest has truly been a celebration of community and collaboration," CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern said in a statement. "From country icons returning to the fest stage to emerging acts reaching new audiences for the first time, seeing the fans and the industry embrace our genre in such a meaningful way has been the perfect way to kick off our next 50 years."
The CMA Foundation is already starting preparations for next year's festival, which will take place June 5-8, 2025. Tickets go on sale on Ticketmaster the same day the primetime special will air on ABC, June 25.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Fest: ABC special features Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey
