CMA Fest special lineup : complete artist guide
Nashville, June 2026. The CMA Fest Concert Special lineup just dropped, and the roster is genuinely staggering. With over 30 artists confirmed for a single three-hour broadcast, this is one of the most loaded country music television events we've seen in years. We tracked down every detail so you know exactly what to watch, when, and where to stream it.
Everything you need to know about the CMA Fest special broadcast
The special airs on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 8/7c on ABC. It runs three full hours, which already tells you something about the scale of what Disney has put together here. The show will be hosted by Riley Green, the country star who also performs during the special, alongside Good Morning America anchor Lara Spencer. That combination of insider credibility and mainstream visibility is a smart move for a broadcast targeting both die-hard country fans and casual viewers.
If you miss the live airing, the special streams the very next day on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. For those of us who spend a lot of time tracking what's available across streaming platforms, this kind of next-day availability on Disney's ecosystem is increasingly standard, but still worth confirming in advance so you don't go hunting for it on the wrong service.
The event captures performances and collaborations filmed during the 2026 CMA Fest in Nashville, described as "one of country music's most star-studded weekends." The original festival itself, presented by SoFi, took place in Nashville, and the TV special gives fans front-row access to moments they may have missed in person or seen only from a distance.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Broadcast date | Thursday, June 25, 2026 |
| Time | 8/7c |
| Network | ABC |
| Streaming availability | Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ (from June 26, 2026) |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Hosts | Riley Green and Lara Spencer |
The full performer lineup for the CMA Fest concert special
Thirty artists. That number alone makes this special worth circling on your calendar. The confirmed performer list for the CMA Fest presented by SoFi spans multiple generations of country music, from legends to chart-toppers to newer voices who've been building serious momentum.
Here's the complete lineup as announced by Disney :
- Bailey Zimmerman
- Blake Shelton
- The Band Perry
- Brothers Osborne
- Carly Pearce
- Cody Johnson
- Deana Carter
- Ella Langley
- Fetty Wap
- Florida Georgia Line
- Gretchen Wilson
- HARDY
- Jason Aldean
- Jelly Roll
- Jordan Davis
- Keith Urban
- Lainey Wilson
- Luke Bryan
- Michael McDonald
- Molly Tuttle
- The Red Clay Strays
- Ricky Skaggs
- Riley Green
- Russell Dickerson
- Shaboozey
- Shay Morgan
- Stephen Wilson Jr.
- Tim McGraw
- Tucker Wetmore
- Zach Top
The range here is deliberate. Ricky Skaggs and Deana Carter represent deep roots in Nashville's traditional sound, while Shaboozey and Ella Langley reflect the genre's current crossover momentum. The inclusion of Michael McDonald, best known for his work with the Doobie Brothers, signals that this special isn't playing it safe with genre boundaries. Fetty Wap is arguably the most unexpected name on the list, and that kind of unpredictability is exactly what makes these collaborations worth watching in full rather than catching a highlight reel.
Jelly Roll, Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean bring the mainstream draw, but it's artists like Molly Tuttle and The Red Clay Strays that give the lineup real texture. These are acts with dedicated followings who don't always get prime-time exposure. For fans following them through streaming platforms, seeing them featured in a major ABC broadcast is a significant moment.
What the 2027 return means for country music fans
Beyond the June 25 broadcast, there's already confirmed news for next year. The 54th CMA Fest will return to Nashville from Thursday, June 10 through Sunday, June 13, 2027. Four days of live performances, cross-genre collaborations, and the kind of spontaneous moments that can't be scripted. The festival holds the title of the longest-running country music festival in the world, a record it has built since its first edition in 1972.
For anyone planning ahead, those dates are worth locking in now. Nashville in June fills up fast, and the gap between announcement and ticket availability tends to be shorter than you'd expect for an event of this size.
The fact that Disney is already confirming next year's dates alongside the TV special announcement says something about the franchise's stability. The CMA Fest ecosystem, from the live Nashville event to the primetime ABC broadcast to next-day streaming on Disney+, is a well-oiled machine at this point. If you're the kind of viewer who prefers to watch live TV specials on your own schedule, this model works well. Just make sure your Disney+ subscription is active before June 26.
If you enjoy tracking entertainment specials that blend live performance with broadcast TV strategy, you might also want to check out our coverage of the Dancing With The Stars : The Next Pro trailer, another Disney property pushing into interesting territory this season.