Brooks & Dunn helped kick off CMA Fest this year, taking the stage during the festival’s first night for a high-energy set at Nissan Stadium. They opened their run of songs with a surprise, bringing out Lainey Wilson for a rendition of the duo’s hit “Play Something Country.”
Wilson wasn’t on the festival’s bill, so her appearance was a shock for fans in the audience, who were more than happy to see her. The star is plenty familiar with “Play Something Country,” having put her spin on the track for Brooks & Dunn’s 2024 collaboration project, Reboot II, which also featured Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, HARDY, Megan Moroney, Hailey Whitters, The Cadillac Three and more.
Ahead of the performance, Lainey Wilson called CMA Fest “one of the happiest times of the year” and shared that “it’s cool to be able to get on stage with those legends and kind of feel like they’re wrapping their arm around you.” Wilson added, “We will see what happens. I’m nervous, but it’ll be good.”
It had already been announced that Marcus King would join the duo on stage, and he did so for “Rock My World (Little Country Girl)” after previously appearing on Reboot 2 with the same song.
Calling it “a real big thrill” to be part of the CMA Fest lineup, King shared that while he’s “always fairly nervous” before any of his shows, he knew it was “going to be a good time.”
“When I found out I’d be sitting in with Brooks and Dunn tonight, I was pretty floored, but I was also just really excited,” he said. “It’s been a long time in the making.”
The country rocker also shared some details on his feature on Reboot II, explaining that his “good friend,” film and television producer Robert Deaton, “invited us to come be a part of [Reboot II], and we did a really, really great rock and roll Brooks and Dunn song called ‘Rock My World.’ And to be able to play it with them live and to be able to live that experience with all the wonderful fans of CMA Fest is a real thrill.”
2025 CMA Fest
Dubbed “The Music Event of Summer,” CMA Fest Presented by SoFi featured 30+ performances from some of Country music’s hottest stars, including Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Jordan Davis, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Ashley McBryde, Rascal Flatts, The Red Clay Strays, Dylan Scott, Zach Top, Keith Urban and more.
The three-hour broadcast also included unforgettable collaborations from the 2025 CMA Fest. Dierks Bentley joined forces with Zach Top on “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and a “Mountain Music” medley, Cody Johnson and Carín León performed “She Hurts Like Tequila,” Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll delivered a powerful performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” Jason Aldean and Travis Tritt united for “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins teamed up for “Hillbilly Bone,” and Bailey Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug showcased their new duet “All The Way” and more.
CMA Fest presented by SoFi was filmed at Nissan Stadium during Music City’s four-day country music festival, which took place Thursday, June 5, through Sunday, June 8. 2025 marked the 19th consecutive year that CMA has produced a summer concert TV special. The show is a production of the Country Music Association, executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Alan Carter. The 2025 airing marks the 22nd consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.
The CMA Fest special aired on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC and is available to watch on-demand on Friday, June 27 via Hulu.
