Kelsea Ballerini delivered a show-stopping performance of “Baggage” at the 2025 CMA Fest that had the entire stadium singing along.
Filmed at Nissan Stadium earlier this month, the country superstar offered a captivating performance of the track, written by Ballerini alongside Alysa Vanderheym, Hillary Lindsey, Jessie Jo Dillon and Karen Fairchild, that appears on her latest album, PATTERNS. Ballerini sparkled in a turquoise and black bodysuit while she strummed an electric guitar to kick off the performance before tossing the guitar to her tech and strutting around the stage like the true superstar that she is.
“Clear out a drawer, clear out a shelf/ I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else/ Everything that’s heavy, I check it at the door/ Kind of feel like I don’t need it anymore/ I got some bones of old skeletons/ From the old house at the dead end/ I got baggage, but I’m movin’ in,” Ballerini belted out on the song’s chorus, prompting a thunderous sing along from the crowd.
Prior to taking the stage for her mesmerizing set, Kelsea Ballerini reflected on her full-circle journey to Nissan Stadium at CMA Fest.
“My first year getting to play CMA Fest as an artist was a small tent on Broadway. And then the next year I got to play the stage in front of Bridgestone Arena and then the next year I got to play the stadium,” she said. “And I feel like those three years it went from just like I can’t believe I get to be a part of it as an artist to I am playing the stadium where I came as a fan and sat in the nosebleeds and I think it was just like a whirlwind of a time, and I’m happy to still be here.”
Ballerini continued, “It’s like the heart of country music is in Nashville for CMA fest. And to be able to show up and be a part of that and do what you do for 30 minutes for these fans, it’s a gift.
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 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. Brooks & Dunn teamed up with Lainey Wilson for “Play Something Country” and with Marcus King for “Rock My World [Little Country Girl],” 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.
