Country Music Hall of Famer Tim McGraw and reigning CMA Entertainer of The Year Lainey Wilson shared a major full-circle moment at 2026 CMA Fest in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
The two Louisiana natives joined forces to perform McGraw’s 1995 smash hit, “I Like It, I Love It,” sending the packed stadium into a frenzy as fans sang along to every word. The unexpected collaboration quickly became one of the night’s standout moments.
“But I like it, I love it, I want some more of it/ I try so hard, I can’t rise above it/ Don’t know what it is ’bout that little girl’s lovin’/ But I like it, I love it, I want some more of it,” McGraw and Wilson sang in sync.
For Wilson, the performance carried even greater significance. Long before becoming one of country music’s biggest stars, the Baskin, Louisiana native grew up idolizing McGraw, whose music helped shape her love of country music. Sharing the stage with one of her biggest musical heroes at one of the genre’s most celebrated events marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
“He don’t understand how much of an influence he is to me, “ Wilson admitted ahead of the broadcast. “I made up dance routines to every song he ever had, and I might show him.”
Before achieving country music stardom, Lainey Wilson wrote a letter to Tim McGraw as a teenager. The letter read, “Dear Mr. Tim McGraw, My name is Lainey Wilson from Franklin Parish, Baskin, Louisiana. I am 18 years old and have just entered my first semester at Louisiana Delta Community College of Monroe to pursue a nursing degree. I have been writing songs since I was 9 years old. When you listen to my CD, I want you to know that this is a sample of what I write. I have many others and they are just as good. Please consider meeting with me and my family. Singing, writing and performing are the most important things in my life. All I need is the opportunity and I can do the rest. Sincerely, Lainey Wilson.”
At CMA Fest, Wilson finally got to meet McGraw and he responded to her letter. “I wrote you a letter back, and I wrote it as though I had gotten a letter. So I wrote it like, had I gotten it,” McGraw added. “Tom Douglas also wrote a song about the letter. So I’ll send that to you to hear it.”
Wilson exclaimed, “Mama and daddy are not going to believe this. I did text them earlier, and I was like, ‘you won’t believe it. You won’t believe what finally happened after all these years.’”
Dubbed “The Music Event of Summer,” CMA Fest Presented by SoFi featured more than 30 unforgettable performances from some of Country music’s biggest stars, including Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Florida Georgia Line, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tucker Wetmore, Zach Top and more.
Hosted by Riley Green and Lara Spencer, the three-hour broadcast also showcased a number of standout collaborations and special moments from the 2026 CMA Fest stage. Highlights included Cody Johnson teaming up with Brothers Osborne for “Fool Proof,” Carly Pearce delivering a CMA Foundation performance of “From Now On” alongside Ricky Skaggs, Molly Tuttle, and Shay Morgan, Keith Urban welcoming Michael McDonald for “We Go Back,” Russell Dickerson and Fetty Wap surprising fans with a mashup of “Boots” and “Trap Queen,” and Gretchen Wilson bringing out Ella Langley for a rowdy rendition of “Here For The Party.”
The special also featured exciting television debuts and fan-favorite performances, including Jelly Roll’s “Hands Up,” Jason Aldean’s “Don’t Tell On Me,” Lainey Wilson’s “Phone, Keys, Wallet,” Luke Bryan’s “Country and She Knows It,” Blake Shelton’s “Let Him In Anyway,” HARDY’s “Favorite Country Song,” Zach Top’s “South of Sanity,” Riley Green’s “Change My Mind,” and Florida Georgia Line’s reunion performances of “Round Here” and “Cruise.”
CMA Fest Presented by SoFi was filmed at Nissan Stadium during Nashville’s four-day country music festival, the 53rd annual CMA Fest, which took place June 4-7, 2026. The show is a production of the Country Music Association, executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Alan Carter. The 2026 broadcast marked the 23rd consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert television special.
The special aired Thursday, June 25 at 8/7c on ABC and is now available to stream on Hulu.
