Riley Green took a break from his CMA Fest co-hosting duties to perform his fan-favorite hit single, “Change My Mind,” as well as to join Carly Pearce for their steamy duet, “If I Don’t Leave, I’m Gonna Stay.”
The 37-year-old country superstar stepped away from his co-host Lara Spencer for a full set during the 54th CMA Fest, where he offered an impressive performance of “Change My Mind.” Strumming his guitar and dressed in his signature attire and a cowboy hat, Green turned up the heat and belted out the lyrics to his chart-topping hit, co-written by Green alongside Erik Dylan and Randy Montana.
“You know I’m giving in, so go ahead (go ahead)/ Wreck my plans like you wrecked my bed/ Do it, baby, like you’ve done a thousand times/ Change my mind/ Change my mind,” Green sang on the tune’s chorus.
Later on in the show, Green returned to the stage to perform alongside his fellow country star and collaborator Carly Pearce to perform their duet, “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay.” The pair flawlessly blended their vocals together and delivered a memorable performance of the buzzed-about collaboration.
“If I don’t leave, I’m gonna stay/ If we don’t stop, we’re gonna start all over again/ And if I bend, I’m gonna break/ We’re gonna blame it on the rain or on the wine/ We’re getting close to losing clothes/ I should go, look at the time, it’s getting late/ If I don’t leave, I’m gonna stay,” Green and Pearce sang in perfect harmony.
Of performing and hosting 2026 CMA Fest, the “Think As You Drunk” singer shared, “Well, performing at the CMA Fest is such a big deal and obviously getting to play a Nissan and something you grow up dreaming about doing. I don’t think I ever grew up dreaming about hosting. I think that’s something that’s I hope I didn’t bite off more than I can chew, but excited about being able to have a part in the festival and being able to interview some of the other artists I’m friends with and fans of and it’d be a good time.”
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, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tim McGraw, 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 Tim McGraw and Lainey Wilson joining forces for “I Like It, I Love It,” 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, marking the final CMA Fest in this venue, 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 will be available to stream tomorrow (June 26) on Hulu. CMA Fest will return June 10-13, 2027, for its 54th annual event, marking the festival’s debut in Nashville’s brand-new Nissan Stadium.
