The Red Clay Strays made their CMA Fest debut this year at Nissan Stadium with a confident performance of “No One Else Like Me.” Ahead of their much-anticipated performance at the iconic festival, lead singer Brandon Coleman opened up about the milestone, sharing that he was anticipating the moment to feel similar to when the band opened for The Rolling Stones at Gillette Stadium.
“This is our first time playing Nissan Stadium,” he said. “I really don’t feel anything until we go out on stage. When we opened up for the Rolling Stones at Gillette, it was pretty incredible. So hopefully we can have the same level of excitement.”
The rising group’s set included their track “No One Else Like Me,” a confidence-building anthem that appears on their 2024 album, Made by These Moments. That project was produced by Dave Cobb, and Coleman revealed that the band has recently been in the studio with Cobb once again, “recording, doing things, making sounds in a room with microphones.”
The Red Clay Strays have had a breakout year in 2025, and Coleman and his bandmates noted that while they would be making music no matter what, they’re happy to know that their increased popularity has helped their message resonate with more people.
“It feels great just knowing that our music has helped a lot of people come out of low spots that they’ve been in their lives, that’s where we get our fulfillment,” Coleman said. “We’d be doing it regardless, but now to be able to do it to as many people as possible, that’s the coolest part about it.”
The group also reflected on how they began making music in the first place, praising some of their high school music teachers and touting the importance of music education in their own lives.
“If we didn’t have band in high school, I don’t know how long I would’ve gone,” Coleman reflected. “This is how much I loved it and I looked forward to being able to make music every day in school. That was the best part about it to me. Not everybody’s a football player.”
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, 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.
