Brooks & Dunn Headline CMA Fest In Nashville

The 52nd annual CMA Music Festival took over Nashville from June 5-8, 2025. An estimated 90,000 daily attendees will gather as more than 300 artists perform on various stages across Music City.

The opening night of the four-day festival featured a stacked lineup of some of the biggest names in country music. Riley Green, Ella Langley, Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, and Brooks & Dunn all took the stage at Nissan Stadium.

Over the years, fans have learned to expect the unexpected at CMA Fest, as headliners often feature surprise performers, songs, or announcements in their set. Jason Aldean brought out his longtime friend Travis Tritt during his set, and ACM Duo of the Year Brooks & Dunn welcomed their own special guest.

Lainey Wilson Joins Brooks & Dunn For Surprise Performance At CMA Fest

Iconic duo Brooks & Dunn have been performing together for more than three decades and show no signs of slowing down. Kix Brooks (70) and Ronnie Dunn (72) performed a high-energy set on Thursday night that had the CMA Fest crowd on their feet and singing along.

The audience went crazy when none other than Lainey Wilson joined the duo on stage for a surprise performance of “Play Something Country.” The three recently recorded a reimagined version of the tune for the album Reboot II. Lainey Wilson was not officially included on the CMA Fest lineup, so her arrival was truly unexpected.

“Play Something Country” was originally released in June 2005 as the lead single from the album Hillbilly Deluxe. Just three months later, it reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Brooks and Dunn’s twentieth and final number one hit to date.

Lainey’s vocals brought an added layer of star power to an already iconic song.

Watch Lainey Wilson’s surprise performance with Brooks & Dunn at CMA Fest below!