5 shows not to miss at CMA Fest on Friday: Marcus King, Ian Munsick, Carter Faith
Now in its 52nd year, the event has drawn nearly a million concertgoers to Nashville over the past decade.
Throughout the day June 6, country artists will perform on five outdoor stages downtown, where no ticket is required for entry. The concerts are free to attend, featuring both country music greats and emerging stars.
In the evening, Nissan Stadium will host four nights of ticketed concerts with stacked country star lineups.
With over 300 performers on CMA Fest's docket, it's difficult to navigate which shows are the ones not to miss each day. We've got you covered.
Here are five shows to try and catch on Friday morning and afternoon, the festival's second day.
The "Wildflowers & Wine" singer will perform from 11 to 11:30 a.m. at the Chevy Riverfront Stage.
King's CMA Fest set comes ahead of a Bonnaroo performance for the Southern rocker, as well as a summer tour and upcoming shows alongside Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson and Eric Church.
He released his latest tune, "Honky Tonk Hell," on May 9.
McNown will perform on Friday from 12:40 to 1:10 p.m. at the Chevy Riverfront Stage. In the evening, he will also appear at Ascend Amphitheater for Jake Owen and Friends. On June 7, he'll appear at Spotify House.
The Oregon singer-songwriter known for songs "A Lot More Free" and "Better Me For You" continues to gain momentum after going viral in 2023.
More: Nashville's Max McNown goes from busking on a Cali pier to sold-out tour: 'It's all happened pretty fast'
McNown released his EP "The Cost of Growing Up" in May.
Barber will hit the stage at the Chevy Riverfront Stage from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Later in the evening, he will perform on the Nissan Stadium Platform Stage at 9:35 p.m.
Barber, who is known for tunes "Indigo," "Straight and Narrow" and "Dancing in the Sky," released his record "Restful Mind" in 2024. The Missouri singer-songwriter is known for his country-rock fusion.
Munsick will perform at the Chevy Riverfront Stage from 3:10 to 3:40 p.m.
The Wyoming country-Western singer dropped his album "Eagle Feather" in April, which follows his 2023 record "White Buffalo." Later this year, he'll be touring alongside Cody Johnson.
Faith will perform at the Good Molecules Reverb Stage from 5 to 5:25 p.m. In the evening, she'll appear at Ascend Amphitheater for Jake Owen and Friends.
Saturday evening, she will hit the stage at Nissan Stadium from 9:40 to 9:50 p.m.
The North Carolina-born singer-songwriter, known for tunes "Greener Pasture" and "Cowboys & Dreamers," released her singles "If I Had Never Lost My Mind..." in February and "Grudge" in April.
To learn more about stage locations and performance times, visit cmafest.com.
Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 2025 CMA Fest: Friday performances to catch at the Nashville festival
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