The third day of CMA Fest has officially wrapped, leaving the tens of thousands of fans who flocked to Nashville for the four-day festival with just one day remaining.
So far, the 2026 event has unfolded seamlessly, with fans having only two things to worry about: listening to music and enjoying it.
The Sunday night performances packed a nostalgic punch.
Carly Pearce was first joined by Ricky Skaggs and Molly Tuttle for a bluegrass tune before bringing out Riley Green for a sentimental duet.
Zach Top evoked memories of ‘90s country, and ‘90s country hero Tim McGraw closed out the night.
In between, Sara Evans belted her hits from the early aughts and Kaitlin Butts sang a “murder song” — a classic country music subgenre.
While there were so many moments that ignited the crowd, we could only choose a couple. Here are our top moments from night 3 of CMA Fest.
Sara Evans kicks off CMA Fest night 3 with nostalgic set
Sara Evans kicked off the evening in Nissan Stadium with her career staple “Born to Fly.” The crowd’s reaction was a testament to the 2000 single’s and Evans’ consistent popularity in country music.
“How is everyone doing in Nashville?” Evans asked the crowd before breaking into her next song, “A Real Fine Place to Start.”
After belting out the lyrics to the 2005 single, Evans took a bow and again addressed the fans in attendance. “Here is a song for anyone who’s ever had a broken heart,” the Missouri native said teasing the third song of her set, “A Little Bit Stronger.”
The fans already in their seats soaked in Evans’ performance, as did the ones walking in.
Carly Pearce makes Nissan feel small with bluegrass surprise and intimate Riley Green number
Carly Pearce, a native of the bluegrass state, Kentucky, brought up bluegrass pickers Ricky Skaggs and Molly Tuttle, who infused a sophisticated and quaint roots sound into Nissan Stadium. That’s a rarity for the festival that is known to be one of country music’s biggest and loudest events.
The first half of Pearce’s set was seemingly more than sufficient for the fans in attendance, but the bare minimum is not the nature of CMA Fest, and the surprise guests didn’t begin and end with Skaggs and Tuttle.
Toward the end of her set, Pearce unexpectedly brought out Riley Green. The two then performed a duet of their sentimental single “If I Don’t Leave, I’m Gonna Stay.”
Taking center stage on two stools, the pair made the stage, and the atmosphere of the 70,000-person crowd feel small, tight-knit and intimate.
Pearce’s set entailed three total surprises, but it was her closing duet with Green that won over the fans in attendance.
Zach Top goes old school amid the new wave energy of CMA Fest
One of, if not the biggest charm of Zach Top’s music is his old school sound. He brought that charm to his CMA Fest set right off the bat, starting off with his 2025 single “Guitar.”
Quickly thanking the fans, Top then launched into his second song, another 2025 single, “When You See Me.” Going from hot to cold in just two songs, Top controlled the audience’s energy effortlessly.
“It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come in the last two years,” Top told the audience before breaking into his breakthrough single, “Bad Luck,” a song the fans sang back to Top.
Utilizing nearly every note of his fretboard on every song, Top once again proved why he is one of the most talented guitarists in country music.
Jordan Davis and Marcus King melt the face off fans with classic rock version of ‘Louisiana Stick’
Prior to stepping onstage tonight, Jordan Davis told the Tennessean that none other than Marcus King would be joining him. King ultimately helped reinforce the night’s classic feel, albeit in another genre, when he tore into several rock guitar solos.
Before the jack of all trades musician came on to lend Davis a hand, Davis started his set with “I Ain’t Saying.”
“We’ve been waiting for this one all year Nashville, welcome to CMA Fest,” Davis exclaimed quickly. Swinging into “Bar None,” a 2025 top 10 single, Davis kept the energy high. He himself seemingly couldn’t contain his energy, as he stepped on every inch of the stage through the duration of the song.
After “Turn That Truck Around,” Davis started performing “Next Thing You Know,” which entailed fans holding up their phones, waving them back and forth and singing along to his 2022 single.
Several songs and remarks later, Davis brought on King for a live rendition of their single “Louisiana Stick.” What followed was a series of Van Halen-esque solos, a pleasant surprise at a country concert.
Tim McGraw reminds CMA Fest fans of ’90s dominance with retro set list
The last performer of CMA Fest night 3 was the longtime favorite Tim McGraw. Strolling on stage with a veteran poise, McGraw started the beginning of the end with his 2012 single “Truck Yeah.”
The next song is what really got the crowd going, and that song was “Something Like That,” furthering the nostalgic undertone that was present the entire night.
With the crowd fully engaged thanks to the 1999 No. 1 hit, McGraw quickly introduced himself and his band before breaking into the next song, another old school classic from 1994, “Down on the Farm.”
Diverting from his retro set list, McGraw performed a song he never played before called, “Song For America,” which dropped days ago on May 29.
Quickly returning to the songs that made Tim McGraw, Tim McGraw, the seasoned veteran played several more classic hits from his decorated catalog.
The audience’s two high notes seemingly being “I Like It I Love It” and the heartfelt classic “Live Like You Were Dying.”
Peter Burditt covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact him at [email protected]
