The 50th annual CMA Fest (formerly known as Fan Fair) kicked off on Thursday (June 8th), and the entertainment was everywhere in downtown Nashville.

The official kick-off took place at the Riverfront Stage with Lainey Wilson and continued throughout the day, ending up with a party at Nissan Stadium with performances and/or appearances by Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Tyler Hubbard, Darius Rucker, Elle King, Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay and a surprise appearance by Vince Gill.

More than 90,000 people are estimated to participate during CMA Fest, a 12% growth over 2022. The stadium alone saw a 10% increase in attendance year over year. Fans from all 50 states and a record-breaking 51 countries filled Music City in anticipation of seeing more than 300 acts taking part in CMA Fest.

Dierks, who is co-hosting next month’s ABC-TV special CMA Fest with Elle King and Lainey Wilson and performed Sunday night (June 11th) at Nissan Stadium, says he’s not only a country artist, but a fan of the format as well. “This is a great weekend for me, ‘cause I get to go from the Station Inn to the Stadium. I mean, I get to run my whole life in that little, you know, I started off going to watch a band play at the Station Inn back in 1994 with dreams of one day trying to make it as a country artist and nothing says country artist like playing the Stadium here in Nashville. So, it’s kind of a look back at my life in a short six-day period,” says Dierks. “So it’s really, for me it’s a magical week of reflection and being a fan. I’m playing, but also just like total fan mode. I’ve always said I’m a fan of country music first and foremost, and this weekend is a great place to be a fan. It’s just the best of the best.”

“this is your captain speaking!” — @DierksBentley pic.twitter.com/dokdcpdaxg

— Nissan Stadium (@NissanStadium) June 12, 2023

Vince was a special surprise guest during Luke Combs’ set, to which the newly-anointed country superstar called his “absolute hero.” The pair teamed up on Vince’s 1993 hit “One More Last Chance.” Vince says he’s grateful to be a part of CMA Fest. “This is a genre of music unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. It’s a grateful artist base. It’s grateful for the people that give us the opportunity to do what we do, you know, whether it’s at the Fairgrounds or whether it’s a bigger place. I don’t know if it ever really mattered,” says Vince. All those people out there that buy a ticket to come and do this whether they stand in line to get somebody’s autograph or go to a show or whatever. They’re just here because they like what we do, you know? And it feels good to let them know they’re appreciated and not be standoffish and not be that way. So, I’ve always enjoyed it.”

Backstage prior to his first Nissan Stadium performance, Jordan Davis said he came to Nashville to be a songwriter and never dreamed he’d get to perform at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest. “Long story short, I moved to town to write songs. I had never played with a band; I’d never played a show,” says the Louisiana native. “I was trying to get a publishing deal and trying to get other artists to cut my songs. I truly started playing music and trying to go after being an artist, because I didn’t know if that was going to happen. So, I figured I was already this far down the road, so I might as well start trying to make some money gigging around and here we are. I kind of fell backwards into it, but I’m very grateful I did. I truly never, never dreamed that I would be playing on the stage that I’m getting to play on tonight.”

Having performed his two No. 1 songs as a solo artist — “5 Foot 9” and “Dancin’ In The Country” — Tyler Hubbard is overwhelmed by the reaction the fans have had for his recent self-titled album. “It means a ton to me to have these songs connect the way they have, it’s been really special,” he says. “It’s inspired me, it’s motivated me, and it makes me want to keep doing it, and it’s given me a lot of life. These songs are special, and they mean a lot and to watch the fans sing ‘em back to me at the shows and to hear their stories and to see their videos that they’re making to my music, it’s fulfilling as a songwriter, as an artist. It’s just what I love, and like I said, it just motivates me to keep doing this thing. I just love the connection, and that’s what music does. It brings us together and so that’s why I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Thanks for all the love yesterday, CMA Fest. Playing Nissan Stadium solo for the first time is an experience I’ll never forget. pic.twitter.com/bnrGdmeUC2

— Tyler Hubbard (@tylerhubbard) June 9, 2023

Night two pulled in performances by Tanya Tucker, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson. Reba McEntire surprised the crowd at Nissan Stadium during Cody Johnson’s set. The pair performed her hit “Whoever’s In New England,” before Cody presented her with a gold plaque for their hit duet “Dear Rodeo.” Also performing on Friday (June 9th) were Miranda Lambert, HARDY and Keith Urban (who had the crowd mesmerized).

Additional performers at Nissan Stadium included Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Josh Turner, Tim McGraw, Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Ashley McBryde, Tracy Lawrence, as well as hot newcomers on the Platform Stage including Dalton Dover, Ashley Cooke, Megan Moroney, Ian Munsic, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen and Haley Whitters.

More highlights and performances will be featured during the CMA Fest ABC-TV special, hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson. Catch all the action at 8pm ET on July 19th.

Tyler Hubbard is sitting atop the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart this week with his hit song “Dancin’ In The Country,” marking his second No. 1 as a solo artist, and his 21^st career chart topper on Country Radio. Hubbard now holds the record for most spins in an official tracked week on Mediabase country’s mainstream panel.

Written by Tyler, Keith Urban, Ross Copperman and Jon Nite, “Dancin’ In The Country” is the second single off Hubbard’s debut solo album, Tyler Hubbard. His debut single, “5 Foot 9,” also hit No. 1 and was released exactly one year ago (5/20/22). Hubbard celebrated his first year as a solo artist this past weekend when he surprised fans with a 75-minute pop-up show at Nashville’s famed honky tonk, The Stage, on Saturday night. 

“Having a second No. 1, one year to the day after my debut solo single was released, is really incredible,” said Hubbard. “It’s been an amazing year, and I’m thankful to Country Radio and the fans for embracing my music, and to Keith, Ross and Jon for sharing their creative genius with me.”

“Dancin’ In The Country” has almost 155M global streams, already hit No. 1 on SXM’s The Highway and the MusicRow chart, and the song spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Canadian Country Radio Chart. CMT calls the track “bouncy banger infused with thrilling guitar pull and Hubbard’s signature country-pop sound.”

Tyler is continuing to write, record and tour the country at fairs and festivals throughout the summer.

Keith Urban returned to ABC’s American Idol for Sunday night’s (May 21st) season finale. He mentored the Top 3 contestants, and he also performed his hit, “Wild Heart,” for all the dreamers on the show. Iam Tongi was crowned the winner of this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWhrJJUL2w

Keith Urban will release Volume 2 of a special No. 1’s exclusive vinyl at Walmart on August 11th.  It includes 12 No. 1 Hits from his entire catalog of albums.  The vinyl will be on exclusive purple/grape vinyl and will include a limited-edition poster inside. The track list includes such chart-toppers as “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” “Break On Me,” “We Were Us” (with Miranda Lambert), “You Gonna Fly,” “Once in A Lifetime,” “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” and “Making Memories of Us,” as well as many more. Volume 1 is also still available and features “Somebody Like You,” “The Fighter” (with Carrie Underwood), “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “Days Go By,” “You’ll Think of Me” and “Long Hot Summer,” among others.

Eric Church is set to release the THIRD pressing of his 2015 album, Mr. Misunderstood, on blue vinyl on June 9^th. The collection features the title track, “Chattanooga Lucy,” “’Round Here Buzz,” “Holdin’ My Own” and “Record Year,” among others.

Alan Jackson was the subject of a recent episode of the game show Jeopardy with the answer being “What is ‘Chattahoochie?'”

Did you guess the correct answer on @Jeopardy last night? #Chattahoochee30 pic.twitter.com/qLZLaBduWx

— Alan Jackson (@OfficialJackson) May 18, 2023

Sam Hunt posted a handful of photos of him with his daughter, Lucy, and wife Hannah, to his socials. Sam just released the song, “Women In My Life.”

She is worth far more than rubies pic.twitter.com/TygWOCshUf

— Sam Hunt (@SamHuntMusic) May 22, 2023

Tyler Hubbard surprised fans with a pop-up show at Nashville’s popular Broadway hotspot, The Stage, on Saturday night (May 20th) to celebrate the one-year release of his No. 1 debut solo single, “5 Foot 9.” He also celebrated his second No. 1 for “Dancin’ In The Country.”

Tyler Hubbard is closing in on the top spot on the country chart with his latest hit, “Dancin’ In The Country,” and he says it’s the perfect song to end his show.

“Every time we start playing ‘Dancin’ In The Country,’ the energy just goes through the roof, you know. It just gets wilder and wilder, and it feels like the set hits a climax, and it’s really, really fun,” says Tyler. “The crowd goes crazy, and it’s a just a good way to end the set. Everybody leaves the show really happy. Everybody’s singing that song. It’s sort of an earworm. Even myself, I’m singing it for the next two hours after the set, just because it’s stuck in my head. So, it’s a special song and it’s a fun one to leave the fans with.”

You can catch Tyler live at various fairs and festivals, as well as in Nashville at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest June 8th before hitting the road with Old Dominion for select dates later this year. For more information on Tyler tour dates, click here.

On the eve of releasing his self-titled debut solo album, Tyler Hubbard took the stage in NYC for an exclusive performance and live stream as part of City Sessions from Amazon Music. Now, six of Hubbard’s live performances from that night are available now only on Amazon music in a new EP, Tyler Hubbard: City Sessions (Amazon Music Live). Also released today are two exclusive live performance videos for Hubbard’s current hit single “Dancin’ In The Country” and “She Can.”

LISTEN TO TYLER HUBBARD: CITY SESSIONS (AMAZON MUSIC LIVE) | HERE

WATCH THE “DANCIN’ IN THE COUNTRY – CITY SESSIONS (AMAZON MUSIC LIVE)” VIDEO | HERE

WATCH THE “SHE CAN – CITY SESSIONS (AMAZON MUSIC LIVE)” VIDEO | HERE

Tyler Hubbard: City Sessions (Amazon Music Live) Track Listing:

1. “5 Foot 9 – City Sessions (Amazon Music Live)”
2. “Out This Way – City Sessions (Amazon Music Live)”
3. “Tough – City Sessions (Amazon Music Live)”
4. “She Can – City Sessions (Amazon Music Live)”
5. “Small Town Me – City Sessions (Amazon Music Live)”
6. “Dancin’ In The Country – City Sessions (Amazon Music Live)”

About Tyler Hubbard
With 20 No.1 singles on country radio, countless awards and sold-out tours, Tyler Hubbard has already had a remarkable career as a songwriter and as one half of multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line. Hubbard has now stepped out on his own and Billboard claims “Hubbard’s solo career keeps building,” with the release of his debut solo album, Tyler Hubbard. Released earlier this year, the album features Hubbard’s hit debut solo single “5 Foot 9,” which hit No. 1 at Country radio, was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and has almost 396M global streams. It also features Hubbard’s current single, “Dancin’ In The Country,” which already has over 132M global streams and is Top 5 at Country radio.  The song already hit No.1 on  SXM’s The Highway, and the MusicRow chart and spent three weeks there on Canadian Country radio. Hubbard has made several television appearances as a solo artist, most recently at the CMT Music Awards, and also on Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Today. Hubbard is continuing to write, record and tour the country at fairs and festivals throughout the summer. See the official music video for “Dancin’ In The Country” starring Terry Crews along with all the videos from Hubbard’s debut solo album HERE.

Tyler Hubbard is giving fans a glimpse into the creative process of how his current hit, “Dancin’ In The Country,” came together. The song is currently in the Top 10 at Country radio and has over 115M global streams. It has already hit No. 1 on the Canadian Country Radio Chart, SXM’s The Highway, and the MusicRow chart. The upbeat anthem was written by Hubbard, Keith Urban, Ross Copperman and Jon Nite, and today Hubbard is releasing the demo from the day they wrote the song, “Dancin’ In The Country (Demo – feat. Keith Urban).”

I wanted to do something a little different for “Dancin’ In The Country” and thought I’d let y’all experience the original demo we recorded the day we wrote it. So go check it out now, I hope you dig it. https://t.co/2WEb3fxuuY pic.twitter.com/0aJCqHTJIn

— Tyler Hubbard (@tylerhubbard) April 21, 2023

https://twitter.com/KeithUrban/status/1649406644269326337

LISTEN TO “DANCIN’ IN THE COUNTRY (DEMO – FEAT. KEITH URBAN)” | HERE

Urban brings his musical versatility and virtuosity to the demo, not only on guitar, but on bass, ganjo and vocals.  Originally written and recorded in October 2021, the demo of “Dancin’ In The Country” also features Ross Copperman on keys and programming.

“I’ve always admired Keith Urban as a writer, but never had the chance to actually write a song with him.  Keith came into the writing session so engaged and ready to go where the ideas took us.  Ross and Jon are two of the finest writers in town, and by the end of the day we had a song we all felt was special,” said Hubbard. “It’s exciting to share a behind the scenes look at how a song comes together.”

“Spending a day with Tyler, Ross and Jon in the studio writing this song was a total blast,” said Urban. “Especially creating the track with Ross – I love working fast, ideas flowing really quickly- a bass part, a ganjo part, a very intentionally 80s country super compressed electric guitar riff.”

Tyler Hubbard has a passion for a lot of things, first and foremost, his family of five, not to mention writing songs, producing records and performing on stage. He also has a passion for his many hobbies, including skiing and riding dirt bikes. He even created a track at his house for him, his buddies and his children (as they grow). Even his three-year-old son, Luca, has an electric bike that he rides around on, showing the same passion for bikes as his dad.

“I’ve always loved a place to ride, especially close to home, so it’s basically a big playground for dirt bikes and any other toy you can imagine,” says Tyler. “And watching my kids grow up, they’re almost to the age where they can start playing (around) with me. So, to have a spot where they can grow up playing on and I can continue growing up playing on is a lot of fun.

Tyler is closing in on Top 5 on the country charts with his latest smash, “Dancin’ In The Country,” which he co-wrote with Keith Urban, Ross Copperman and Jon Nite.

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Carrie Underwood, Tyler Hubbard and The War and Treaty are among the artists lending their talents to honor the victims and the survivors of The Covenant School tragic shooting in Nashville last month with a benefit this Wednesday (April 12th). “A Night of Joy Celebrating The Covenant School” will take place at 7pm CT at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University.

Thomas Rhett, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sixpence None The Richer, Lady A, The Warren Brothers and many more will also perform. All proceeds will go to benefit The Covenant School.

Due to the overwhelming demand and outpouring of support for A Night of Joy Celebrating The Covenant School, a simulcast overflow viewing will take place in the Massey Performing Arts Center at Belmont University. These $25 tickets are very limited, and all proceeds benefit The Covenant School.

For more information, go here: https://www.thefishercenter.com/2023/04/04/covenant-benefit/

While in Austin for the CMT Music Awards on March 29th, Tyler Hubbard made a surprise performance at Austin’s famed Broken Spoke Texas Dancehall.

The idea for this pop-up performance came about at dinner with Hubbard and the band. Without any instruments or knowing if they could even play, Tyler, the band and crew grabbed Ubers and headed over to Austin’s Broken Spoke to see if they could close out their evening with a surprise performance at the legendary venue, teasing the possibility with an Instagram story. Upon arrival, they proposed their idea to the general manager who was open it, but their weekly regular artist Ian Stewart was already performing.

Stewart graciously allowed Tyler and the band to jump up on stage and play with his band’s instruments, but Hubbard’s band wasn’t complete without a bass and acoustic guitar. An old bass was found in storage, but Hubbard put out the call in IG for fans to bring guitars to the venue. Eventually, a fan brought an acoustic guitar, and the band was complete, with the addition of Stewart, who played fiddle for the entire 45-minute set.

Several hundred fans turned out to see the show and hang with Hubbard, who played his hits “5 Foot 9,” current single “Dancin’ In The Country,” “35’s”, as well as “Cruise” and several others. Hubbard signed autographs, took photos, and made videos with fans before and after the show.

More performers have been announced for this year’s CMT Music Awards. Darius Rucker will be joined by The Black Crowes for a collaboration of the band’s hit, “She Talks To Angels.” The two acts will film an episode of CMT Crossroads while in Austin, Texas for the show.

https://twitter.com/dariusrucker/status/1639002501621100545

Tyler Hubbard will make his solo awards performance debut with his smash hit, “Dancin’ In The Country.”

Pumped to be performing on the 2023 #CMTawards! Tune in LIVE Sunday, April 2 on @CBS and don’t forget your dancin’ shoes. pic.twitter.com/nXFIFkde8a

— Tyler Hubbard (@tylerhubbard) March 23, 2023

Wynonna Judd, Ashley McBryde and Jelly Roll have also been tapped to perform, joining previously announced performers Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Cody Johnson, Kane Brown + Katelyn Brown, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini and Lainey Wilson as performers and Avery Anna, Chapel Hart, Jackson Dean, Lily Rose, Megan Moroney and Nate Smith who will perform from the Ram Trucks Side Stage.

Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday, April 2^nd beginning at 8pm ET/PT on CBS, CMT and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.