Love country music? Wanna get closer than the nosebleeds? Fan Fair X at CMA Fest is where it’s at. If you want the closest, most immersive CMA Fest experience this year, Fan Fair X inside Nashville’s Music City Center should be your first stop.

Running June 4–7, Fan Fair X condenses four days of concerts, conversations, meet-and-greets and new interactive experiences into an indoor festival playground where longstanding stars and rising talent share the spotlight.

This year, the festival is including Artist of the Day programming on the CMA Close Up Stage. Each day spotlights a featured act – Russell Dickerson (Thursday), Carly Pearce (Friday), Shaboozey (Saturday) and Ashley McBryde (Sunday). These artists will offer more intimate sets and fan moments than the stadium nights. Beyond those showcases, the Close Up Stage schedule is stacked with panels and themed events that dig into country’s history, songwriting craft and crossover influences.

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Notable Thursday sessions include Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly Live with The Red Clay Strays and Sound & Story, An Artist Exchange featuring Melissa Etheridge and Gretchen Wilson.

Friday’s programming expands stylistically, from Latino Trailblazers in Country (FILMORE, Andrea Vasquez, Alyssia Dominguez) to Country & Rap conversations with Waka Flocka and Nappy Roots, plus a Country Central set with Charles Wesley Godwin. 

Saturday deep-dives include a 40-year retrospective on Randy Travis, a Songwriters session with heavyweights Ashley Gorley and Shane McAnally, and The Last Take conversation around Tanya Tucker’s "On My Way to Heaven" video with Dennis Quaid.

Sunday wraps with intimate moments like Up Close With Brandon Lake and panels focused on women in Texas country and the international artists making Nashville home. The lineup inlcude Jenna Paulette, Kylie Frey and RaeLynn. 

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The Tractor Supply Spotlight Stage, a new sponsorship this year, runs Thursday–Sunday, 11:00 AM–5:20 PM with back-to-back performances from established indie acts and rising names. Fans could expect performances from Austin Mackay, Blue Ridge Band, The BoykinZ, Bre Kennedy, Carlisle Wright, Jake Hoot, Tyler Rich, Zoe Jean Fowler and dozens more. .

Brand-new for 2026 is the CMA Experience inside Fan Fair X, an interactive exhibit that traces the association’s story, honors award winners, and highlights CMA programs that support artists and music education year-round. It’s designed to give fans context about the genre’s evolution and CMA’s role in celebrating and sustaining country music. 

Fan Fair X runs 10:00 AM–5:30 PM daily. Close Up Stage programming and many meet-and-greets are first-come, first-served, so early arrival is recommended. Meet-and-greet schedules will be posted and updated in the official CMA Connect App throughout May.

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Tickets are on sale now at CMAfest.com/fanfairx. Single-day passes start at $13, and a four-day pass is available for roughly $31.05 (fees included). Fan Fair X is one of many CMA Fest ticket types,  from stadium concert passes and single-night Nissan Stadium tickets to VIP Riverside Retreat upgrades and full VIP packages via Elevate Experiences.

If you're a country music fan, but can't make it to Nashville, the festival will also air on ABC June 25 (8/7c) and available the next day on Hulu. Whether you’re chasing rare acoustic sets, a panel with songwriting titans, or a close-up moment with an Artist of the Day, Fan Fair X offers a compact, fan-first way to experience CMA Fest. 

Featured Photo Credit: CMA Fest presented by SoFi in downtown Nashville/ Music Row