- Jelly Roll made a surprise appearance at night one of CMA Fest.
- The singer took the stage to perform his hits and share his faith.
- Other highlights of the night came from Florida Georgia Line, Ella Langley, and Tucker Wetmore.
Night one of CMA Fest is in the books, and the Nashville event certainly kicked off with a bang! Opening night at Nissan Stadium was filled with surprises, from an official Florida Georgia Line reunion to Vincent Mason bringing out Stella Lefty to Ella Langley joining Gretchen Wilson. But country music fans didn’t have to wait long for one of the night’s biggest surprises—a powerful performance by Jelly Roll.
Jelly Roll was nowhere to be found on the 2026 lineup, but there was a suspicious hole in the June 4 schedule between Tucker Wetmore and Ella Langley. The Grammy winner did not disappoint with his fiery set, which included “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” “Lost Cause,” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Amen,” plus a rousing cover of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.”
In true Jelly Roll fashion, he spent some time sharing his faith with the crowd of 50,000+, telling the story of his time spent in the nearby juvenile detention center dreaming of one day attending a concert at Nissan Stadium. “But what i learned about the God I serve is, you don’t dream small with the God I serve,” he said. “I serve a God of second chances. I serve a God of redemption. I serve a God of love…. 25 years later, that little boy is screaming inside of me right now.”
He also talked about breaking generational curses and trauma, proudly announcing that his daughter, Bailee, was the first member of his side of the family to graduate from high school and will be the first to attend college.
It will be hard to top night one, but country music fans have three more nights to look forward to. If you’re not attending this year, mark your calendar for June 25, when the three-hour concert special will air on ABC.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
