Jelly Roll rocked the crowd at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Friday night (June 9) with a powerful CMA Fest set that literally left the fans screaming for more.
The unexpected country breakout star of the year took the stage as an unannounced special guest on the second night of headlining performances at CMA Fest, as part of a stellar lineup that also included Tanya Tucker, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban and Hardy.
Several other special guests peppered the evening’s performances; Reba McEntire joined Johnson for “Whoever’s in New England,” Wilson invited Tucker and Elle King, and Lambert welcomed Leon Bridges, King and Avril Lavigne to the stage at various points. Lainey Wilson, Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson all sat in on Hardy’s closing set as Day 2 of the biggest country music fan event of the year wrapped up in downtown Music City.
Jelly Roll was overcome with emotion as the crow cheered for him after his two-song set, and he left the stage to cries of “Jelly! Jelly! Jelly!” before Urban emerged for his set:
Related: How to Watch CMA Fest on TV
Scroll through the gallery below to see photo highlights from Friday night, as well as complete setlists. CMA Fest continues on Saturday night (June 10) with performances from Tracy Lawrence, Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi and Eric Church. The festival wraps Sunday night (June 11) with an equally stacked lineup.
Pictures: 2023 CMA Fest, Day 1 + 2
See pictures from Day 1 of CMA Fest 2023. The 50th annual CMA Fest in Nashville featured Nissan Stadium performances from Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, Tyler Hubbard and more. Plus pictures of Lainey Wilson with Lauren Alaina and Lukas Nelson.
Day 2 features highlights from Tanya Tucker, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban and Hardy.
2023 CMA Fest runs June 8-11.