CMA Fest 2023: Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Alabama Wrap Sunday Night Finale

CMA Fest 2023 came to a close Sunday night (June 11) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary with a stacked lineup of some of country music’s brightest stars across multiple decades, demonstrating the enduring impact of the genre on generations of fans.

The lineup featured one of the best-selling groups in country music history, Alabama; since earning their first No. 1 with “Tennessee River” in 1980, the group continued lobbing hits at Billboard’s Hot Country Songs (then-called Hot Country Singles) chart, earning 17 No. 1s over the next five years, and earning 21 No. 1 hits on the chart by 1987.

After issuing his debut single, “Welcome to the Club” in 1992, McGraw earned nearly a dozen No. 1 hits on the chart by 2000, becoming one of country music’s most consistent hitmakers in the ’90s. He’s added to that genre-defining legacy each decade since, earning 11 CMA Awards wins, including an entertainer of the year trophy. Meanwhile, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley each issued their debut singles in the early- to mid-2000s, with each steadily adding to their arsenal of hits. Bryan has two CMA entertainer of the year wins to his credit and has served as a host on American Idol, while Bentley is a 14-time Grammy Awards nominee and a three-time CMA Awards winner.

Bentley also co-hosted the upcoming CMA Fest television special alongside Lainey Wilson and Elle King; the special will air July 19 on ABC.

The full Sunday night lineup also included sets from Josh Turner, Ashley McBryde and newcomers Megan Moroney and Nate Smith.

Here we look at some of the top moments dotting the Sunday evening show: