Riley Green Reveals His Strategy For Co-Hosting CMA Fest 2026 [Exclusive]

Riley Green is gearing up to take on a new role as co-host of CMA Fest presented by SoFi, alongside Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer. Ahead of the three-hour concert special, set to air June 25 on ABC, he shared a glimpse into his hosting approach.

The country music star tells Country Now that he doesn’t plan to take the serious route, and instead will be leaning more towards creating a fun, lighthearted energy for the night and staying true to himself.

“I think it’d be really tough for me to be the serious guy. I think I’ll probably have to go with a goofy guy from Alabama, which I play pretty well,” he shared while backstage at the festival.

As part of his hosting duties, Green says he’s most looking forward to getting the chance to turn the tables and step into the role of interviewer instead of interviewee for once.

“I’m excited about getting to ask other artists questions. The questions that I wish people would ask me,” he added.

This year, CMA Fest 2026 took place Thursday June 4-Sunday June 7. Throughout each of the days, thousands of fans came from far and wide to experience all the acts who played the free outdoor shows and step inside Fan Fair X for celebrity meet-and-greets, live acoustic performances, interviews, and merchandise shopping.

In addition to hosting the nightly shows across the four-day festival, Green also took the stage at Nissan Stadium on the final evening to perform a few fan-favorite tracks. While he was busy with both of those roles, his beloved corgi Carl, had his own busy schedule. He made an appearance in Fan Fair X at his very own meet and greet.

The line quickly hit capacity, with eager fans hoping to score a photo with the Instagram famous pup, also known as Carl the Cowboy Corgi.

“Putting his little butt to work is what we’re doing,” Green stated. “I’m excited about it.”

He even jokingly predicted that Carl’s meet and greet line would surely be longer than his own. However, he says he’s no stranger to fans wanting to get to meet his adorable companion.

“I’m used to that people come into my meet and greets now and they’re looking at my feet to see if Carl’s in there. They don’t care about me anymore.”

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The two of them kept themselves busy at CMA Fest while Green’s other dog, Carol Ann, who also happens to be Carl’s girlfriend, was back at the farm taking care of her puppies. 

Next week, Fans will finally get the chance to relive all the fun and must-see performances of one of the biggest weekends in country music as the stars of the genre take over the small screen for CMA Fest presented by SoFi, hosted by Green and Spencer.

The star-studded concert special will feature performances from Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Fetty Wap, Florida Georgia Line, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Michael McDonald, Molly Tuttle, The Red Clay Strays, Ricky Skaggs, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Shay Morgan, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore, and Zach Top.

Tune into the special Thursday, June 25 at 8/7c on ABC or stream it the next day on Hulu.

SoFi has been named the first-ever broadcast presenting sponsor and Official Bank of CMA Fest, joining the festival in a partnership centered on helping people pursue financial independence through music. As part of the collaboration, SoFi will highlight standout performances, including country icon Deana Carter and the live debut of Shaboozey’s new single, “Cowgirl.”