WATCH: Miranda Lambert Delivers Thrilling CMA Fest Performances Alongside Elle King, Avril Lavigne, & Leon Bridges

The country star was joined on stage by three surprise special guests.

By

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

July 19, 2023

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8:48 pm

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Miranda Lambert, Elle King, Avril Lavigne, Leon Bridges; Photos by Andrew Wendowski

14-time CMA Awards winner, Miranda Lambert brought the star power to the stage during her electrifying set at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest. 

In addition to treating fans to performances of some of her biggest hits, Lambert also joined forces with three surprise special guests. 

Elle King took a break from her co-hosting duties to join Lambert for a performance of their chart-topping duet, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).” The performance added to the party vibes of the festival and had fans singing along around the entire stadium. 

Miranda Lambert, Elle King; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Miranda Lambert, Elle King; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
YouTube video

Just days after releasing their buzzed-about new duet, Lambert and Leon Bridges shared the stage for a mesmerizing performance of their heartfelt ballad, “If You Were Mine.” Fans watched in awe as Lambert’s Texas twang flawlessly blended with Bridges’ soulful vocals as they sang, “I’d make sure your stars are shining/ Sure as the Frio’s winding/ I’d bottle you up like lightning/ I’d rope the moon for you/ A million times/ That’s what I’d do/ If you were mine.”      

Miranda Lambert, Leon Bridges; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Miranda Lambert, Leon Bridges; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
YouTube video

Capping off the surprises during Lambert’s set was special guest Avril Lavigne. The pop/punk princess joined the country superstar for performances of “Kerosene” and “Sk8er Boi,” sending Nissan Stadium into an absolute frenzy. 

Miranda Lambert, Avril Lavigne; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Miranda Lambert, Avril Lavigne; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
YouTube video

Lambert is no stranger to CMA Fest. In fact, she’s been attending the festival for years, even before she moved to Nashville to chase her dreams. 

“We used to come to CMA Fest as a family vacation, to get as close as we could to the artists I admired,” Lambert previously Music Mayhem. “It was so inspiring to me as a young girl chasing this dream, and it’s still surreal to think about going from those trips to playing Nissan Stadium now.”

Miranda Lambert; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Miranda Lambert; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

The three-hour CMA Fest special was hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King, and Lainey Wilson and aired on ABC on Wednesday, July 19. 

Dubbed “the music event of summer,” the special featured 30+ performances and surprise collaborations from some of Country music’s hottest stars, including Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Leon Bridges, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Avril Lavigne, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Darius Rucker, Tanya Tucker, Keith Urban, and Lainey Wilson.  

CMA Fest marked its 50th Anniversary with a record-breaking celebration in Nashville, June 8 through June 11. 

The four-day event hosted an estimated daily attendance of over 90,000, a 12% increase from 2022, according to the Country Music Association. Additionally, the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium saw 10% growth from 2022.

Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Elle King.; Photo by ABC/Robby Klein
Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Elle King.; Photo by ABC/Robby Klein

The festival also hosted fans from all 50 states as well as a record-breaking 51 countries.

“What a weekend! As we’ve spent the past year reflecting on this milestone celebration, one theme has persisted—the incredible connection between Country Music fans and the artists,” Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, shared in a statement. “It’s magical because it still matters after all these years. From first-timers to legends, so many artists started as fans—some as far back as Fan Fair. Almost every artist who performs during the festival has had their own experience as a fan, so for many of them, taking the stage at CMA Fest is a full-circle moment. We only get the chance to celebrate our 50th anniversary once, and to do so in such an impactful way has meant the world to us. Thank you, Country Music!”   

More than 300 acts took part in CMA Fest this year, including performances at the Chevy Riverfront Stage, Dr Pepper Amp Stage, Chevy Vibes Stage, Maui Jim Reverb Stage and the Hard Rock Stage as well at Fan Fair X inside Music City Center.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.