CMA Festival is back for 2022, and there are some great pictures to prove it. Downtown Nashville was filled with stages singing country music on Thursday (June 9), and as always the day was capped with some epic performances at Nissan Stadium.

Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown Band and more closed Day 1 of CMA Fest. Highlights of these performances and more will be aired later this summer during ABC's annual festival recap show.

As always, there were a few surprises. When Darius Rucker joined ZBB, fans went wild. The same was true for Urban when he asked for all the lights in the stadium to be turned off.

CMA Fest 2022 - Day 1
Getty Images
loading...

Over on the Chevy Riverfront Stage, a lineup of stars like LoCash, Lindsay Ell and Hardy kept fans entertained. The daytime show would eventually give way to shows at Spotify House. That's where Brantley Gilbert took the stage and brought out Jelly Roll to reveal they've got a song together coming later this month.

See photos from the first day of CMA Fest below and keep returning to Taste of Country for even more coverage of the annual event. Also, find Taste of Country on Instagram for live shots from downtown Nashville, courtesy of Adison Haager.

2022 CMA Fest, Day 1: Keith Urban, Jason Aldean + More!

The first CMA Fest in three years began with outdoor shows across Nashville and the traditional opening night at Nissan Stadium. Enjoy pictures from the stadium show, which featured artists like Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown, Brittney Spencer and more.

More From TheBoot