Scotty McCreery Delivers Emotional “Five More Minutes” Performance for 70,000 Fans at CMA Fest

Scotty McCreery brought one of his most personal songs to an enormous audience at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, performing “Five More Minutes” for more than 70,000 country music fans during the 52nd anniversary of CMA Fest.

The 31-year-old country star took the stage on the B-stage positioned in the middle of the stadium, stripping the performance down to its simplest form. Dressed in a royal blue button-up shirt and jeans, McCreery stood alone with an acoustic guitar, putting the focus squarely on his voice and the emotional lyrics of the song.

As he gently strummed the guitar, McCreery’s distinctive baritone carried throughout the packed stadium. Fans swayed, sang along and responded to every line, creating an intimate atmosphere despite the enormous crowd.

The stripped-down setting also gave McCreery an opportunity to highlight the vocal strength and emotional weight that have made “Five More Minutes” one of his most recognizable songs.

McCreery Trades the Full Band for an Acoustic Guitar

Before taking the stage, McCreery spoke about the unusual challenge of performing such a personal song in front of a stadium-sized audience.

“I get to play it and instead of just me and the whole band like we do every night, it’s just going to be me and my guitar. So that’ll be cool. I mean, you typically do that at a writer’s round with 200 people, not 70,000 people,” he explained ahead of the performance.

That intimate approach was especially fitting for “Five More Minutes,” a song built around appreciating the moments and people that matter most.

The track became McCreery’s first No. 1 single in 2018. He co-wrote the song with Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell, and it was included on his fourth studio album, Seasons Change.

“It’s Been a Little While Since We Got to Play the Stadium”

McCreery also shared his excitement about returning to CMA Fest and performing inside Nissan Stadium.

“It feels so good. I always love coming out here to CMA Fest. It’s just one of the best, if not the best events of the year, country music fans from all over. It’s been a little while since we got to play the stadium, so being here tonight is special, and we have had this circled on the calendar for a while.”

For McCreery, the appearance marked a return to one of country music’s biggest annual celebrations, with fans traveling from across the country to Nashville for the festival.

2025 CMA Fest Brings Country Music’s Biggest Names Together

Presented by SoFi and billed as “The Music Event of Summer,” the 2025 CMA Fest featured more than 30 performances from some of country music’s biggest stars.

The lineup included Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Jordan Davis, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Ashley McBryde, Rascal Flatts, The Red Clay Strays, Dylan Scott, Zach Top, Keith Urban and many others.

The three-hour television special also featured a series of high-profile collaborations.

Brooks & Dunn joined Lainey Wilson for “Play Something Country” and teamed up with Marcus King for “Rock My World [Little Country Girl].” Dierks Bentley performed with Zach Top on “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” as well as a “Mountain Music” medley.

Cody Johnson and Carín León performed “She Hurts Like Tequila,” while Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll teamed up for “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” Jason Aldean and Travis Tritt joined forces on “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” and Blake Shelton performed “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins.

Bailey Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug also brought their new duet “All The Way” to the CMA Fest stage.

When and Where to Watch the 2025 CMA Fest Special

The 2025 CMA Fest special was filmed at Nissan Stadium during Music City’s four-day festival, which ran from Thursday, June 5, through Sunday, June 8.

The 2025 event marked the 19th consecutive year that the Country Music Association produced a summer concert television special, although the broadcast was also described as the 22nd consecutive year of CMA-produced summer concert TV specials.

The production was executive produced and written by Robert Deaton and directed by Alan Carter.

The 2025 CMA Fest television special aired Thursday, June 26, at 8/7c on ABC. It became available to watch on demand through Hulu on Friday, June 27.

Amid a lineup packed with major collaborations and performances, McCreery’s acoustic rendition of “Five More Minutes” offered a quieter moment. Standing alone with his guitar before a crowd of more than 70,000, he allowed the song’s lyrics and his unmistakable baritone to carry the performance.