The first nightly concert of CMA Fest 2026 takes over Nashville's Nissan Stadium Thursday, with Jason Aldean set to go on at 11:30 p.m. CT as the headliner.

More than 20 years into his career and hot on the heels of his new Songs About Us album, you don't have to worry about the superstar going anywhere — unless you want him to, that is.

"If it ever gets to a point where I don't wanna [make records or tour] or people just kinda move on," he says, trailing off as he contemplates the possibilities. "I mean, I also know that every artist kinda has a shelf life, and at some point people are gonna move on and we're gonna kinda phase out probably."

"And when that happens, then we'll reevaluate," he continues. "My goal is to keep making music that is relevant that I think is cool and hopefully people wanna hear."

The Georgia native looks to King George as a role model.

"I look at guys like George Strait who've been around forever," Jason says. "If he dropped a new album tomorrow, I would be all over that thing going to listen to it. So, that's the goal."

"I've always said I think the fans will tell you when it's time to take a break or back off or do something else. But hopefully we’ll be able to tour for the rest of my life on these songs and this career that we've built," he adds.

Night one at Nissan Stadium kicks off with Caylee Hammack singing the national anthem at 7:45, with Rhett Akins, Tucker Wetmore, Ella Langley, Deana Carter and Gretchen Wilson set to play before Jason goes on.

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