Lainey Wilson fulfilled a “childhood dream” when she met fellow Louisiana-born country star Tim McGraw, who gave her a full-circle gift backstage.
The two artists teamed up on a surprise collaboration during the Country Music Association’s CMA Fest over the weekend in Nashville, Tennessee.
Lainey shared a look at the moment she met the 2026 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee on Instagram on Tuesday. “We’re going to meet Tim McGraw,” Lainey said as she walked on stage during sound check. “This is my childhood dream right here. He don’t understand how much of an influence he is to me. I made up dance routines to every song he ever had, and I might show him.”
“I finally found out about your letter!” said when he met Lainey. The Whirlwind superstar wrote a letter when she was 18 years old. That letter appeared on display in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, when the Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails exhibit opened in July 2025. Lainey read the letter aloud in a Netflix documentary that premiered this spring, Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool.
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Tim McGraw and Lainey Wilson Bring the House Down With Surprise Duet of a Country Classic at CMA Fest 2026
One of the biggest moments of CMA Fest 2026 came when Tim McGraw welcomed Lainey Wilson back to the stage for a surprise performance of his signature hit, “I Like It, I Love It.” As the familiar opening notes rang through Nissan Stadium, the crowd erupted, with thousands of fans immediately singing along to one of country music’s most beloved anthems. The duet quickly became one of the night’s most talked-about highlights.
For Wilson, the performance carried even greater meaning. Long before becoming one of country music’s biggest stars, she had dreamed of sharing the stage with McGraw, whom she has often described as one of her earliest inspirations. Their collaboration at CMA Fest felt like a full-circle moment, blending a country legend with one of the genre’s brightest new voices. Fans praised the chemistry between the two artists, with many calling it a symbolic passing of the torch between generations of country music.
Videos of the performance quickly spread across social media, where fans described it as one of the standout moments of the televised CMA Fest special. Comments such as “This is the duet we didn’t know we needed,” “Goosebumps from the first chorus,” and “Country music at its finest” flooded online platforms as viewers relived the unforgettable collaboration. For many, the performance wasn’t just another festival duet—it was one of the defining memories of CMA Fest 2026.