Kelsea Ballerini talks about last-minute invitation to Noah Kahan to duet at CMA Fest 2025

Kelsea Ballerini performed at the CMA Fest 2025 at the Nissan Stadium Main Stage on June 6, 2025. Ballerini was scheduled to perform by herself, but she surprised the fans by bringing Stick Season singer, Noah Kahan, on stage. The CMA Fest is an annual event that was started in 1972 and is hosted every June to celebrate country music.

In an interview with People, Kelsea Ballerini shared how far she and Noah Kahan had come, from collaborating on songs to becoming "dear friends." In Ballerini's words:

"I adore Noah... I got to know him as an artist and a collaborator, but now we're dear friends and I just can't say enough about the human being that he is. He's a good human."

After Kelsea invited Kahan on stage, they belted out their duet, Cowboys Cry Too, and Ballerini insisted they sing Stick Season as well. Read on to know how Kelsea managed to convince Noah Kahan to join her on stage for the CMA Fest 2025.

Kelsea Ballerini opens up about how she invited Noah Kahan to join her for CMA Fest 2025

In the interview with People, Kelsea Ballerini mentioned how inviting Noah Kahan was a last-minute decision that she made. She managed to convince the Everywhere, Everything singer by texting him a few days before the music festival. Ballerini recalled:

"I was like, 'I'm sure the answer is you want to be a hermit right now, but just in case, do you want to come play CMA Fest?' His response? 'I've never done CMA Fest. I’ve never played a stadium.' I was like, 'Didn't you headline Fenway?' And he said, 'Yeah, but a proper football stadium.'"

Noah Kahan decided to join the Peter Pan singer at the eleventh hour. However, Kelsea's set at the CMA Fest had to be wrapped up early due to bad weather. However, this did not stop the singer from performing Stick Season with her buddy, Noah. She said:

"You came all the way down here with your friends and your family... We have to do ‘Stick Season.'"

Kelsey had more good things to say about the Hurt Somebody singer. She added:

"Noah] is just a joy to be on stage with... He has that 'I’m just happy to be here' mentality, which I love."

However, this is not the first time Kelsea Ballerini has praised Noah Kahan. Previously, when the two released Cowboys Cry Too, Ballerini wrote an appreciation post on social media. She said:

"Thank you @noahkahanmusic for adding your uninhibited perspective and songwriting brilliance into this song... I couldn’t be more proud to put this music and message out alongside such a lovely artist and friend."

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Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan's friendship began simply as collaborators on a song. Over time, though, their mutual admiration and creative synergy has transformed into a beautiful bond, both onstage and offstage.

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