NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Taylor Swift is set to return to the stage at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, with organisers confirming that the global superstar will perform at the 60th annual ceremony on Wednesday, November 18, 2026. The appearance will mark her first performance at the awards show since 2013, ending a 13-year break from one of country music’s biggest nights.
The Country Music Association and ABC announced Swift’s addition to the performance lineup on Friday, November 13. Her return is expected to be one of the headline moments of this year’s milestone ceremony, which will take place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
Swift last performed at the CMA Awards in 2013, when she delivered an acoustic version of her song “Red” alongside country and bluegrass greats Alison Krauss and Vince Gill. The collaboration remains a memorable moment in her CMA history, arriving during the period when she was beginning to move beyond her early country sound and broaden her reach into pop music.
The 2026 ceremony also carries added significance for Swift because she is nominated for Single of the Year for “I Knew It, I Knew You,” a song featured in Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5. The nomination places her back in the centre of the country music awards conversation and connects her current work with the genre that helped launch her career.
Swift’s relationship with the CMA Awards stretches back to 2006, when she first appeared at the event as a rising country singer. She won the Horizon Award in 2007 and made history in 2009 as the youngest artist to receive the Entertainer of the Year honour. She won the same top award again in 2011, building a legacy that has remained part of the ceremony’s modern history.
Her 2026 return comes as the CMA Awards celebrate their 60th anniversary. The announced performers include Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Cody Johnson, Tucker Wetmore, Tim McGraw, Zach Top and The Red Clay Strays, alongside other country music names. Lainey Wilson is set to host the ceremony.
The awards will be broadcast live on ABC and Disney+ on Wednesday, November 18, with streaming availability on Hulu the following day. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville venue that has hosted major music events and performances.
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Swift’s return is more than a high-profile booking for the CMA’s anniversary show. It is a reminder of the lasting connection between the singer and the country music community, even after her career expanded into global pop superstardom. Her early CMA milestones helped establish her as a major songwriter and performer, while her continued influence has allowed her music to reach audiences well beyond the genre’s traditional boundaries.
The decision to bring her back as a performer, rather than simply as an attendee, gives the 60th ceremony a strong nostalgia-and-now storyline. Viewers will be watching to see whether she revisits her country catalogue, performs her current nominated song, or uses the stage to signal another creative chapter. No performance song has been confirmed in the announcement, so speculation about her setlist should be treated cautiously.
For country fans, the moment also offers an opportunity to revisit the musical roots of an artist whose early success helped introduce a new generation to the genre. For Swift’s wider audience, it is a rare chance to see her return to the awards stage where some of her defining early-career achievements took place.
Sources: ABC News / Good Morning America — Taylor Swift to perform at CMAs for first time in 13 years; KATU — Taylor Swift performing at 60th annual CMA Awards; Country Now — Taylor Swift to perform at CMA Awards for first time in 13 years; Country Music Association.
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