A legendary Nashville institution is celebrating Canadian country music.
Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry has unveiled a grand celebration for Oct. 29 titled “Grand Ole Opry: Celebrating 50 Years of the CCMA.” The event will shine a light on the Canadian Country Music Association. The special broadcast will gather Canadian artists from different generations, highlighting those who have put the Canadian country scene on the map and the others who are carrying it into the future and will air on iHeartRadio on Nov. 6.
This past weekend (Sept. 19), singer Jess Moskaluke was brought to tears upon being surprised with an invitation to make her Opry debut while at the CCMAs, a performance that is now known to be part of the 50th anniversary celebration.
Joining Moskaluke on the lineup are Canadian singers Terri Clark, who is among the select list of Opry members, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Gord Bamford, Paul Brandt, Tami Neilson, Tenille Arts and Brett Kissel, who was honoured with the Gary Slaight Humanitarian Award at this year’s CCMA Awards.
The reveal follows numerous crossovers between both institutions, as established country singer Kalsey Kulyk was also recently invited to make her Opry debut in November while performing at the CCMAs Legends Showcase, receiving the news via a surprise video message from American country hitmaker Lainey Wilson. This year’s CCMA Awards broadcast also featured Stella Lefty’s recent Opry debut, where she performed “Boston,” her chartbreaking track that has held steady at No. 2 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 for multiple weeks. The performance is also set to be included in the anniversary broadcast.
The CCMA has set up a number of recent international initiatives to spotlight Canadian artists in other parts of the world. In August, the non-profit unveiled the inaugural Canada-Australia Country Music Exchange, a new program and pilot project to introduce Canadian and Australian country musicians into each other’s markets.
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Riley Green to Headline 2026 Grey Cup Halftime Show in Calgary
Riley Green is taking the stage at Canada’s football championship.
The Canadian Football League (CFL) unveiled today (Sept. 24) that American country star Riley Green will headline the Grey Cup Halftime Show, which takes place at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium on Nov. 15. Fresh off the release of his album That’s Just Me last Friday (Sept. 18), the country hitmaker joins a list of past headliners including mgk, Jonas Brothers and Green Day, who have taken the stage during the Canadian championship game.
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“I’m excited to finally get to experience a Grey Cup and be part of the energy surrounding it. Getting to perform at halftime in front of that crowd is going to be a hell of a time, and a pretty special way to wrap up what’s been a really wild year!” Green says.
Last year, the choice of mgk caused some controversy for the CFL as many thought the halftime should be headlined by a Canadian artist. With trade wars intensifying between Canada and the U.S., those criticisms will likely persist. However, Green fits a hot moment for country in the Canadian market.
The hitmaker has topped the Billboard Canada Country chart on four occasions with tracks like “There Was This Girl” (2018), “Half of Me” with Thomas Rhett (2022), “Worst Way” and the Ella Langley-assisted “Don’t Mind If I Do” (2025). Langley has since hit No. 1 with her mega hit “Choosin’ Texas,” which is now the third-longest No. 1 in Billboard Canadian Hot 100 history, highlighting an upward trend in country music in Canada which made Green a fitting choice for this year’s halftime performance.
The pre-game festivities, meanwhile, are full of Canadian spirit, with Halifax-born singer Sarah McLachlan set to perform the national anthem before kickoff. McLachlan recently made a high-profile appearance at pop star Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival in August, where she performed her own hits “Building a Mystery” and “Angel” with Rodrigo, the latter serving as a tribute to the late Dolly Parton. Canadian music legends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo will give a special guest performance, and James Barker Band will play the kickoff concert before the game, adding to their streak of major Canadian appearances this year.
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