C2C 2027 Lineup Shows Just How Global Country Music Has Become
Country music’s global audience continues to grow, and Country to Country, better known as C2C, has become one of the clearest examples of that momentum.
The festival returns in 2027 with another lineup that reflects just how far the genre’s reach has expanded, while also introducing a few notable changes of its own.
Ashley McBryde, Riley Green and Jelly Roll will headline the three-day festival, with all three taking the top slot at C2C for the first time. They will be joined by a lineup that includes Midland, Cole Swindell, Cooper Alan, Dasha, Jackson Dean, Carter Faith, Chase Matthew, Kashus Culpepper, Laci Kaye Booth and more.
But some of the most interesting parts of the announcement have less to do with who is on the poster and more to do with what is changing around it.
Jelly Roll’s appearance will mark his first U.K. headline shows. Riley Green will return to the U.K. for the first time since his sold-out tour in 2025. For McBryde, the headline slot brings her C2C story full circle. She first appeared at the festival on the Spotlight Stage in 2018 and has steadily worked her way to the top of the bill.
That progression feels particularly fitting for a festival that has followed a similar trajectory.
C2C began as a two-day event at London’s O2 Arena in 2013, headlined by Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood. It eventually grew to three days and expanded into additional markets across the U.K. and Europe.
Now, another city is joining the map.
For the first time, C2C will take place in Manchester, joining London and Glasgow. The Manchester shows will take place at AO Arena, while additional daytime performances are planned at New Century in the city center. The move gives C2C another major U.K. market as country music’s audience continues to spread.
It is a notable evolution from even a year ago. The 2026 festival brought together established names like Keith Urban and Brooks & Dunn alongside newer artists including Zach Top, Ty Myers, Waylon Wyatt and Noeline Hofmann. The format has increasingly allowed C2C to do two things at once: bring recognizable country stars to international fans while introducing those fans to artists who could become the genre’s next major names.
CMA is leaning further into that second piece in 2027.
The Country Music Association has worked with C2C for years as part of its broader effort to develop country music internationally. For 2027, the CMA Spotlight Stage will expand into all three U.K. C2C cities for the first time. Late Night Thoughts, Colin Lynch, Chandler Walters, Benny G, Owen Riegling, Jason Scott & The High Heat, Greylan James, Lanie Gardner and Belles are among the artists slated to perform.
That stage may be one of the more interesting parts of the weekend to watch. McBryde’s path from playing the Spotlight Stage in 2018 to headlining the festival less than a decade later shows exactly what a platform like C2C can mean for artists building an international audience.
C2C takes place March 12-14, 2027, at The O2 in London, OVO Hydro in Glasgow and, for the first time, AO Arena in Manchester. The official presale begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, with general tickets going on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2. Additional daytime programming and live events are expected to be announced.
As country music continues to build audiences outside the U.S., C2C’s growth offers a clear look at what that expansion can look like: more cities, bigger stages and more opportunities for established and emerging artists to reach fans overseas.
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