Downtown Nashville does a lot of things well, but “understated” isn’t one of them — and MCA Presents: Live From Skydeck leaned all the way into that this weekend. The annual celebration of country music’s past, present, and very promising future returned with two days of sold-out sets, surprise appearances, and just enough Nashville chaos to keep things interesting.

Headlining the buzz: Little Big Town rolled into their sold-out set with new music from their forthcoming album, It’s A Dying Art, due August 28. The four-part harmony machine gave Skydeck the first live taste of the record, and if the crowd reaction was any indication, this next chapter is going to land hard. Fans can pre-order and pre-save the album now here: https://littlebigtown.lnk.to/ItsADyingArt

Right behind them in the “must-see” column was Wyatt Flores, fresh off the announcement of his upcoming album Scared of Heights. The Oklahoma-born songwriter pulled one of the largest crowds of the weekend, cementing his status as one of the most talked-about new voices in country music. If you’ve been sleeping on Flores, this is your official wake-up call.

Then came the moment nobody saw coming. Mid-set, Lucille Records artist Lamont Landers was surprised with a video message from Questlove personally inviting him to make his Grand Ole Opry debut. The gesture carries extra weight — Questlove was the one who first amplified Landers online, a chain reaction that eventually connected him with GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb and led to his Lucille Records signing. From TikTok clip to the Opry stage is quite a plot line, and Landers earned every step of it.

Country icon Deana Carter also brought the house down with a set that reminded everyone exactly why her catalog has shaped multiple generations of country songwriters. Additional performances came from Travis Denning, Presley Barker, Landon Smith, Rachael Fahim, Dalton Davis, Kinsley, Jacob Hackworth, Madden Metcalf, Blake Proehl, DJ DEEROCK and more — a lineup that neatly captured the range of talent currently living under the MCA umbrella.

Saturday kicked off with one of the weekend’s most buzzed-about experiences: Miranda Lambert’s Crisco Disco Drag Brunch, a genre-blurring, sequin-drenched celebration built around Lambert’s latest creative era. Drag performers, surprise guests, and a very enthusiastic morning crowd made it clear this was not your average brunch.

The whole weekend was hosted by Katie Atkin of the Girls In Low Places podcast, who steered artist interviews, fan Q&As, and livestream segments broadcast nationally through Universal Music Live’s Twitch channel — powered by °1824, UMG’s in-house creative division. Partners including Upward, Cornerstone Building Brands, Justin Boots, Victrola, and Mountain Dew brought the on-site activations to life.

As one of MCA’s signature fan-facing events, Live From Skydeck continues to double as a snapshot of where country music is headed — and this year’s snapshot looks pretty stacked. Mark your calendars for August 28, keep an eye on Wyatt Flores, and don’t be surprised when Lamont Landers walks onto the Opry stage like he’s been waiting his whole life for it. Because, well, he has.