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3 Country Music Rising Stars To Watch at Summerfest: Max McNown, Josh Ross, Lauren Watkins

Canadian singer-songwriter Josh RossJosh Ross
78%
American singer–songwriter Lauren WatkinsLauren Watkins
72%
Max McNown Max McNown
#country music #Summerfest
John Ross, Lauren Watkins, Max McNown (from left to right)
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Ready to discover the next big thing in country music? Here are three breakout artists you can’t miss at Summerfest this year.

Summerfest 2025 is packed with country’s biggest names, but it’s the new voices that could steal the show. If you’re looking for fresh sounds and future headliners, don’t miss these three rising stars on the UScellular Connection Stage.

Max McNown Max McNown

Max McNown performs July 4 at 8:15 p.m. on the UScellular Connection Stage. With a TikTok-driven rise and his gold-certified hit A Lot More Free, McNown’s 2025 includes CMA Fest, Lollapalooza, and a new deluxe album, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), out August 18.

Canadian singer-songwriter Josh RossJosh Ross

See Josh Ross at 8:15 p.m. on the UScellular Connection Stage, July 5. Ross, recently crowned CCMA Entertainer of the Year, just released Leave Me Too and won the 2025 Juno for Country Album of the Year. He’s breaking into the U.S. with Platinum hits and a high-profile Single Again tour.

American singer–songwriter Lauren WatkinsLauren Watkins

Catch Lauren Watkins at 6:30 p.m. on the UScellular Connection Stage, July 5. Watkins, fresh off her Grand Ole Opry debut and a year of touring with American country music singer-songwriter Zach Top.Zach Top and Riley Green, is known for her neotraditional sound and honest songwriting. Her latest single, I’ll Get Through It, dropped in May.