Country music stars perform in Austin for iHeartCountry Festival

By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team
Published  May 9, 2022 1:59pm CDT
FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Some of country music's biggest stars were in Austin to perform at the iHeartCountry Festival Presented by Capital One. 

The festival was held at the recently opened Moody Center on May 7 and featured musicians like Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, Jimmie Allen, Zac Brown Brand, and a surprise appearance.

On-air country personality, and former Austinite, Bobby Bones hosted the event which was also streamed globally and broadcasted live on country music radio stations nationwide.

Musical performance highlights included:

  • Rhett opened the festival and started his set with his hit "What's Your Country Song". He also sang his new single "Slow Down Summer" as well as few other hits of his including "Die a Happy Man"
  • Underwood dressed in an outfit that was an ode to her upcoming new album and sang a medley of her hits including "Church Bells", "Good Girl", "Last Name", and "Before He Cheats"
  • Morris opened her set with "Circles Around This Town" and also sang "The Bones" and "My Church"
  • Allen made his debut at the festival singing "Down Home" and "Freedom Was A Highway"
  • Zac Brown Band singing "Homegrown", "Chicken Fried" and a cover of Rage Against The Machine's "Bulls On Parade"
  • A surprise appearance from Dierks Bentley who joined Morris and Lainey Wilson for the "We're All Country" Guitar Pull powered by RAM Trucks. Morris and Wilson performed before Bentley sang "Burning Man", "I Hold On", and "Beers On Me"
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MAY 07: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Carrie Underwood performs onstage during the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One at the new state-of-the-art venue Moody Center on May 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Dustin Lynch performs onstage during the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One at the new state-of-the-art venue Moody Center on May 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Jimmie Allen (C) performs onstage during the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One at the new state-of-the-art venue Moody Center on May 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MAY 07: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Dierks Bentley performs onstage during the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One at the new state-of-the-art venue Moody Center on May 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
ATIN, TEXAS - MAY 07: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (L-R) Aslan Freeman, Lainey Wilson, Maren Morris and Bennett Dean Lewis perform onstage during the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One at the new state-of-the-art venue Moody Center on May 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MAY 07: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Thomas Rhett performs onstage during the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One at the new state-of-the-art venue Moody Center on May 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

Other performers included Dustin Lynch, Cody Johnson, and Scotty McCreery.

Wilson and Allen also performed at the Daytime Village at iHeartCountry Festival along with Ryan Hurd, Ingrid Andress, Caroline Jones, and Connor Smith.

This was the ninth year for the festival to be held in Austin.