by Christpher De la Rosa

Austin got a taste of some of country music’s biggest acts at the iHeartCountry Festival this past Saturday night, May 2, 2026, at the Moody Center. The 13th annual event, presented by Capital One and hosted by Bobby Bones, delivered high-energy performances that had the crowd on their feet all evening.

Parker McCollum kicked off the night with “What Kind of Man,” followed by “Killin’ Me,” “Handle on You” (which he co-wrote with Randy Rogers), “Big Old Fancy House,” and “Pretty Heart.” Before launching into “Solid Country Gold,” he asked the audience if they had heard of the Saxon Pub — the legendary Austin venue where he got his start in 2014. He closed his set with the heartfelt “To Be Loved by You.”

Amy Brown next introduced Chase Matthew, a former ATV and automotive mechanic who has risen rapidly in country music. Matthew engaged the crowd by promising caps and T-shirts, then launched into his newest single, “Holdin’ It Down.” He followed with “Love You Again,” paused to thank God, and tossed merch into the audience. Switching to a cap that read “Darlin’,” he performed his final song of the night — the one that reached No. 1 on the US Country Airplay chart, marking his first chart-topper. The crowd sang along enthusiastically, and Matthew remarked that he had never seen so many people know every word to one of his songs.

Bobby Bones then shared a touching story about a young patient named Annzie from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, who had received treatment for a blood disorder and a life-saving bone marrow transplant from her sister. Annzie introduced Russell Dickerson, and the crowd erupted. Dickerson took the stage with a silver electric guitar and delivered a high-energy set that included a shortened “Worth Your While,” “She Likes It,” the excellent road-trip anthem “Blue Tacoma,” “Yours” (written for his wife of over 15 years), and the dance-ready “Happen to Me,” complete with giant neon videos of him dancing on the screens.

After his set, Lunchbox joined artist Josh Ross (who had performed earlier on the daytime stage) to introduce singer-songwriter Gretchen Wilson. She opened with her classic party starter “Here for the Party,” then performed her brand-new single “Redneck Sh!t,” which had dropped just the day before on May 1. She playfully noted that the title would need to be censored with one little letter for live television. Wilson followed with “Jacked Up” and closed with her enduring crowd favorite, “Redneck Woman.”

American minister and radio personality Anne Hudson introduced Dylan Scott, whose set featured “Good Times Go by Too Fast,” “This Town’s Been Good to Us,” “What He’ll Never Have,” “Can’t Have Mine (Find You a Girl),” and “My Girl.”

Next up was Lauren Alaina, who performed “Raining Whiskey” and a cover of HARDY’s “One Beer” (which features Alaina and Devin Dawson). She then brought Chase Matthew back onstage to join her on “All My Exes Live in Texas.” Alaina closed with “Road Less Traveled,” which the crowd sang along to, before thanking her band and exiting the stage.

Bobby Bones and Eddie returned to introduce Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Kane Brown, who is set to open his own honky-tonk venue, Kane Brown’s on Broadway, in Nashville later this summer. Brown started strong with “Like I Love Country Music,” then called out Lauren Alaina — a friend since middle school — to join him on “What Ifs.” He continued with “I Can Feel It” and “Bury Me in Georgia,” joking about missing his usual “fire” (pyrotechnics) when smoke effects appeared instead. He also performed “Famous Friends” (with Chris Young), his latest single “Woman,” and closed with the Marshmello collaboration “Miles on It.”

Granger Smith and Annie Hudson came out to introduce Grammy Award winner Carly Pearce. Her set included “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” “Truck on Fire,” “What He Didn’t Do,” and “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” — a duet with Riley Green that will appear on her upcoming album.

Bobby Bones returned to introduce five-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan. Bryan delivered his hits, including “That’s My Kind of Night,” “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” and “Play It Again,” which he began a cappella. He grabbed a fan’s phone for a selfie and brought out George Birge to perform their upcoming single “Ride Ride Ride,” which is climbing the charts. Bryan wrapped up with “Knockin’ Boots,” “Country and She Knows It,” and the crowd-pleasing “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” which had everyone dancing.

Eddie, Lunchbox, and Amy introduced Shaboozey, who opened with “Last of My Kind,” followed by “Amen” (featuring Jelly Roll) and “Good News.” He mentioned it was his first country music festival. He closed with his massive hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which topped numerous charts including the Billboard Hot 100.

Finally, Bobby Bones introduced “Duckman” himself, Riley Green. Green started by using a duck call and tossing it into the audience. His set featured “Different ’Round Here,” “There Was This Girl,” and “Change My Mind.” He brought Carly Pearce back out for “Don’t Mind If I Do,” then performed “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” (a triple-platinum smash that hit close to home for many) and closed with “Worst Way.”

What a way to spend a Saturday evening in the Live Music Capital of the World.

Check out all our photos from the show at Austin101Magazine.