The iHeart Country Fest is quickly approaching and we couldn’t be more excited. As in past years, the lineup is country strong. We’re talking Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Little Big Town and lots more! We even hear there will be a BIG surprise guest (read on for more on that)!
Here’s a peak at everyone who’s performing this year.
@atxgossip Who else is going?! #iheartcountry #blakeshelton #tobykeith #littlebigtown #jakeowen #carlypearce #chaserice #coleswindell #leebrice @iheartradio
To prep for the October 30th event, we chatted with iHeart Radio’s Anne Hudson, who just celebrated 20 years with the company! She’s been involved with the festival each of the five years since it began.
For the first four years of the fest she hosted the national radio broadcast. In the fifth year, you could find her backstage headlining the company’s LiveXLive TV coverage, which she will once again be doing this year.
Here are Anne Hudson’s favorite moments from past iHeart Country Festivals and what she’s looking forward to this year.
Q: What is your favorite thing about the iHeart Country Festival?
A: Getting to see a bunch of artist perform their biggest hits back to back! It’s fast paced, fun and the production on stage is insane. With all the big screens, you feel like you’re front row no matter where you are.
Q: What have been some of your favorite performances in years past?
A: I work backstage throughout the show, so I really only get to watch on the monitors. When/ if I have a break, I’ll run out front to catch some of the show. A big stand out was when Maren Morris performed, and she belted out ‘The Middle.’ There’s a part of that song that is almost a cappella and it was insane how her vocals radiated through the Frank Erwin Center. I’ve always liked Maren and knew she was good… but, she’s like REALLY GOOD! I had the same experience with Little Big Town. When Karen Fairchild starts singing, it’s just insane how great her raw vocals are.
Q: We know it’s hard to pick a favorite for this year so, is there anyone coming this year that you haven’t seen perform live before?
A: There is a BIG surprise performer, that hasn’t been announced yet, that I can’t WAIT to see! Surprisingly, I’ve never seen Blake Shelton OR Toby Keith live so I’m excited to see them.
Q: Do you know what you’re wearing yet? Can you tell us anything about your outfit?
A: I always call my girl Stephanie Coultress at Estilo Austin. She has the best style and cutest boutique in Austin. There’s also a chance that I may also wear something from a new boutique in Austin called LoveShackFancy. And, if for some reason I don’t find anything at those shops, I have a cute dress from Retrofête that would be fun to wear.
Last, but not least, Hudson assured us that it’s going to be so fun and she can’t wait to see everyone there!
You can get ore info on the festival, see what tickets are still available and learn all about the FREE daytime village here.
Want more iHeart Radio Country Fest? Check out the highlights from 2018 and 2019!
