One event that truly kicks off the summer concert season in Austin is the iHeartCountry Festival. On May 3, 2025, a beautiful boot-scootin’ Saturday night, the Moody Center packed in thousands of multi-generational country fans raising their cowboy hats and cold drinks to a memorable night of live music from start to finish. 

As always, iHeart brought out the big names, and this year’s lineup didn’t disappoint country music’s most faithful fans. Like a highlight reel featuring the latest and greatest hits of country radio, the iHeartCountry Festival 2025 captivated the crowd. 

Kicking off the evening, rising country stars like Thomas Rhett, Nate Smith, Sam Hunt, and Bailey Zimmerman all performed with high energy, passion, and a heaping dose of gratitude pouring into the fans for their ongoing support. Zimmerman reminisced about playing the outside stage at the iHeart 2024 as he enthusiastically celebrated living his dream of playing the main stage only one year later. Also owning the stage, longtime favorite country music group Rascal Flatts and popular young artists including Cole Swindell and Megan Moroney performed before a hospitable Texas audience eager to rise up from their seats and sing every word to many familiar ballads of love, loss, and country living. Legendary headliners Brooks and Dunn capped off the evening by playing a few all-time fan favorites from Neon Moon and Boot Scootin’ Boogie to a five-star patriotic performance of “Only in America,” featuring several servicemen honored on the grand stage filled with red, white and blue. 

Celebrating its tenth anniversary and formerly held at the Frank Erwin Center, the 2025 iHeartCountry Music Festival has settled into its new home at The Moody while hosted by founding father Bobby Bones with guest presenters including actor and Austin resident James Van Der Beek, in addition to Chet Hanks and Drew Arthur of the California-based duo Something Out West.  

If you missed this year’s big event, be sure to keep the iHeartCountry Music Festival on your 2026 spring radar. In the meantime,  enjoy this 2025 photo recap celebrating the best of country music and uniting a full house of fans beneath the light of the neon Moody in the live music capital of Austin, Texas! 

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Cover Photo Daniel Cavazos

Brian and Dana Maass are married and live with their dog Chester in Round Rock, Texas. When not working their day jobs, they can be found traveling, writing, capturing scenic photos, exploring the Hill Country, and serving the community. Follow them on Instagram at @Dana_Maass_Adventures and @Brian_Maass_Adventures.