Dierks Bentley closed out night four of CMA Fest in style on Sunday night (June 12), performing for a wall-to-wall crowd at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium and enlisting a couple of surprise guests to help him make the night extra special.
Fans could’ve predicted that Elle King would be on hand — not only is she Bentley’s duet partner on the newly-released “Worth a Shot,” but the pair arec also co-hosting the CMA Fest 2022 television special, set to air on ABC in August. Indeed, King did step out onstage during Bentley’s set, performing not only “Worth a Shot” but also a cover of the Charlie Daniels Band‘s “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” according to a report from the Tennessean.
But the biggest surprise of the evening was a guest appearance from Billy Ray Cyrus, who hopped onstage to help Bentley recapture the spirit of ’90s country with a performance of his smash hit, “Achy Breaky Heart,” which recently celebrated its 30th birthday. Fan-captured video footage of the moment shows all the fun, plus Bentley’s attempt at some line dance-style moves to go along with the country classic.
Another cameo during the set was a surprise even to Bentley: Two fans got engaged in the front row near the end of the set, and Bentley followed up the proposal with a hard-charging rendition of his 2012 hit, “5-1-5-0,” to close out the night.
Throughout his performance, Bentley blended new releases with some of his older fan-favorites: He even opened the show with his hit debut single from 2003, “What Was I Thinkin.'”
PICTURES: See Highlights From 2022 CMA Fest, Day 2
Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Lainey Wilson and Cole Swindell, Carly Pearce and Wynonna Judd and more country stars were among the highlights of the performances at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during Day 2 of CMA Fest 2022 on Friday, June 10.