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Luke Bryan shared nostalgic throwback moments with record-breaking superstar Taylor Swift.
“Are y’all ready for it?” Bryan wrote in a caption on Instagram, hours before American Idol’s Swift-themed night on Monday (April 27). He shared a clip of the two artists teaming up to perform “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” from his 2011 Tailgates & Tanlines record, during Swift’s headlining “Red Tour” in 2013. Swift, who paired high-waisted red shorts with a Grand Ole Opry t-shirt, brought Bryan out as a surprise guest on her tour stop in Nashville, Tennessee. Bryan shared a throwback photo from that performance and others ahead of Idol’s duets night last year. He also posted a photo from that duet and more “moments with Taylor throughout the years,” on Instagram.
American Idol contestants took the stage with renditions of Swift’s career-spanning eras during Monday night’s episode, including “Lover,” “cardigan,” “Fearless” and more.
American Idol airs on ABC on Monday nights from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT. It’s available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Bryan is part of the star-studded lineup of the 2026 iHeartCountry Festival. The show also includes Carly Pearce, Kane Brown, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Shaboozey, Dylan Scott, Russell Dickerson, Gretchen Wilson, Chase Matthew, Lauren Alaina and special guest George Birge. iHeartRadio's Bobby Bones is returning as the event’s host. The show will take place on May 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Tickets to the show are available on Ticketmaster.com. Fans across the country will be able to catch all the action as the 2026 iHeartCountry Festival will be broadcast live across iHeartCountry stations nationwide and the free iHeartRadio app on Saturday, May 2nd at 8pm ET/5pm PT (7pm CT).