Dierks Bentley has a lot to look forward to when "CMA Fest" airs on ABC on Aug. 3.
In addition to his own solo set, Bentley is also co-hosting the televised special -- which was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, during the annual four-day CMA Fest back in June -- with his "Worth a Shot" duet partner, Elle King.
Long before he was one of the headliners at Nissan Stadium, Bentley was an up-and-coming artist who had to work his way to the stadium level. He said putting in the work made the reward all the more worth it.
MORE: Dierks Bentley surprises his kids with the Stanley Cup -- and their response is adorable"You really can count your career based on how many years you've had a chance to be part of CMA Fest," Bentley said while promoting the "CMA Fest" TV special. "I remember my first time playing the main stage, you went on at noon and you worked your way up to one of the later slots and eventually got to headline one of the nights. So it's a really big deal for us as artists, and obviously for fans too."
Among the artists Bentley said he's looking forward to watching perform are fellow superstars Luke Combs, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban.
He said he's also excited to watch the rising stars shine.
"It's always great seeing my friends and contemporaries and some of the guys who've been doing it for a bit longer. But I get excited about seeing an artist their very first time on the main stage," he said. "I'm sure this is Lainey Wilson's first time to be on that stage in front of that many people. Parker McCollum [is] also a brand new artist who's on fire."
"...The first time back after three years of being off due to the pandemic is huge," he added, referring to the forced hiatus that impacted the music festival starting in 2020. "The energy is going to be crazy."
"CMA Fest" airs on ABC on Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. ET.