Post Malone opened his headlining set with the roar of a motor before launching into a rendition of Craig Morgan’s “International Harvester.” After taking the stage with the rural anthem, Malone, decked out in head-to-toe denim, set the tone by asking the thousands gathered at the windy polo fields, “Who’s fucking thirsty this evening, ladies and gentlemen?”
The star, who made his country debut at the California fest in 2024, proceeded to play a medley of his hits and covers that had the crowd grooving. Malone delivered some of his massive pop tracks, including “White Iverson,” “Circles” (his “favorite shape”) and “Sunflower,” and also used the opportunity to showcase his Nashville-style pivot and love for nostalgic country classics.
Of course, Malone delivered “What Don’t Belong to Me” and “Wrong Ones” from his first country album F-1 Trillion, and its chart-topping track, “I Had Some Help,” which saw Shaboozey pop out for a quick cameo to join in for the chorus. The singer weaved in plenty of country covers, too: George Strait’s “Give It Away”; “I Swear” by John Michael Montgomery; and Garth Brooks’ “Rodeo.” At one point, he turned the lights down low and turned up the pyro for “Rockstar,” dropping to his hands for a set of pushups at the end.
While many in the crowd were hoping for Morgan Wallen to make an appearance, Malone brought out a pair of country traditionalists in Jake Worthington and Braxton Keith as his guests of the night. Worthington sang Strait’s “Give It Away”; Keith played his own song, “Cozy.” There was even some good old-fashioned product placement of Malone’s Posty-branded Bud Light cans, which he enthusiastically crushed against his head.
The singer wrapped his set with another patriotic number, closing with a cover of Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”
Malone, who broke through with his rap debut track, “White Iverson,” in 2015, hinted at a country fandom throughout the beginning of his career, covering classic country songs and mainstream hits. Among them: Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song),” Hank Williams’ “There’s a Tear in My Beer,” and Sturgill Simpson’s “You Can Have the Crown.” He also recorded a rendition of Hootie & the Blowfish’s country-adjacent “Only Wanna Be With You” for a Pokémon tribute (the band also performed at this year’s fest) and joined Billy Strings onstage to deliver a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Cocaine Blues” in 2022.
In 2024, “I Had Some Help,” his hit collab with Wallen, spent five straight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 (finally unseated by Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please”) and became the fastest song to reach Number One on the Country Airplay chart since Garth Brooks’ 2007 song “More Than a Memory.” Malone followed “I Had Some Help” with another blockbuster collab — “Pour Me a Drink” with Blake Shelton — and both songs featured on Malone’s sixth album, F-1 Trillion, his third LP to top the Billboard 200.
Before hitting the halfway mark of 2024, he joined Beyoncé on “Levii’s Jeans,” off her Grammy-winning country album, Cowboy Carter, and appeared at Beyoncé’s historic NFL Christmas halftime show for a live debut of the single.
He made his headlining debut at 2025 Coachella, performing his biggest hits throughout his career so far and bringing out country star Jelly Roll and Ed Sheeran for weekend two. That same month, Malone kicked off the aptly titled “Big Ass Stadium Tour” in Salt Lake City, Utah, and wrapped the cross-country trek in San Francisco back in July. Part 2 of the trek kicked off in Fort Lauderdale on April 10 and will wrap in Austin this October.
