Listen: Brooks & Dunn can't wait to return Down Under for CMC Rocks

Brooks & Dunn are heading back Down Under for the 20th anniversary of CMC Rocks, and we're in for one heck of a show.

Fresh off learning they'll receive a major honour from the CMA Awards, the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, the legendary duo admitted they're still struggling to process just how extraordinary their career has been.

"It feels surreal," Ronnie Dunn said. "The whole journey has been insane, you know? So it's hard to process."

Looking back on more than three decades together, Ronnie joked that the significance of moments like this may not fully sink in until they're "old men someday sitting on the front porch" telling stories to their grandchildren.

Even now, though, Brooks & Dunn haven't lost their sense of humour. Ronnie laughed while recalling a social media comment that compared the duo to cockroaches because they simply refuse to go away.

"One comment was like, 'You're freaking cockroaches. You can't get rid of you,'" he said, before joking that it might be time to start printing cockroach-themed merchandise.

The pair are no strangers to Australia and New Zealand, although it's been a long time since they last made the journey south. Kix Brooks revealed it's been years since their last Australian run, while both stars shared plenty of laughs about the lengthy flights involved in getting here.

Despite the travel, they're genuinely excited to be part of CMC Rocks' milestone 20th anniversary celebrations, joining one of the Southern Hemisphere's most beloved country music festivals.

For Kiwi fans planning to make the trip across the Tasman, Brooks & Dunn promise a live show built around energy, fun and decades of country hits.

"It's pretty high energy," Ronnie said when asked what first-time festival-goers can expect. He even laughed about reading a review that described Brooks & Dunn as "almost a rock band" despite being firmly rooted in country music.

Kix believes the biggest difference nowadays is how much fun they're having on stage.

"We're 35 years down the road here," he said. "It's not that we don't care. It's like we really don't feel like we've got a lot to lose at this point."

That freedom has helped create the atmosphere fans around the world have fallen in love with, and nowhere is that more obvious than when thousands of people sing every word right back to them.

Recalling a recent festival performance in London, Ronnie said he was blown away by hearing the crowd belt out every lyric. "People were singing every song, all the words to all of them. They know more words than I do," he laughed.

It's that connection with fans that continues to drive the duo after all these years. Whether it's rewarding loyal supporters who have followed them for decades or stepping onto festival stages halfway around the world, Brooks & Dunn still seem genuinely grateful that audiences continue showing up.

The good news for country fans on both sides of the Tasman? They're bringing that enthusiasm straight to CMC Rocks.

And if their warning is anything to go by, expect to lose your voice singing along.

Listen to our full interview with Brooks & Dunn below, and keep listening to iHeartCountry NZ for your chance to win a trip for you and a mate to see them headline CMC Rocks Australia.

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