Visitors from all over Australia have descended on northeast NSW for the Tamworth Country Music Festival, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to walk down the city's main street during the event.

The 10-day non-gated festival is an annual celebration that brings together country music artists and fans from all over the world. This unique community and stakeholder event principally coordinated by Tamworth Regional Council, is expected to inject millions of dollars into the regional visitor economy.

The 2025 festival featured a line-up of more than 700 artists, featuring some of Australia’s most celebrated names in country music including; Lee Kernaghan OAM, John Williamson, Troy Cassar-Daley, Graeme Connors, Adam Harvey, Beccy Cole, Colin Buchanan, James Johnston, Amber Lawrence, Aleyce Simmonds, Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham, Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley, Fanny Lumsden, Shane Nicholson, Tania Kernaghan and Jason Owen, Travis Collins, Kasey Chambers, Ashleigh Dallas, Max Jackson and Andrew Swift, just to name a few.

More than 450 buskers have also registered to be a part of the largest and longest running country music festival in the southern hemisphere.

Hundreds of camp spots have been booked at Riverside Camp Grounds and accommodation is booking out right across the region. This year there has been an uptake of Airbnb and homestays as more locals open their homes to artists and visitors.

The festival officially launched during the Opening Concert at Toyota Park. Compered by Max Jackson, the concert featured a range of 2024 Golden Guitar Winners, including Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham, Duncan Toombs, Sara Storer and Wicker Suite. 2024 Toyota Star Maker Wade Forster is also amongst the line-up, along with Toyota Busking Champions Robbi & Ben, Golden Gig, sponsored by Macca’s Winner Maia Fletcher, Australian Idol finalist and Golden Guitar Nominee Denvah and CMAA Senior Academy Students.

Festival Manager Barry Harley said: “Pre-festival ticket sales have been strong, indicating the event will be just as successful - if not more - as 2024, which reached pre-COVID-19 attendance levels.” Mr Harley says.

2024 saw country music feature heavily in popular culture worldwide, helping boost excitement for Tamworth’s biggest event. The tagline ‘Country’s Always Been Cool In Tamworth’ was established, reinforcing the city's reputation as the country music capital of the nation.

Festival Ambassador Max Jackson said: “My role as ambassador has really run over a time where we are seeing a huge boom of country music globally and especially in Australia too. It’s going to be so exciting to see more and more people flock to Tamworth to experience the heart of Australian country music.”

Every year, the festival features something new and unique. On January 21, Australia’s favourite children’s group ‘The Wiggles’ will perform at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), while American Rock artist Suzi Quatro will bring the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) to life on January 22.

Away from the music, AELEC will host the 2025 Xtreme Bulls & Xtreme Broncs Australia on January 18 and the 2025 ABCRA National Finals Rodeo from January 23-25.

Other major events include the Toyota Star Maker Grand Final on Sunday, January 19, The Golden Gig, Sponsored by Macca’s young talent competition, which runs daily on the Macca’s stage, the 2025 Toyota 53rd Golden Guitar Awards on Saturday, January 25 and The 2025 Toyota Best of the Buskers on Sunday, January 26.

Tamworth Country Music Festival is supported proudly by Destination NSW. Learn more here.