Lee KernaghanIt might still be seven months away, but already the countdown is on for the 2026 edition of The Bend Classic, with the festival announcing the acts who will be headlining this year’s festivities.
Taking place at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend in South Australia across the October Long Weekend from October 2nd–4th, it’s a celebration of country music combined with on-site camping and classic motorsport across the precinct.
This year will see none other than country legend Lee Kernaghan leading the charge, with the multiple ARIA Award-winner and 30-time chart-topper excited to take part in the event.
“Country music festivals are all about big crowds, great stories and bringing people together, and The Bend Classic has all the ingredients to become something really special,” Kernaghan said.
“You’ve got the music, the camping, the atmosphere and a whole weekend built around it. I reckon this event has the potential to grow into the Tamworth of the South.”
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Kernaghan will also be joined by James Johnston, who has fast become one of Australia’s most streamed country artists thanks to tracks like RAISED LIKE THAT and SMALL TOWN.
“I’m so pumped to be heading back to South Australia for The Bend Classic to play my very first festival in the state,” Johnston enthused. “South Australian audiences are always some of the rowdiest, so it’s going to be one hell of a night.
“To combine this with my other passion of motorsport – I know we are going to have a good time.”
The announcement of The Bend Classic headliners comes following a major surge in country music popularity across the country, with Australia having become the third-largest country music market in the world behind only the United States and Canada.
Alistair MacDonald, the CEO Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, expressed his excitement about this year’s event, teasing a batch of further exciting announcements still to come.
“Having artists of the calibre of Lee Kernaghan and James Johnston headline The Bend Classic sets the tone for the entire weekend,” MacDonald said. “They represent two generations of Australian country music and bring huge audiences with them, so announcing them together is a major moment for the event and its future.”
“The Bend Classic has always been about great experiences, and this refreshed format brings together everything our fans love — country music, camping and cars — into one big weekend where people can settle in, enjoy great music and great racing, and soak up the atmosphere from morning to night,” he added.
Early-bird tickets to this year’s event, along with camping packages, are on sale now via The Bend Classic website.
The Bend Classic 2026
Lee Kernaghan
James Johnston
With more to be announced…
October 2nd-4th – Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, SA
