More Artists Announced For The 2023 Tamworth Country Music Festival

With less than three months until the nation’s largest country music celebration, organisers of the 2023 Toyota Country Music Festival have announced the second line-up of artists for the 51st event.

Joining the 2023 line up is Australian country music young guns, James Johnston, who’ll be bringing his Raised Like That Live concert with Kaylee Bell to the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre on 18 January, as well as 2022 Toyota Star Maker winner Max Jackson, who’ll also be performing on 18 January at Moonshiner’s Honky Tonk Bar.

Aussie rocker, Ian Moss, will be at the Longyard Hotel on January 19 and country music great and 14-time Golden Guitar winner Graeme Connors will be performing at Town Hall on 20 January, while award-winning artist Luke O’Shea will be performing a whole swag of shows at the Tamworth Services Club and the DAG Sheep Station.

Toyota Country Music Festival Manager, Barry Harley, says it’s very exciting to welcome a fantastic line up of experienced and up-and-coming artists to Tamworth in 2023.

“From some of Australia’s biggest country artists to the brightest up and coming stars, the 2023 Toyota Country Music Festival certainly has it all,” said Harley. “We’re excited to welcome back a fantastic line up of artists as the festival returns to its traditional January timeslot, for what will be one huge summer celebration.”

Other artists taking to the stage in January will be two-time Golden Guitar winner and Tamworth local Aleyce Simmonds, who will be joined by special guests The Spurs, multi-award winning artist Christie Lamb, 2021 New Talent of the Year Winner, Melody Moko, award-winning artist Kelly Brouhaha, 2022 Toyota Star Maker finalist Loren Ryan, Michael Carpenter & The Banks Brothers, former X-Factor contestant Jason Owen, blues artist Sam Buckley, regular festival funny man Darren Carr, Copperline, Sons of Atticus, the ever-popular 8 Ball Aitken, Blake Saban, Americana singer Niksta, Rob Imeson, Frecko, Paul Costa, Doug Bruce and the Tailgaters, retro groover Barry Morgan, Rex  Miller, Charlie and Jenson, The April Family, Michelle Little and The Somebody Like You Show with Craig Woodward.

They follow an already star-studded list of country music performers for the 51st Festival, including  the most decorated Golden Guitar winner of all time Troy Cassar-Daley, multi award-winning artist Lee Kernaghan, ARIA Hall of Fame Inductee Kasey Chambers, country music legend John Williamson, ARIA nominated and Golden Guitar winners The Wolfe Brothers, country rocker Casey Barnes, 2022 Golden Guitar winner and ARIA nominated Adam Harvey, 2022 Roll of Renown inductee Beccy Cole, top 2022 Golden Guitar winner Shane Nicholson, the unique duo of Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham, 2022 Female Artist of the Year and Tamworth local, Ashleigh Dallas, and festival favourite Fanny Lumsden.

Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer Vin Naidoo said Toyota was proud to support such an incredible line-up of talented artists on next year’s program.

“With the Toyota Country Music Festival back in its traditional January timeslot, the line-up next year will be a fantastic way to bring in the new year, with an extraordinary array of artists set to provide plenty of entertainment for country music fans,” Naidoo said.

The 2023 Toyota Country Music Festival will officially kick off with the Opening Concert on 13 January in Toyota Park, with the city’s largest venue hosting a whole swag of free concerts across the 10-days, including A Girl’s Night Out on Saturday, 14 January, the Toyota Star Maker Grand Final on Sunday, 15th, Americana in the Park on 16 January, Country Rocks the Park on Tuesday, 17th, the Back to the Bush Spectacular on 18 January, KIX will take over the Park on 19 January. And there’ll be a Friday Night Bash on 20 January, plus a Blast of Blues on Saturday, 21st, and the 2023 Toyota Busking Championships on Sunday, 22 January.

Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the 51st edition of the Tamworth Country Music Festival is shaping up to be a blockbuster event.

“It’s fantastic to see so many iconic Australian artists on the Tamworth Country Music Festival line-up, from John Williamson and Fanny Lumsden to Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley, making this an unmissable event for 2023,” said Franklin. “The family-friendly event attracts more than 55,000 visitors to Tamworth each year providing a significant boost to the visitor economy in the New England region.”  

Festival Manager, Barry Harley added, “the 2023 Toyota Country Music Festival will be jam-packed with entertainment, with free concerts in Toyota Park every night, as well as the throughout the festival precinct and local venues, plus dozens of ticketed shows. The festival’s pinnacle event will be country music’s night of nights, the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards, which will be held on Saturday, 21 January.”

To purchase tickets to the 2023 Golden Guitar Awards and artist shows, head to the Toyota Country Music Festival website.

The Tamworth County Music Festival is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.