Tamworth Country Music Festival Confirmed For 2022!

Despite earlier trepidation, today Tamworth Regional Council confirms that the Tamworth Country Music Festival will proceed in January 2022, in time for the event’s 50th anniversary.

Festival organisers are preparing to welcome back visitors from across NSW and interstate, with plans to ensure the event can go ahead, regardless of restrictions that may still be in place come 14 January 2022.

Toyota Country Music Festival Manager, Barry Harley says, “We’re excited to celebrate the return of the festival, and the comeback of live music events more generally. There’s no denying that it’s been a challenging couple of years for the industry, but we have been reassured and inspired by the release of the NSW Government’s Reopening Roadmap, and we want the industry, artists, promoters, visitors, everyone to know that the Toyota Country Music Festival is on and we’re ready to celebrate.”

For 50 years, Tamworth has proudly supported Australian country music talent, and 2022 will be no exception.  In fact, the 2022 Toyota Country Music Festival will be the first major music event in 2022. Even more encouraging is the number of artists and ticketed shows already on sale including the Toyota 50th Golden Guitar Awards. 

The line-up of artists for the 10-day event features a just announced show by thirty-seven-time Golden Guitar Award winner Lee Kernaghan who joins already announced roster of multi-award-winning stars Kasey Chambers,  Troy Cassar-Daley, John Williamson, Graeme Connors, Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham, Fanny Lumsden, Adam Brand and Travis Collins who will headline separate free concerts in Toyota Park. 

Joining the line-up of ticketed shows is Darren Coggan, Melinda Schneider and Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley performing at Capitol Theatre, Ashleigh Dallas and Sara Storer & James Blundell at Tamworth Town Hall, and one of Australia’s fastest rising country stars Casey Barnes at Wests.

The Longyard Hotel’s famous ‘back room’ will feature The Bushwackers, The Viper Creek Band, The Pigs, The Hillbilly Goats, and The Wolfe Brothers. At The Pub, fans can catch Shane Nicholson and The General Waste, Catherine Britt, and Pete Denahy and The Travelling Country Band.

At Tamworth’s own Honky Tonk venue, Moonshiners, festival-goers can see the likes of Andrew Swift, Lyn Bowtell, Jayne Denham, Melody Moko and Darlinghurst, The Buckleys and many more.  

In a nod to five decades of the festival, the 50th anniversary will be celebrated in spectacular style with a concert featuring an all-star line-up held at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Conference Centre (TRECC) on Wednesday, 19 January 2022.

The 50th Anniversary Concert will be a musical journey documenting the past half-century of country music in Australia and includes some of the country’s most revered artists like John Williamson, Graeme Connors, Sara Storer, Adam Harvey, Felicity Urquhart, James Blundell and Gina Jefferies. Together with Australian country music fan favourites, Travis Collins, Fanny Lumsden, Shane Nicholson, and Amber Lawrence. 

The event will showcase the festivals evolution from its modest beginnings in 1973 into the biggest country music festival in the Southern Hemisphere today with rare video footage of the pioneers of Australian country music and respected performers Chad Morgan, The Bushwackers, Anne Kirkpatrick, David Kirkpatrick, Allan Caswell, Josh Cunningham, Dianne Lindsay, Peter Simpson, Jeff Brown, and Reg Poole also featured.   

ARIA nominated and APRA Award winner Busby Marou, have teamed up with 4 x Golden Guitar nominee Brad Cox for a doubleheader at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) on January 19.  Wests Entertainment Group will feature ARIA nominee and Golden Guitar winner Adam Harvey will perform at Blazes Show Room and Tex Dubbo, Amber Lawrence, Kirsty Lee Akers, Tania Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, and the 2019 Golden Guitar Female Artist of the Year, Beccy Cole.

West’s line-up continues with Hurricane Fall, Hayley Jensen and Christie Lamb, Melanie Dyer, Australian songwriter Michael Waugh, who Camille Trail will join, and festival funny men Kevin Bloody Wilson and Darren Carr.

Aleyce Simmonds will perform at the Tamworth Hotel on January 16, while the Tamworth Town Hall will feature Amber Lawrence and her kids show, The Kids Gone Country plus Brad Butcher and the Weeping Willows. 

The Tamworth Country Music Festival is recognised as the biggest music festival in Australia and the biggest country music festival in the Southern Hemisphere.  Following its 1972 debut, the TCMF is a cornerstone summer celebration that sees over 300,000 people converge on Tamworth in North West NSW.  

Held over ten days in January, the Festival boasts over 700 artists and 2800 shows, including the iconic Country Music Awards of Australia, commonly known as the Toyota Golden Guitar Awards, which are the only industry affiliated country music awards in Australia and the biggest celebration of Australian country music talent.  

The 50th Tamworth Country Music Festival will be held from Friday, 14 to Sunday, January 23, 2022, and the Toyota 50th Golden Guitar Awards will be held on Saturday, January 22, 2022.   

To purchase tickets, head to the Festival website www.tcmf.com.au and stay up to date on the official Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth via TCMF Facebook and TCMF Instagram. 

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Image: Supplied