Tamworth’s Hats Off To Country Festival Is Back - Bigger And Better Than Ever

Amber Lawrence

Tamworth might be known for its massive January country music takeover, but July is starting to become its best kept secret.

The first lineup announcement for Hats Off To Country Festival has officially landed, and this year’s program is shaping up to be three days of nothing but country music!.

Running from July 10 - 12 across venues all over Tamworth, the festival is bringing together a mix of Golden Guitar winners, rising artists, local favourites and songwriter showcases that feel tailor made for a Tamworth crowd.

Leading the first announcement are names including Amber Lawrence, Brendan Radford, The Bushwackers, Dear Tommie, Mak & Shar and Jason Owen.

One of the biggest drawcards this year is Tamworth’s newly reimagined Bluebird Room at the Community Event Centre, which will host Radford fresh off his 2026 Golden Guitar win. It’ll also become home to Strike a Chord, a brand new showcase featuring Aleyce Simmonds, Allison Forbes, Goldheist, Roz Pappalardo and Sally-Anne Whitten.

Tamworth Country Music Coordinator Cheryl Brown says “Hats Off To Country offers a variety of incredible country music acts on a smaller scale to the well-known January festival. Tamworth becomes a hub for singer-songwriters in July and offers cooler temperatures for those who prefer travelling in winter.”

Think less sweaty January crowds, more intimate gigs, writer rounds and pub sessions where you accidentally discover your next favourite artist.

Across the weekend, venues including Wests, Diggers and The Courts will come alive with mostly free live music, while places like The Press Basement Bar, Moonshiners, The Pub and The Longyard Hotel stack their schedules with everything from bush ballads to country rock.

But that’s not all, Chris Watson and Dare 2 Dance are bringing line dancing lessons back after they became a surprise hit during January’s festival, while the CMAA Junior Academy returns from July 5 - 12, helping shape the next generation of country artists with mentors including Lyn Bowtell and Roger Corbett.

Basically, if your ideal weekend includes live music, cowboy boots, songwriter stories and aggressively wholesome energy, Tamworth has you covered.

And there will be more announcements to come.