Troy Cassar-Daley, Fanny Lumsden, Dylan Wright & More Locked In For Tamworth CMF First Artist Announcement

Australia’s largest and longest-running music festival, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, is back in early 2026. This week, the campaign for the iconic event begins with a star-studded first artist announcement.

Featuring a multi-generational line-up of Australian country music royalty, the stacked first artist announcement sports the likes of Troy Cassar-Daley, Fanny Lumsden, Dylan Wright, Max Jackson, Lee Kernaghan, Beccy Cole, Andrew Swift, Amber Lawrence, John Williamson, Catherine Britt, Adam Harvey, and Jayne Denham.

Additional artists include Ashleigh Dallas, Jake Davey, Lyn Bowtell, Luke O’Shea, Brooke McClymont & Adam Eckersley, Felicity Kircher, Darren Coggan, Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham, Jenny Mitchell, The Wolfe Brothers, Melody Moko, Travis Collins, Melinda Schneider, The Wolfe Brothers, Tania Kernaghan & Jason Owen, The Bushwackers, Murphy's Pigs, Shane Nicholson, Sunday Lemonade, and Zac & George.

In addition to the acts mentioned above, the Tamworth Country Music Festival will host the Australian live quiz show, RocKwiz, for the first time as it presents RocKwiz Salutes Country. Orchestral Country will also return by popular demand, as will several tribute shows.

To check out the full artist announcement and the stages you can see them perform, head to the Tamworth Country Music Festival website.

The Toyota Tamworth Country Music Festival will celebrate its 54th year from Friday, 16 January, until Sunday, 25 January. Tickets to the first round of ticketed shows and the Toyota 54th Golden Guitar Awards will be available on Monday, 7 July, via tcmf.com.au/whatson.

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Festival Executive Producer, Peter Ross, said of this year’s exciting bill, “We’re excited to be hosting the Tamworth Country Music Festival for another year, with a range of fan-favourites and new events already in the line-up.

“Tamworth is a place for everyone, with free and ticketed shows, along with talent competitions for children, all the way through to emerging and established artists. Whether it’s the buskers on the Boulevarde of Dreams through to celebrating excellence in recording at the Golden Guitar Awards, Tamworth delivers at all levels!”

Toyota Australia Chief Marketing Officer, Vin Naidoo, added, “The 2026 festival promises an unforgettable celebration of country music, with an incredible line-up spanning legendary performers and rising stars. Toyota is proud to continue supporting this iconic event and look forward to another outstanding January in Tamworth.”

Sarah Caskey, Entertainment Manager at Tamworth’s The Pub Group, noted the success of the 2025 festival before expressing excitement for next year.

“2025 was something truly special — the crowds, the music, the atmosphere — it all came together in a way we’ll never forget. That’s the heart of this festival,” Caskey said.

“For 2026, we’re going even bigger with an incredible line-up of shows across all venues and one-of-a-kind experiences that celebrate everything people love about country music. We love seeing fans come back year after year — dancing, singing, and creating moments they’ll never forget. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for what’s shaping up to be our biggest and best year yet.”