Tamworth Country Music Festival 2027

Tamworth Country Music Festival

Tamworth’s country music identity took shape in the late 1960s when local radio station 2TM and the Tamworth branch of the Modern Country Music Association began building the city’s reputation as Australia’s country music capital. That groundwork led to the launch of the Australasian Country Music Awards — now the Golden Guitar Awards — in January 1973, and the festival built around them has run almost every year since, growing into one of the largest country music gatherings in the world.

Held annually each January, the festival takes over the New England city of Tamworth for ten days, blending big-ticket concerts with hundreds of free outdoor shows, pop-up stages and buskers lining the streets. The Golden Guitar Awards remain the festival’s centrepiece, and the whole city leans into the theme for its duration, from shopfronts to street signs.

Festival Highlights:

• Golden Guitar Awards: Australia’s premier country music awards ceremony sits at the heart of the festival, celebrating the genre’s biggest names alongside rising talent.
• Free Outdoor & Busking Stages: Hundreds of free performances fill parks, street corners and pop-up venues throughout town, making it easy to catch live music without a ticket.
• Toyota Park Concerts: Large-scale ticketed concerts headlined by major national and international country acts anchor the festival’s evening program.
• Emerging Artist Showcases: Long a launching pad for new talent, the festival’s smaller venues and busking spots continue to be where up-and-coming artists build a following.

Tips for Visitors & Trip Planning:

• Tickets: Major concerts and the awards ceremony are ticketed and sell out early, while a huge amount of free programming runs alongside them, so it’s worth booking headline shows well ahead through the official festival site.
• Venue Layout: Venues range from big concert grounds to tiny pub stages spread across the CBD, so a printed or app-based festival guide helps with planning a realistic route between shows.
• Getting There: Tamworth sits on the New England Highway in northern NSW, reachable by car, coach or regional flights; the town centre is compact enough to explore on foot once you’re there.
• What to Wear: January is peak summer in inland NSW, with hot days and cooler evenings, so sun protection, light clothing and comfortable walking shoes for a lot of street-level festival-hopping are all worth packing.
• Accommodation: Tamworth’s accommodation books out well ahead for festival season, so booking well in advance is strongly recommended.
• Extend the Trip: Tamworth makes a good base for exploring the wider New England region before or after the festival — browse tours and activities near you here.

The full program and venue schedule is published closer to the event. See details below, under “Event Related Information” section.