Events

Friday, January 20, 2012

Tamworth Country Music Festival (Country Music)

The Tamworth community and visiting country music enthusiasts will celebrate the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Attracting up to 50,000 visitors to the regional city, there are more than 2,500 events held over the course of the 10-days, with more than 70 percent of events free to the public. On average, there are over 700 musicians (including buskers) that come to Tamworth for the Festival to enjoy the celebrations and if not already, try and create a name for themselves. With more than 60 venues spread across the Tamworth that provide entertainment and activities during the Festival, visitors can be guaranteed there will be something on to their liking.

Tamworth combines a number of key elements to attract two very different primary target markets to the Country Music Festival: traditional country music fans generally aged over 55, retired and have time to travel and; young party-goers between the ages of 20-35 who have limited travelling time, undertake minimal planning and generally go out at night to the pub/clubs.

During the annual Country Music Festival, perhaps the most unique component that dictates the success of the Country Music Festival is the fact that there is no, one organiser or organising committee. Although there are major stakeholders in the event such as Tamworth Regional Council and Tourism Tamworth, the Tamworth community has long recognised the importance of this event and everyone pulls together to ensure its success. 

The Tamworth Regional community becomes involved with all aspects of the Festival from accommodation to hospitality services, banks, fuel stations and even mechanics – the local community embraces the Festival and all the visitors which come to town to celebrate this unique event.

In more recent years, there are generally about 700 musicians on hand to entertain the crowds over the 10-day long festival including all the big stars that regularly make the journey to Tamworth every January such as John Williamson, Gina Jeffreys, Troy Cassar-Daley, Sara Storer, Tania Kernaghan, Graeme Connors, Beccy Cole and Adam Brand.

However, just as Tamworth has more to offer than country music, the annual Country Music Festival always has more to see than just country music. Recent years have seen the likes of Shannon Noll, Jimmy Barnes, John Butler Trio, the Whitlams and Missy Higgins all make the trek to Tamworth to entertain fans wishing to see something different.