Your Ultimate Tamworth Country Music Festival Bucket List

Continue reading for all of the top bucket list experiences to see and do when attending the Tamworth Country Music Festival. We challenge you to tick off as many bucket list items as possible!

About the Tamworth Country Music Festival

“Tamworth in January is hot, it's casual, its stars and Golden Guitars; it’s happy crowds, it's tents and caravans, it's easy going camaraderie... "G'day mate and where are you from?", it’s concerts and shows, it's buskers, it's folding chairs, big hats and eskies.”

- Max Ellis, Festival Co-Founder

Photo credit: Tamworth Country Music Festival (TCMF)

Tamworth Country Music Festival debuted in 1973, and has since evolved into the BIGGEST music festival in Australia and the BIGGEST country music festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 2020, Tamworth will be hosting over 700 artists including Australian country music's hottest stars, emerging talent and local favourites. They will be performing in over 2800 free and ticketed shows, in 120 venues, over 10 entertainment-packed days! Along with over 300,000 visitors attending the festival each year, this makes for an incredible atmosphere. An unforgettable live music experience that is a must on your Aussie Bucket List.

Location

Tamworth is one of New South Wale's best-known regional destinations thanks to the annual Country Music Festival. It is located just 4 1/2 hours' drive north of Sydney, in the north-east of the state.

How to Get Here

There are multiple options for getting to Tamworth including by car, plane or train. Flights operate directly out of Sydney to Tamworth Regional Airport. The airport is located just 10km from Tamworth's town centre. From here you can hire a car, catch a taxi or Uber to your preferred destination.

To get directions to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, type Peel Street, Tamworth into your Google Maps and click 'Get Directions'.

Top Bucket List Experiences

The Big Golden Guitar

Photo credit: Destination NSW

Snap a selfie with the Big Golden Guitar, one of Tamworth's most iconic attractions.

The Big Golden Guitar is situated on the southern approach to Tamworth along the New England Highway (2 Ringers Rd, Tamworth NSW). The Guitar stands 12m high and is located at the entrance to the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre, making it a great first stop on your way to the festival. The guitar is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Peel Street Entertainment

Take a walk down Tamworth's main street, Peel Street. Enjoy the buzz of the vibrant and varied buskers, street performers, food traders and surprise guest appearances.

Photo credit: Destination NSW

Tamworth's Git Up Challenge

Kick off the festival by participating in Tamworth's very own Git Up Challenge, inspired by Blanco Brown. This will take place at 6.30pm on Friday 17th of January at Toyota Park, before the Opening Concert begins.

For those of you that do not know what the 'Git Up Challenge' is, see Blanco Brown's YouTube clip below. It is guaranteed to get you into the country music festival spirit!

Evening Picnic at Toyota Park

Photo credit: TCMF

There is no better way to end your entertainment-packed days than to sit back, relax and let the good times roll at Toyota Park. Each night this precinct comes alive with 10 nights of FREE concerts for all to enjoy. It is the biggest stage at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, featuring the biggest line-ups and the biggest variety of acts.

For a full list of the Tamworth Country Music Festival Toyota Park evening events, visit their website here.

Toyota Cavalcade of Colour

Photo credit: Destination NSW

The Toyota Country Music Cavalcade of Colour will be held on Saturday 25th January, 2020 at 9am. Join thousands of other festival goers as they line the streets of Tamworth to watch the parade of colourful and entertaining floats pass through Peel Street.

Click here for a map of the Cavalcade Parade route.

Festival Fringe

Photo credit: TCMF

The Festival Fringe will be run on selected nights throughout the festival in Fitzroy Street Plaza. Entertainment includes fire performers, unicyclists, comedy contortionists, circus acts, along with buskers and other special pop-up performances.

For further information on the scheduled performances, click here.

FanZone

Photo credit: TCMF

The Toyota Fan Zone is open from 10am daily and is FREE to enter. Get up close with your favourite musicians, watch live performances, purchase merchandise and CD's and have them signed by your favourite artists.

Located in the heart of the festival on the corner of Peel and Fitzroy Streets.

Tamworth Regional Playground

Photo credit: Aussie Bucket List

For those of you travelling with kids, the Tamworth Regional Playground is a must on your TCMF bucket list! The playground features a splash park, 3 giant slides, 4 towers, a 3-metre skywalk, 3D climbing adventure, rhythm wall and bike track.

There is free Wi-Fi, picnic and BBQ facilities available. The Hopscotch Restaurant and Bar is nearby for parents to sit back and unwind.

For a map of the playground (yes, that's how impressive this place is - the playground has its own map!), click here.

Gallery of Stars Wax Museum

Photo credit: Aussie Bucket List

This historic wax museum was opened by Slim Dusty in 1988. It features life-size figures of Australia's most iconic country music pioneers including the likes of Smoky Dawson, Buddy Williams, Jimmy Little, Beccy Cole, Chad Morgan and more. The wax figures were made in Nashville, Tennessee in the 1980's.

The museum is located at the Big Golden Guitar and Tourist Visitor Information Centre on the New England Highway. Entry fees apply.

Country Music Hall of Fame

The Australian Country Music Hall of Fame displays a collection of Australian country music memorabilia, ranging from the pioneers of country music in Australia, to our current stars.

The museum is located at 561 Peel Street, Tamworth, and is open 7 days from 10am - 4pm (with extended trading hours during the festival). Entry fees apply.

Galaxy of Stars & Roll of Renown

Photo credit: TCMF

The Galaxy of Stars and the Roll of Renown plaques are located in the forecourt of the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC).

The Galaxy of Stars award was introduced in 2000 to formally recognise the achievements of outstanding country music stars.

The Roll of Renown is one of the most prestigious awards in the history of Australian Country Music. Tex Morton won the first Roll of Renown award in 1976, followed by many more iconic country music stars including Slim Dusty, John Williamson, Ray and Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley. The awards are embedded into giant granite boulders at the TRECC.

Golden Guitar Awards

The Golden Guitar Awards are the heart of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, held on January 25, 2020. It is more than just an awards night. The Toyota Golden Guitar Awards is a fast-paced concert that showcases the very best of the Australian Country Music Industry over the past 12 months.

The awards are presented by the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) and Tamworth Regional Council.

Australia Day at TCMF

Photo credit: Destination NSW

It doesn't get much more Australian than to spend Australia day at the Tamworth Country Music Festival! Toyota Park's final event for the festival is held on Australia Day - the 2020 Toyota Best of the Buskers Competition. 10 of the best buskers from the festival battle it out to be crowned 2020 Toyota's Best of the Buskers.

Celebrate Australia the Australian way with thousands of other Aussies, all there to enjoy some quality entertainment and to have a good time.

Toyota TCMF Cowboy Hat

Photo credit: TCMF

Buy yourself an iconic Toyota TCMF cowboy hat. For years this legendary hat has been spotted on people all over the world!

Not only will it protect you from the sun, $2 from every hat sold will be donated to Rural Aid.

The ABCRA Rodeo & Ranch Sorting National Finals

The ABCRA Rodeo and Ranch Sorting National Finals will be held on the 24th and 25th January, 2020 at Tamworth's Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre.

Watch Australia's top rodeo competitors battle it out over $250,000 in prizes and for the glory of being crowned 'National Champion'.

National Guitar Museum

Photo credit: Aussie Bucket List

This brand-new museum opened to the public for the first time, on the first day of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, January 17 2020. For a small fee ($7pp at the time of writing this blog post), you get access to both the Wax Museum and the National Guitar Museum. The Museum features signed guitars and memorabilia from all of Australia's top country music stars.

There is a cafe at the museum, which also backs on to the Longyard Hotel. The hotel is a popular spot for gigs throughout the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The museum is well worth a visit, especially if you are a country music fan.

Accommodation

Visit our partner website Hotels.com for available accommodation options in Tamworth, or visit the Accommodation page on the TCMF website.

Written by Samantha Raine - Aussie Bucket List® Founder and Travel Writer

Disclosure: Aussie Bucket List have proudly partnered with TCMF for the purpose of promoting their event and providing informative content to our Aussie Bucket List community. All views expressed in this blog post are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and are based on my own personal experience.

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