Kicking off today, Tamworth’s annual Hat’s Off to Country Music Festival is back for 2023.
In what’s described by Destination Tamworth as a “complement” to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Hats Off offers “a much smaller scale” event with “a hub for singer-songwriters and a haven for good times.”
The event originally began in June 2000 with humble beginnings as a concert paying tribute to Slim Dusty. It has now grown into a mid-winter country music celebration, allowing locals and tourists the chance to take advantage of the July long weekend.
The festival has always prided itself on being a warm, friendly way to experience both the Country Music scene and the town of Tamworth.
This year’s festivities will kick off tomorrow, Thursday the 6th of July and will run through until late in the evening on Sunday the 9th.
Events and concerts are held at a wide range of different venues, ranging from local pubs and clubs to the Capitol Theatre, Tamworth Town Hall, and the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Some of this year’s headline acts include Adam Harvey and Becky Cole, Midland, Duncan Toombs, Loren Ryan, and Travis List.
As always, the ever-popular Cowboy Crawl will also occur, where visitors can book a coach ride to take them to four separate venues on Saturday evening. This bus tour allows visitors to take in some of the best music offerings, meet some new people and walk away with the now-famous Toyota Country Music Hat as a souvenir.
For those who are musicians themselves, there will also be marketing workshops, and opportunities to meet and network with both experienced and new members of the industry.
Get those boots and hats dusted off and ready to go. It’s not too late to attend, with many of the concerts being held as free, walk-in events. Some others will, however, have a cost involved, or require pre-booking. For a comprehensive program and to find out what tickets are available visit the Destination Tamworth Website.
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