Tamworth’s mid-year country music celebration is just a week away, with more than 50 events set to fill venues across the city from Thursday 10 to Saturday 12 July.
Now in its 26th year, Hats Off To Country began as a concert in 2000 to salute Slim Dusty and has grown into a mid-year celebration of country music across the Tamworth region. The lineup for 2026 features Golden Guitar winners Amber Lawrence, Brendan Radford and The Bushwackers, alongside Dear Tommie, Mak & Shar and Jason Owen.
Tamworth Country Music Coordinator Cheryl Brown said the festival offered something different to Tamworth’s better-known January event.
“Hats Off To Country offers a variety of incredible country music acts on a smaller scale to the well-known January festival,” Ms Brown said.
“Tamworth becomes a hub for singer-songwriters in July and offers cooler temperatures for those who prefer travelling in winter.”
The action starts even earlier than the main festival dates, with the CMAA Junior Academy kicking off on Saturday 4 July. The intensive residential music course, led by music professionals, mentors and industry leaders, wraps up with a Graduation Concert at Liberty College at 11am on Saturday 11 July.
Fans wanting a pre-festival treat can catch Amber Lawrence bringing her Cowgirl To Me album tour to The Press Basement Bar on Tuesday 7 July, with Tamworth star Aleyce Simmonds supporting. The Press will also host an Open Mic Night, Songwriters at The Press, featuring Shelley and Lawrie Minson, The Bushwackers and Sunday Lemonade during the festival.
Tamworth’s reimagined Bluebird Room at the Community Event Centre will host 2026 Golden Guitar winner Brendan Radford, as well as the brand-new show Strike a Chord, featuring Tamworth performers Aleyce Simmonds, Allison Forbes, Goldheist, Roz Pappalardo and Sally-Anne Whitten.
Across the three main festival days, Wests Entertainment Group venues, Wests, Diggers and The Courts, will come alive with a stacked lineup of predominantly free shows. Key acts include Dear Tommie, Mak & Shar and Sydney country rock band Brock County, alongside local acts The Newbees, Peel River Ramblers and Splashpool.
Jason Owen will perform Songs of John Denver and Glen Campbell at Diggers Showroom in a ticketed show supporting Doin’ It For Rural Aussie Kids.
The winners of the second Tamworth Bush Ballad Awards will be announced on the Hats Off To Country Facebook page and website at midday on Friday 10 July.
Free shows will run at venues right across Tamworth throughout the three days, with the full program, including set times for dozens of additional acts across venues such as the Tamworth Hotel, The Longyard Hotel, Tamworth Services Club, West Tamworth League Club, UNE Tamworth, Oxley Bowling Club and Tamworth City Bowling Club, available at hatsofftocountry.com.au.
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