Business at the front, party at the back. The Tamworth Show is adding a mullet competition to its 2026 program, alongside a string of other new events, as organisers push to keep the long-running show growing.
The show returns to the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) on Goonoo Goonoo Road, Tamworth, for two days on Friday, 4 September and Saturday, 5 September. It has run in Tamworth since the inaugural show in 1873 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2023.
Diana Brown, president of the Tamworth Show Society, said the mullet competition was her idea after noticing a growing trend around town.
“The mullet competition was my idea; I’d seen a few of them online and then noticed a few fantastic mullets wandering around town so I thought it would be a good fun addition – Brooke McClymont and Adam Eckersley are coming to the show to perform, and they’ll also help judge the mullet competition, which we’re very excited about,” Ms Brown said.
The Tamworth Show Mullet Competition will run at 2:30 pm on the Saturday, and is open to classic, curly and “all-out Aussie icon” mullets. Organisers are encouraging locals to tag anyone who “has to enter, or deserves a nomination”.
It is one of several new events joining the show’s traditional program of equestrian, sheep and wool, dairy and beef cattle, poultry and pavilion competitions this year.
Also debuting in 2026 is the Tamworth Show School Auctioneers Competition, which will see local students test their auctioneering skills in the ring.
“We always have schools day on the Friday and have lots of schools show up but new this year is our School Auctioneers competition,” Ms Brown said.
Marshalling for the School Auctioneers Competition begins at 4:30 pm on Friday, 4 September, at AELEC. Entries can be made through Ben Bowman on 0427 467 087.
Another first for the show is the Men’s Only Chocolate Cake Section, which bans packet mixes and requires every entrant to bake from the same recipe.
“The Men’s Chocolate Cake section is getting a lot of attention – no packet mixes allowed, they all have to follow the same recipe,” Ms Brown said.
Organisers are billing it as a test of skill for anyone who reckons they are handy in the kitchen, with entrants encouraged to tag “the bloke who reckons he’s a gun in the kitchen, or the one who definitely needs a bit more practice”.
The show will also welcome back the Dog High Jump for its second year, after a successful debut.
“We’ve got the Dog High Jump on again this year too, which we’re really hoping will get a lot more interest in its 2nd year; it’s a great event and we’ve really been trying to get the word out about it early this year so we can get as many entrants as possible,” Ms Brown said.
Ahead of the official show dates, the Australian Horse Ball Association will hold its Australian Cup at AELEC from Thursday, 3 September.
“The Australian Horse Ball Association are holding their Australian Cup starting on the Thursday alongside the show – it’s very fast and great to watch,” Ms Brown said.
The show continues to run its long-standing Schools Day on the Friday, drawing large numbers of students from across the New England North West, alongside competitions in horse, cattle, sheep and poultry, and pavilion sections including photography, decorated cakes and junior handicrafts.
Behind the scenes, the Tamworth Show Society is run largely by volunteers, and organisers say they are keen for more locals to get involved and become members to help keep the show going. The society meets on the third Wednesday of each month, with meeting notices posted on its Facebook page.
The Poultry Section is also getting an upgrade for 2026, with brand new cages built and sealed ahead of the show. In a post on Facebook, organisers said the show’s president and treasurer had been busy building and sealing the new cages, while other committee members helped unload them from the truck and store them safely under cover until show time.
With a growing list of new events for 2026, from mullets to chocolate cakes to auctioneering students, organisers are hoping this year’s show draws one of its biggest crowds yet, and are calling on more locals to join the Show Society as members to help keep it running.
Anyone interested in volunteering or becoming a member can keep an eye on meeting notices via the Tamworth Show’s Facebook page, facebook.com/TamworthShow
Tickets for the show and a full program of events are available now on the Show Society’s website
Read all the way through to the end of the story? So did lots of other people. Advertise with New England Times to reach New England locals who are interested and engaged. Find out more here.