Dittmann bull-pit at Midge Point to host Kip Moore for Country Fest 2023
A small coastal town is set to become Australia’s hottest new destination for country music crooning, with American music chart-toppers like Kip Moore and homegrown Aussie talent like Luke Geiger on their way there in March.
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Move aside Nashville and Tamworth, a small coastal township north of Mackay looks set to be the next big thing in country music.
The Dittmann Bucking Bull and Bull Pit Arena at Midge Point will host thousands of music lovers on March 10-11 for the inaugural Country Fest 2023, a two-day extravaganza with some of the hottest stars in country, from American chart-topper Kip Moore to homegrown singer Luke Geiger, booked in.
And it’s not just country crooning.
There will be a ferris wheel and games for the kids along with food trucks and clothing stalls selling local labels.
Jason and Kelly Dittmann established the multimillion-dollar arena earlier this year and it already hosts professional bull-riding events.
Mr Dittmann collaborated with NQ Licensed Events, a company than runs music festivals, to branch out into music.
The site has been configured to hold 10,000 people each day and NQ Licensed Events owner Regan Anderson said the festival had the potential to be “bigger than Elton John”, with ticket sales already in the 1000s.
“It is unheard of to be honest,” he said,
“To sell that many tickets off a little Facebook site, in a little town of 400 people.”
The show will cost some $1m to produce and Mr Anderson said there was no stopping it now except for a “cyclone”.
“We are pretty confident, talked to the weather gods, told them to beat it,” he said.
Mr Anderson said the arena had begun to transform Midge Point.
“It is one of the most beautiful parts of North Queensland,” he said.
“The facility here is going to be in the area for years to come and it is a multimillion-dollar facility.
“I know property land values are already starting to go up there off the PBRs.
“It is starting to pick up, it helps everyone.”
Mr Anderson also hinted he and Mr Dittmann had plans for more events at Midge Point.
“We already have a second one that is in the works,” he said.
“It is pretty much locked away and it will be bigger than this again.”
Originally published as Dittmann bull-pit at Midge Point to host Kip Moore for Country Fest 2023
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