Tamworth Country Music Festival axed due to new restrictions, artist exits

Tamworth Country Music Festival has been postponed for another year, after the NSW government added restrictions to curb Covid-19.

The Tamworth festival has been postponed again.

The Tamworth Country Music Festival has been postponed following a NSW government announcement that major events would need to go through a review process and venues would face new limits on dancing and singing.

The announcement, just one week out from the start date, marks the second year that the festival – which featured a line-up including Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers and The Wolfe Brothers – was called off over Covid-19 fears.

Toyota Country Music Festival manager Barry Harley said that the usually 10-day-long event would be rescheduled for April 18 to 24, with fan favourites such as the Golden Guitar Awards to be held over a shorter period.

“The decision to postpone the festival, just a week out from the event, was a difficult, yet necessary, decision to make,” he said.

“Given the current state of Covid transmission in our communities, and the impact the changed Covid safety measures have on our venues, it is the best decision for the health and safety of everyone involved, particularly the Tamworth and country music community.”

Fans will have to wait at little longer for the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Tamworth Regional Council Mayor Russell Webb said that rising Covid-19 infections – with 38,625 new cases recorded in NSW on Friday – had made the event untenable because of artist cancellations.

“We either cancel the event, or we run an event that will be very short on artists – because the artists were starting to all pull out,” he said.

“We had very little choice but to postpone the event until April 18, when we can run an effective event (is the best option).”

Mr Webb said organisers had planned to forge ahead up until 12 hours before the announcement, when the imminent decision forced their hand because of uncertainty.

“We were pushing forward with the festival, and the announcement made by the state government today did say that major festivals could go on, but there was so much uncertainty around what we would have to do as an organisation,” he said.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said it was a disappointment, but the community’s focus would now shift to reorganising the event for April.

“I think we find ourselves in a much better position to last year … not only do we think about what’s next but how do we continue the proud tradition of a country music festival in April.”