Tamworth Country Music Festival

Bring Your Cowboy Hat

Music Note Music Note Music Note

For ten days every January, Tamworth changes.

 
Music spills out of pubs and clubs. Stages pop up across the city. Cowboy hats become perfectly acceptable everyday attire. Artists you've followed for years perform alongside someone you might discover for the very first time.

 

Back at Austin? Well, the Festival has been part of our story for a very long time. Austin Tourist Park has been welcoming guests to the Tamworth Country Music Festival for more than 40 years. Some have been coming back to us year after year, and Festival has become as much about catching up with familiar faces as it is about the music.

 

We're close enough to enjoy everything happening around Tamworth, while giving you somewhere to come home to when you're ready to put your feet up.

 

Bring the caravan. Bring the motorhome. Book a cabin. Just don't forget your cowboy hat.

 

 

TICKETS

 

Do I need Festival tickets?

 

Here's one of the most common questions from first-time Festival-goers. Do I need a ticket to attend Tamworth Country Music Festival? No single ticket gets you into “the Festival”. In fact, around 70% of the Festival is free, with performances happening across pubs, clubs, stages and other venues throughout Tamworth.

 

Some of the bigger-name concerts and special events are ticketed individually, and popular shows can sell out. Tickets are released at various points throughout the year. If you're booked to stay with us, we'll send you a text when we know another ticket release is happening so you've got the opportunity to have a look.

 

And a little Festival tip from us: Free entertainment isn't necessarily free to put on. If you're enjoying artists at a pub, club or other venue providing free entertainment, support them where you can. Buy the coffee. Have lunch. Stay for dinner. Order a drink. Those venues are a huge part of what makes Tamworth Country Music Festival what it is.

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FESTIVAL AT AUSTIN

 

Festival at Austin

 

Country Music Festival isn't just another busy week on our calendar.
It's part of who we are. 

 

Every January, Austin fills with Festival travellers — old friends, first-timers, country music devotees, artists, groups and people who decided this was finally the year they'd experience Tamworth in January.

 

There's usually plenty happening around the park too. Over the years we've hosted welcome concerts, live music, BBQs, community fundraisers and gatherings that give our guests a chance to catch up before heading back into town for another day of Festival. And occasionally things don't quite go according to plan.

 

When the 2022 Tamworth Country Music Festival was postponed just a week before it was due to begin, we looked around at a park full of guests, local community organisations with supplies they'd already purchased and musicians suddenly without stages. So we held our own. The Austin Country Music Festival brought 20 artists to our stage and helped five local volunteer organisations put their Festival supplies to good use. 

 

That little bit of “well, what CAN we do?” thinking later earned Austin Tourist Park the G'day Parks Game Changer Award. We'd rather the official Festival goes ahead as planned, mind you. But it sums up what Festival at Austin is about. Music. People. Community. And making the most of the adventure.

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WEATHER

 

Festival weather

 

January in Tamworth is summer. And Tamworth summer can be...Well.
Tamworth summer.

 

Come prepared for warm to hot days. A hat, sunscreen and water are essentials when you're heading out for Festival. Summer storms can roll through too, so keep an eye on the forecast and make sure awnings and outdoor gear are secured when the weather starts changing.

 

But don't pack exclusively for the heat. Throw in a windproof jacket and something long-sleeved as well. It rarely gets properly cold in January, but evenings can occasionally become cool enough that you'll be very glad you've got another layer — particularly if there's some wind about or you're sitting outside watching music.

 

Festival is an adventure. Sometimes that means country music under blazing blue skies. Sometimes it means wondering why you didn't bring that jacket we told you to pack.

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FIRST FESTIVAL

 

Welcome to the Adventure

 

 

If you've never experienced Tamworth Country Music Festival before, prepare yourself. There's a lot happening.

 

You don't need to see everything. Actually, you couldn't if you tried.
Part of the fun is choosing your own Festival.

 

Find the artists you came to see. Discover somebody new. Wander between venues. Stop when you hear something good. Explore the free performances. Buy tickets to the shows you don't want to miss. And leave a little room for plans to change. That's Festival.

 

Then, when you've had enough for the day, head back to Austin, put your feet up and start deciding what you're doing tomorrow.

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GETTING THERE

 

Getting to the Festival

 

Leave the car behind

 

One of the easiest ways to enjoy Festival is to avoid trying to find a park in the CBD. The Festival Express operates during The Tamworth Country Music Festival, helping Festival-goers move between accommodation and Festival precincts without needing to drive into town.

 

We'll provide our Festival guests with current information as each Festival approaches, including relevant route, stop and timetable details. Then you can concentrate on considerably more important decisions. Like which stage you're heading to next.

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BOOKINGS

 

Staying at Austin for TCMF

 

Festival accommodation works a little differently from an ordinary Austin stay. 

 

Demand is high, stays are longer and fitting all those caravans, motorhomes, campers, vehicles and humans into the right places requires rather more planning than clicking Book Now. That's why Tamworth Country Music Festival bookings aren't available through our normal online booking system. Instead, we work with you directly.

 

If you're travelling with a caravan, camper or similar setup, there are two things we'll particularly need to know: How long is your complete setup — including the drawbar? And: Do you have any slide-outs? When we ask for the length, we mean the whole thing — from the tow ball to the very back. If you've got anything else that adds to your footprint, let us know about that too.

 

Why all the questions? Because very few of Austin's sites are exactly the same size. And “I've got a 20-foot van” doesn't necessarily mean you've got a 20-foot setup. Drawbars, rear bars, toolboxes, bike racks, slide-outs and tow vehicles all need somewhere to go. During Festival, knowing exactly what's arriving helps us match rigs to sites and fit everyone in safely and fairly. It becomes one rather large jigsaw puzzle. The better the information we have, the better we can put the puzzle together.

 

Want to stay with us?
Complete our Festival Enquiry Form and tell us what you're looking for. 

 

Festival Enquiry Form 

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FAQs

Questions

Most visitors ask the same things. We've answered them here for you.

How do I book Austin Tourist Park for Tamworth Country Music Festival?

Tamworth Country Music Festival bookings are handled directly by our team and aren't available through our standard online booking system.

 

Complete our Festival Enquiry Form with your accommodation requirements and dates.

 

If you're bringing a caravan or camper, make sure you give us the full length of your setup, including the drawbar, and tell us about any slide-outs.

 

From there, our team can work through the available options with you.

Why can't I book Festival accommodation online?

Festival site allocation needs a little more human involvement.

 

Very few of our sites are exactly the same size, and neither are the caravans, campers and motorhomes arriving to stay on them.

 

Add tow vehicles, slide-outs, groups of friends hoping to stay near one another and different lengths of stay, and Festival becomes one rather substantial accommodation puzzle.

 

Handling bookings directly helps us put that puzzle together.

Is there a minimum stay during Tamworth Country Music Festival?

Yes. Minimum stays apply during Festival and depend on your accommodation type and the dates you choose.

 

For powered sites, Festival stay options are 12 nights, 9 nights, 6 nights or 6 nights, depending on the Festival period you're booking.

 

For cabins, options include 10-night and 5-night stays, or Festival blocks of 3 nights, 4 nights and 3 nights, depending on your dates and availability.

 

Tell us when you'd like to arrive and depart and we'll explain which Festival stay option applies.

How do Festival deposits work?

Festival bookings are paid progressively rather than all at once.

 

Payments of 20% are due at the end of April, June, August and September, with the final 20% payable on arrival.

 

We'll provide your payment schedule with your booking so you know what is due and when.

What happens if I need to cancel my Festival booking?

All Festival cancellation requests need to be made in writing to our office.

 

If you cancel on or before 31 October in the year before arrival, the cancellation fee is one night's accommodation or 10% of the total booking value, whichever is less. The remaining balance is refunded to the original payment method.

 

For cancellations made during November, 15% of the payments you've made will be refunded, with approved refunds processed within 14 days.

 

For cancellations made during December, a 15% refund of payments made may be available only if we successfully re-let your cabin or site. Where applicable, that refund is processed at the end of January following Festival.

 

Cancellations received during January forfeit all monies paid.

 

Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method.

 

Refunds aren't available for adverse weather, circumstances beyond management's control, early departures or late arrivals.

 

We strongly recommend reading the complete Festival booking and cancellation conditions before confirming your stay.

Can I choose my site?

You can certainly ask.

 

And we'll take your preference into account.

 

But we can't guarantee a particular site.

 

Festival site allocation depends on several things, including how many nights you're staying, the size and configuration of your setup, and trying to keep groups of friends together where we can.

 

It's a very large jigsaw puzzle, and sometimes making all the pieces fit means your site isn't quite where you expected it to be.

 

We'll always do our best.

 

Just don't hold us to Site 37.

Can I have the same site again next year?

We'll certainly try.

 

If you want to return for the following Tamworth Country Music Festival, you must rebook while you're staying with us during the current Festival.

 

You can request the same site and we'll take that into consideration when we work on the following year's allocations.

 

But — just like this year's booking — we can't guarantee a particular site.

 

Rigs change. Stays change. Groups change.

 

And the jigsaw puzzle starts all over again.

Can I bring my dog during Festival?

Possibly, but our Festival pet policy is stricter than our normal pet arrangements and prior approval is required.

 

Festival guests wishing to bring a dog need to apply by 31 October in the year before Festival and provide a photo with their request.

 

Only one pet per site is permitted, and pets are only permitted on powered or unpowered sites. Registered service dogs are excepted, with proof of registration required.

 

During Festival:

 

  • Your dog must remain contained within your site by a lead, cage, portable fence or other suitable means.
  • Dogs can't be left unattended at any time.
  • Barking and other noise must be kept under control.
  • Dogs must be on a lead whenever they're away from your site.
  • There are no off-leash areas within Austin during Festival.
  • Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets throughout the park.

 

Approval remains at management's discretion, and failure to follow the Festival pet conditions may result in the pet needing to be removed from the park.

 

If you'd like to bring your dog, ask us for the Festival Pet Approval Form and full policy.

Do I need tickets for Tamworth Country Music Festival?

Not for most of it.

 

Around 70% of Tamworth Country Music Festival is free, while major concerts and some individual performances and events require tickets.

 

There are ticket releases at different times throughout the year. When we become aware of a release, we'll text our booked Festival guests so you can check what's available.

 

If there's an artist you particularly want to see, we'd recommend booking that performance rather than assuming you'll be able to get tickets once you arrive.

 

And remember to support the venues providing free entertainment while you're out enjoying it.

Does the Festival Express stop near Austin Tourist Park?

The Festival Express operates during Tamworth Country Music Festival and is a handy way to get around without needing to take your car into the busy CBD.

 

Routes and timetables can change from year to year, so we'll provide our Festival guests with the current information as Festival approaches.

What's the weather like during Festival?

January in Tamworth is usually warm to hot, so pack for summer — hat, sunscreen, water bottle and comfortable clothes for being out and about.

 

But throw in a windproof jacket and something long-sleeved too.

 

It doesn't usually get particularly cold, but cooler or windy evenings happen and you'll appreciate having another layer.

 

Summer storms are also possible, so keep an eye on the forecast during your stay.

How big are your Festival sites?

They vary.

 

Very few of our sites are exactly the same size.

 

That's why we ask for the full dimensions of your caravan or camper, including the drawbar, plus information about slide-outs and anything else that affects your setup's footprint.

 

Rather than advertising one standard Festival site size, we work with the information you give us to determine what available site will suit.

 

So when we ask how big your van is, please don't make it smaller because you're worried we won't fit you in.

 

We still have to fit you in when you arrive.

I've never been to Tamworth Country Music Festival. Can you help?

Absolutely.

 

You don't need to understand everything before you arrive.

 

Ask questions.

 

We've been doing Festival for a very long time and can help with the practical bits — accommodation, getting around, how Festival works and finding your feet once you're here.

 

Then it's up to you to find the music.

More to ask?

 

Send us a message using the form linked below.

 

Contact form

Bring Your Cowboy Hat

 

For some guests, Tamworth Country Music Festival is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. For others, January in Tamworth is simply something they do. They come back to the same park. Catch up with the same people. Find their favourite artists. Discover new ones. And start talking about next January before this one is even over.

 

We've been part of that tradition for more than four decades. And we still love watching the park fill up and Festival begin. So if you're thinking about experiencing Tamworth Country Music Festival from Austin, get in touch. Tell us when you'd like to come. Tell us what you're travelling in. We'll help with the practical stuff. You bring the cowboy hat.

 

 

Contact our Team to discuss a TCMF Adventure