Category: CMC Rocks

CMC Rocks into 20 Years

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Promotional poster for CMC Rocks QLD 2027, celebrating 20 years, featuring artists Eric Church, Brooks & Dunn, and Ashley McBryde. Event details include dates March 19-21 at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, QLD, with ticket sales starting September 25.

Brooks & Dunn, Eric Church and Ashley McBryde will headline CMC Rocks QLD when the festival celebrates its 20th anniversary at Willowbank from March 19-21 next year.

The three US artists will headline a lineup that also includes Parker McCollum, Kameron Marlowe, Turnpike Troubadours, Blake Whiten, Lanie Gardner, Kaylee Bell and Lane Pittman.

Brooks & Dunn will return to Australia for the first time in almost 20 years for their CMC Rocks debut.

The Country Music Hall of Fame duo has had more than 30 years in the music industry, with 20 US No.1 hits including Neon Moon, My Maria, Boot Scootin’ Boogie and Red Dirt Road.

The duo was also announced last week as the recipient of the 2026 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented at the CMA Awards in Nashville in November.

Two men standing side by side against a dark textured background. One man wears a denim jacket and sunglasses, while the other dons a western-style shirt and a cowboy hat.
Photo: Matthew Berinato

Eric Church will make his first visit to Australia when he takes to the CMC Rocks stage, while Ashley McBryde will return for her third appearance at the festival.

Church is a seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner and 11-time Grammy nominee. His catalogue includes Drink In My Hand, Springsteen and Talladega, while his latest song, On The Road, was released recently.

McBryde previously performed at CMC Rocks in 2019 and 2023 and will return with her latest album, Wild.

A woman with curly hair and highlights gazes thoughtfully outdoors, with a blurred grassy field and cloudy sky in the background.
Photo: Nathan Chapman

CMC Rocks Festival Director and Chugg Entertainment Chairman Michael Chugg said Brooks & Dunn’s return was particularly fitting for the festival’s 20th anniversary.

“Brooks & Dunn were one of the first US acts that our festival founder, the late Rob Potts, ever toured in Australia almost twenty years ago, so it feels fitting to have them headline CMC Rocks’ 20 Year bash in 2027,” Chugg said.

“We have lots in store for next year, it will be a mega celebration – our biggest and most ambitious festival yet.”

Festival Director Jeremy Dylan said the festival had been working towards bringing Church to Australia for almost 20 years.

“Eric Church has been on our bucket list for almost twenty years, and we are certain the Chief will raise the proverbial roof with his legendary live show,” Dylan said.

A man with a beard wearing sunglasses and a greenish distressed jacket, posing against a textured gray background.

The festival will again feature the Songwriters Show, Nifty’s Sports Bar, Big Time Charlie’s, the Amazon Music After Party, Back Forty and Lil’ Buckaroos, along with food, retail and other entertainment across the festival site.

CMC Rocks began in Thredbo in 2008 before moving to the Hunter Valley and Townsville and eventually settling at Willowbank.

More than 25,000 people travelled to Ipswich for CMC Rocks in 2026, generating an estimated $13 million to $15 million for local businesses and tourism operators.

Tickets for CMC Rocks QLD 2027 go on sale to the general public at 10am AEST on Friday, September 25.

Brooks & Dunn | Eric Church | Ashley McBryde | Kameron Marlowe | Parker McCollum | Turnpike Troubadours | Blake Whiten | 49 Winchester | Randall King | Lanie Gardner | Zach John King | Colby Acuff | Tyler Nance | Kaylee Bell | Lily Meola | Tyce Delk | Kassi Ashton | Lane Pittman | Liam St. John | Kruse Brothers | Zac & George | Rachael Fahim | Jade Eagleson | Tori Darke | Dear Tommie | Sons of Atticus | Loren Ryan | Jack Billmann | Ethan Galway | Piper Butcher | Sarah Grace Buckley | Bianca Joulianou | Caillin Malley | Willie Pake |

Stage hosts: Storme Warren | Mike Carr | D.J. Grizzly Adams

Lindsay Ell offers healing and inspiration with new album, Heart Theory

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A major health scare and opening up about sexual assault as a teenager makes for a moving album for singer-songwriter and guitar shredder Lindsay Ell.

You would be hard-pressed to find a more personal, heart-wrenching, and inspiring album than Heart Theory, released today, August 14.

Working through the seven stages of grief, this is a concept album best consumed from start to finish, rather than in bites.

“I was about halfway through writing this record when I realised I was writing these songs in the order of how I was feeling them,” Lindsay said.

“As human beings on the planet we go through transformation in our lives and I thought how cool would it be to write a record in order of the seven stages of grief.”

The singer-songwriter who knows how to shred a guitar with the best of them, works through grief from shock to denial and all the way down to acceptance, and opens up to her listeners as they travel the journey with her.

“I want to inspire them to go through this with me because I feel like the past three years, and particularly the last year, has been transformative for me,” Lindsay said.

“I had a massive health scare and finally wanting to talk about my story as a little girl, I’ve gotten to know myself – we always think we do, but we get to know ourselves deeper and deeper as we get older and there is such a beautiful quality in that.”

The Canadian artist, who now calls Nashville home, opened up about her rape at 13 years old, while visiting Youth For Tomorrow to launch their music program.

“I sat down with 12 other little girls and I told them my story and I heard them tell their stories,” she said.

“These are stories that are so horrific. This happens far more in our society than we want to realise and by not talking about it, we are allowing that shame and guilt to continue, but we can help each other heal and become strong through talking about it.”

Lindsay Ell at CMC Rocks 2019. Photo: Rebecca Gracie
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Morgan Wallen gets Up Down Under for CMC Rocks 2019

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UP DOWN singer Morgan Wallen is shining proof that life can throw you curveballs when it comes to your childhood ambitions, but your dreams can still come true. He will add to those achievements when he heads to Australian for CMC Rocks 2019 in March.

The US singer-songwriter had dreams of being a professional baseball player, but an injury forced him to change his life direction and now he’s playing the stadiums he dreamed of as a child, just in a different field.


Morgan Wallen will join other international and Australian acts at CMC Rocks 2019. 
Photo: supplied

Morgan has released three singles – The Way I Talk, his latest Whiskey Glasses, but it was his second, Up Down, that caught the ears of new country fans, when he teamed up with chart-toppers Florida Georgia Line.

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CMC Rocks Queensland 2019 artists announced

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FULL ARTIST LINEUP

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE (USA) – THOMAS RHETT (USA) – LUKE COMBS (USA)

MICHAEL RAY (USA) – LOCASH (USA) – FRANKIE BALLARD (USA) – CARLY PEARCE (USA) – CAM (USA) – DEVIN DAWSON (USA) – KASEY CHAMBERS – TROY CASSAR-DALEY – DANIELLE BRADBERY (USA) – ASHLEY MCBRYDE (USA) – BRANDY CLARK (USA) – LINDSAY ELL (CAN)

Thomas Rhett is among the headliners announced for CMC Rocks 2019

MORGAN WALLEN (USA) – THE SISTERHOOD BAND (USA) – JIM LAUDERDALE (USA) – JEDD HUGHES – TENILLE TOWNES (USA) – NOAH SCHNACKY (USA) – HOME FREE (USA) – ALEYCE SIMMONDS – IMOGEN CLARK – MELANIE DYER – OAKWOOD

THURSDAY 14* – FRIDAY 15 – SATURDAY 16 – SUNDAY 17 MARCH 2019

WILLOWBANK, IPSWICH QLD

*Campers entrance only

GENERAL PUBLIC ON-SALE: 9AM AEST (QLD), TUESDAY 2ND OCTOBER

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GALLERY: CMC Music Awards winners announced

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COUNTRY headed to the coast, the Gold Coast that is, on Thursday, March 15 for the annual CMC Music Awards.

The cocktail function saw country music royalty dressed in their finest and fans of all ages soaked up the atmosphere at The Star Casino.

As well as mingling with their fans, country artists from the US, Canada and Australia performed at the awards function and were rewarded for their efforts over the year. Continue reading →

Dean Brody brings his Beautiful Freakshow to CMC Rocks Queensland

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AS DEAN Brody prepared to hit the stage at CMC Rocks Queensland, he reflected on how similar country fans were, no matter what side of the world they were on.

The Canadian country singer is no stranger to Australia and our country music fans.

“One of the thing that surprised me was that country music fans, whether we are in Europe, North America or Australia, people who grew up in the country are used to the rural way of life and we share this musical genre as well,” he said.

“You guys really enjoy your beer and wine, though, and one of my favourite wines is Shiraz.” Continue reading →

Lee Kernaghan’s silver anniversary for The Outback Club

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By Rebecca Belt
IT’S HARD to believe it’s been 25 years since The Outback Club was released, but Lee Kernaghan celebrates in style tonight, March 26 at CMC Rocks Queensland. He will launch The 25th Anniversary Album tonight on main stage in front of about 15,000 country music fans.

Released on Friday, March 24, the album has already met with rave reviews and debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Country Chart.
“Launching and releasing an album is always a pretty special occasion – like the birth of a baby,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of good feedback from people on social media.”
Kernaghan said, although he had released plenty of album over the years, there was still a “little bit of trepidation”, but he felt comfortable that this album would be well-received.
“There are nine duets on the album, so I knew that if the album wasn’t well-received, I had plenty of other people to blame,” he laughed.

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Adam Harvey celebrates 10 years of CMC Rocks

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By Rebecca Belt
ADAM Harvey was of the first performers to take the stage at CMC Rocks Queensland this year and was also one of the first artists on CMC Rocks the Snowys, 10 years ago.
As CMC Rocks celebrates its 10th festival, country music fans continue to flock to the event. It’s now put the house full signs up for two consecutive years.
“The fact that it’s sold out is testament to how big the event is getting,” Harvey said. “It’s a great chance for us to catch up with our mates because we don’t get to see each other, other than at big events like this.”
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