From buskers to stars: country music festival has explosive opening weekend

Tamworth council's country music manager Barry Harley told the Leader he's expecting a lull in activity for the next couple of days, but even bigger crowds to come as the festival crescendos to its finale.

"Normally the energy drops a little bit on Monday and Tuesday and then comes back with a vengeance on Wednesday to the weekend, so we're in for a big week," Mr Harley said.

Here's your opening weekend highlights before the festivities heat up again.

The festival kicked off with a strong showing of buskers on and around Peel Street.

The street performers are often considered the 'beating heart' of the festival, giving it a truly vibrant and personal country feel.

"I think we've had about 150 buskers in town already and we've had 350 registrations. That's a number equalling some of the best we've ever had in busking," Mr Harley said.

The area from Peel Street down to Bicentennial Park was crowded for most of the weekend as thousands of festivalgoers took in the sights and sounds.

From shopping at the festival's many market traders to simply sitting on a park bench and breathing in the music, there was no shortage of experiences for people to explore.

The buskers and concerts set the stage for the festival's opening concert in Bicentennial Park which featured local stars Lane Pittman and Loren Ryan alongside a lineup of industry titans.

The concert not only marked the start of the musical extravaganza but also set the sky ablaze with fireworks courtesy of Tamworth's own 'pyrotechnic priest' Father Anthony Koppman, better known by locals as the Holy Smoke.

From there the party kept going all weekend long as various venues including Moonshiners, the Longyard, Tudor, Post Office, Courthouse, and Tamworth hotels hosted a plethora of performances.

Mr Harley said many venues across the region have already reported huge success, signalling a healthy economic boost for our local watering holes.

"That's an important measurement for us, that the stakeholders are actually getting their reward for all the preparation they put in," he said.

Meanwhile, Tamworth's iconic CBD once again transformed into the 'Boulevard of Dreams', pulling in a bustling crowd of enthusiastic shoppers and country music listeners.

While official data isn't in yet, early reports from market stalls on Peel Street suggest they're turning a healthy profit despite the current cost of living pressures.

Mr Harley said the atmosphere over the opening weekend felt like the festival has well and truly recovered from the pandemic years.

"There's a real buzz, a real energy, and a lot of very happy campers," he said.

As the festivities continue to unfold, the head organiser said he can't wait to see how the festival's biggest events - from the Australia Day concert and fireworks to the coveted Golden Guitar Awards - are received by an eager public.