In her only Australian Festival appearance, headlining the event this year is one of the Country world’s biggest stars, Lainey Wilson. The 16x ACM, 9x CMA and GRAMMY Award winner has been on a monumental rise over the last few years - with eight number #1 hits including ‘4x4xU,’ ‘Watermelon Moonshine’ and the 2x PLATINUM Certified ‘Heart Like A Truck’. Her latest single ‘Somewhere Over Laredo’ is currently on the rise to #1 Wilson also wrote and recorded ‘Out of Oklahoma’ for Twisters (2024), made her acting debut in Paramount’s Yellowstone, and has collaborated with the likes of Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton and Post Malone. Her debut visit to the Hunter is not to be missed!
With his first appearance in Newcastle since 2023, Aria-award winning artist Morgan Evans will be tearing the house down with his world-renowned live show. One of Australia’s biggest Country stars, Morgan was born and raised in Newcastle, before moving over to Nashville to continue to build on his career - hitting milestone after milestone along the way. With hits such as his breakthrough Platinum-certified No.1 single ‘Kiss Somebody’ and Gold-certified hit ‘Day Drunk’, Evans has taken the country world by storm with over 800 million streams worldwide and countless sell-tours across the globe.
Continuing the festival’s strong international presence is Flatland Cavalry. The Nashville and Texas based sextet have just celebrated 10 years together, in a career that has been full to the brim with accolades. The band have racked up seven #1 singles on Texas Country Radio and amassed more than 500 million streams, sharing the stage with Willie Nelson, Luke Combs, Jordan Davis, Midland, and more.
A truly one-of-a-kind artist, Kaitlin Butts has a deep affinity for country music’s more theatrical side, the extravagant storytelling, dazzling showmanship, songs embedded with both unbridled emotion and quick-fire humor. At Howlin’, the Tulsa native will be bringing her critically acclaimed 2024 album‘Roadrunner!’ to life; a 17-track high-concept album that acts as a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favourite musical, ‘Oklahoma!’
Alabama-born country crooner Kashus Culpepper encompasses the sound of the South. A student and reverent purveyor of Southern music – country, soul, blues, folk, and rock – Culpepper’s husky, sandpaper growl bellows like a freight train over self-penned stories that are as raw and real as they are haunting
One of Australia’s most beloved singer-songwriters, Paul Dempsey is back with Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II. The concept remains beautifully simple and brilliantly ridiculous: beloved songs reduced to their essential elements, performed live with nothing but Dempsey’s voice and acoustic guitar. “I don’t really care if they work with my style,” Dempsey explains of his song selection process. “I choose them because I genuinely love the song and think it would be fun to sing.”
The 2026 edition of the festival will also feature some of Australia’s brightest local stars, including Newcastle-favourite Adam Newling; one of the most unique voices in Australian music today, Adam’s blend of alt-rock and country has captured the hearts of fans and the industry alike with his poetic lyricism and unruly, heartfelt vocal style
