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Tamworth gets underway
The festival's opening ceremony took place on Friday night in Tamworth's Bicentennial Park, offering a preview of some of this year’s musical highlights. Tania Kernaghan was among the first performers to take to the stage in 2010, alongside other up-and-coming, traditional and contemporary artists including Liam Brew and Jonah’s Road.
While the festival line-up is predominantly country artists, there are artists appearing on the bill whose music falls outside the ‘country’ genre, like Guy Sebastian and Wendy Matthews, and their inclusion has attracted criticism from some quarters.
In a letter to Tamworth newspaper The Northern Daily Leader from November, country music identity Eric Scott labelled the decision by organisers to include Sebastian and Matthews as “blind stupidity”, writing that “Guy Sebastian is not a country music act and never will be!”.
Scott has also expressed concerns about the 2010 event being organised by external consultants, which he believes may result in the original spirit of the event being lost.
Organisers are expecting fifty thousand people to attend the festival over the next ten days, which will feature over 1,000 performers, 2,500 events, free concerts, a parade and the Country Music Awards.
Although there was some good rainfall over the Christmas period in and around the Tamworth district, Anna Moulder from ABC New England North West has reported that ‘There is certainly no flooding anywhere near Tamworth at the moment (closest is out near Brewarrina and Walgett Shire) and it’s not looking like flooding rain on its way that we know of.’
Anyone who is attending the Festival and wishes to keep up-to-date with the latest news and weather forecasts can tune in to ABC New England North West or visit their website
Some of the expected highlights at the festival include:
Friday January 15 from 6:30pm
The 2010 Official Opening Ceremony & Concert, featuring Tania Kernaghan, Liam Brew, Jonah’s Road and many more. Bicentennial Park
Saturday January 16 from 2:00pm
Australian Country Music Hall of Fame Tribute to the Pioneering Ladies. Celebrating the music of some of Australia’s legendary female musicians, with performances from Anne Kirkpatrick, Dianne Lindsay, Wayne Horsburgh, Tracy Killeen, Lou Bradley, Jodie Crosby & Steve Newton, Laura Downing and many more. Tamworth War Memorial Town Hall
Sunday, January 17 starting at 7:30pm
Star Maker Grand Final at Tamworth Entertainment Centre
The culmination of Australia's annual country music talent search. Australia’s best new country talents will perform at the Grand Final.
Daily Busking on Peel Street
The main street comes alive when hundreds of buskers deliver various degrees of talent. There are always diamonds in the rough though, with Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daley and Keith Urban a few of the names to have previously performed on a patch of concrete as youngsters.
Friday 22 January from 5.30pm
Free Lee Kernaghan Concert, Bicentennial Park
Saturday January 23 starting at 9:00am
Country Music Cavalcade, with over 60 floats, bands and groups making their way along Peel Street.
Saturday, January 23
38th CMAA Country Music Awards. A massive night of nights on the Australian country music calendar, including the spectacle of the red carpet arrival. Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre See all the nominees here.
Sunday, January 24 at 11.00am
Festival Closing Ceremony, Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.
To end the festival experience, there’s a concert featuring the 2010 winners from various talent quests and competitions and a special performance by multi golden guitar winner, Darren Cogga
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Discover more about Lee Kernaghan on ABC Country
Artist Biography
Lee Kernaghan OAM in Corryong at the foot of the Victorian highlands is a well-known Australian country music singer and songwriter.
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