The tourism and events industry of Queensland has secured another two-year deal with CMC Rocks QLD, Australia’s premier international country music festival. This partnership, first established in 2015, will see the festival remain at Willowbank, Ipswich, until 2026, with the 2025 event scheduled for March 21-23.
The festival is a major crowd puller, attracting 23,000 visitors each year and injecting $14 million into the Queensland economy. It has been a runaway success since its relocation to Queensland in 2015, growing visitor numbers each year. The high-profile artists and sell-out crowds that the event attracts is seeing Queensland claim the title of the ‘Australia’s home of country music’.
The announcement was made by Tourism Minister Michael Healy who stated that CMC Rocks is an iconic Queensland event and contributes to the state’s mega events calendar worth $850 million. Queensland has fought against a southern poaching raid to keep this event in the state. Tourism and Events Queensland CEO, Patricia O’Callaghan, said that securing CMC Rocks for a further two years is a part of their pipeline of events to grow their events calendar to $2 billion by 2032.
The festival has featured artists such as Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Morgan Evans, The Chicks, and many more. The 2024 event delivered a Grammy Award winner for Best Country Album, along with accolades from the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards for ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’ and ‘Album of The Year’, Lainey Wilson, who performed at the event this year, alongside Tyler Hubbard, Chris Young, Chase Rice, and others.
The festival director, Jeremy Dylan of Potts Entertainment, expressed excitement about returning to Willowbank for the next year’s event. Chairman of Chugg Entertainment, Michael Chugg, also commented on the announcement, expressing his joy and excitement for the fans who travel far and wide to attend CMC Rocks. Another spectacular lineup is already in the pipeline, and it will be revealed later this year.
The 23,000 fans from CMC Rocks disperse throughout the state for a Queensland holiday, and events like this are key to the growth of Queensland’s visitor economy. With CMC Rocks QLD and other popular events like Savannah in the Round, the Groundwater Country Music Festival, and the Gympie Music Muster, Queensland has fast become the home of country music in Australia.
