The best of Queensland's country event season 2025/6

EVENT

Crowd in front of the CMC Rocks QLD stage at night
Danielle Reckless

By Danielle Reckless

Published 3 months ago

If your playlist is more Dolly Parton than top 40, you prefer riding horses over riding waves, and you know that wagon wheel is more than just a delicious biscuit, it’s time you step into a different side of Queensland.

Welcome to Australia’s home of country music – where you can be one of the thousands who make the pilgrimage every year to dance under a sky full of stars.

But the country-lovin’ doesn’t end there. From outback festivals and rodeos to fishing competitions and horse-drawn wagon tours, we’ve got a year-round guide that’ll knock the socks right outta your cowboy boots.

These are the best of Queensland's country event season in 2025 - and dates to save for 2026. 

Capricorn King of Kings, Capricorn

When: TBC Jan/Feb 2026

Got fishing fever? This is your cure.

The King of Kings Fishing Tournament lures anglers from across Australia for one of the country's biggest competitive fishing weekends. Whether you're a boat bandit, kayak caster, shore specialist or spearfishing diver – there's a category with your name on it.

With over $150,000 in prizes up for grabs across 25 categories, even rookies have a shot at glory. Just bring your best tall fishing tale as backup.

Darling Downs Heavy Horse Festival, Queensland Country

When: 14 – 15 March 2026

These aren't your average ponies – they're the heavyweight champions of the horse world.

Trot over to Allora for a weekend that celebrates these magnificent giants and their mammoth contribution to our history. Watch in awe as these gentle giants demonstrate old-school ploughing techniques while blacksmiths and wheelwrights show off crafts that built Australia.

Between the fascinating demos and bustling artisan markets, you'll swear you've travelled back in time – minus the uncomfortable underwear.

CMC Rocks Qld, Brisbane

When: 20 - 22 March 2026

Crowd in front of the CMC Rocks QLD stage at night

CMC Rocks QLD, Brisbane

Australia's biggest international country music festival returns to shake the ground west of Brisbane – and it’s a party you won’t want to miss.

With 2025 spotlighting legends like Thomas Rhett, Cody Johnson, John Pardi and Cole Swindell, you can bet 2026 will bring the goods. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements, and put CMC Rocks to the top of your bucket list. Epic camping and country tunes await. 

Learn more: Your go-to guide to CMC Rocks QLD, Australia's premier country music festival

If you miss out on tickets, don’t fret. In Brisbane catch sweet tunes of the south all year round at Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Honky Tonks, Chattahoochee Joes, and Johnny Ringo’s (complete with mechanical bull).

Mort & Co King of the Mountain Horse Race, Queensland Country

When: TBC March 2026

Fancy frocks at the ready – Toowoomba's premier racing carnival is charging ahead. From the nail-biting Barrier Draw to the heart-pounding main race with $750,000 up for grabs, King of the Mountain transforms Clifford Park into a playground of thoroughbreds, fashion and festivities.

Rare Spares Rockynats, Capricorn

When: 17 – 19 April 2026

Buckle up, petrolheads. Queensland's largest car and bike festival is revving back into Rockhampton.

Prepare for sensory overload as street drags echo through town, burnout champions create smoke signals visible from space, and drift kings slide sideways with surgical precision. This high-octane weekend showcases Australia's most mind-blowing modified machines in their natural habitat – showing off. The rumble of engines might not be country music, but it's definitely a Queensland symphony.

Outback River Lights Festival, Outback Queensland

When: 17 – 19 April 2026

Colourful lanterns light the sky during Outback River Lights Festival, Cunnamulla

Outback River Lights Festival, Cunnamulla, Outback Queensland. Photo by @qldmusictrails

Cunnamulla lights up the outback sky in a festival that's equal parts enchanting and quintessentially Queensland.

Build your own lantern and join the procession along the Warrego River as light installations transform this outback town into an illuminated wonderland. Beyond the glow, immerse yourself in Kunja culture, feast on regional delicacies, and absorb the rhythm of live performances against a star-studded outback backdrop.

It's the perfect introduction to travel season in Queensland's southwest – bright lights, big country.

Roma’s Easter in the Country Festival, Outback Queensland

When: TBC April 2026

Two people cart-racing goats as crowds watch on from stadium seats

Roma's Easter in the country, Roma, Outback Queensland

School holidays with a true-blue country twist? Roma's five-day celebration delivers in spades.

Round up the family and head west for this premier Easter event where rodeo action, cart races, and markets showcase rural Australia at its finest. The kids will go wild meeting with activities and egg hunts, while you can kick back to country music legends on the main stage.

From camel rides to speedway thrills, this festival serves up a perfect platter of outback experiences and country music that'll have city slickers considering a tree-change.

Learn more: Easy Outback Queensland trip: 9 delightful things to do in Roma

Big Red Sunset Concert, Outback Queensland

When: 8 - 9 July 2025

Music. Desert. Stars. Some experiences are worth crossing a state for.

The intimate Big Red Concert returns to its roots with just 1,000 lucky attendees getting the chance to witness Aussie legend John Williamson perform classics like 'True Blue' against the backdrop of Australia's most iconic sand dune.

Fall asleep under a canopy of stars after the show, and you'll understand why this pared-back country music experience at the edge of the Simpson Desert tops bucket lists nationwide.

Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, Outback Queensland

When: 8 - 10 August 2025

Indigenous rodeo athlete rides bronco during Mount Isa Mines Indigenous Rodeo Championships, Outback Queensland

Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, Outback Queensland. Photo by Mount Isa Mines Rodeo.

Dust, danger, and damn good fun – welcome to the Southern Hemisphere's largest rodeo.

When 750 competitors converge on Mount Isa's famous red dirt arena to battle for Australia's richest rodeo prize pool, you're guaranteed heart-in-mouth moments that'll have you gripping your Akubra tight.

Between the bull riding and whip cracking, catch your breath with live country music performances, market treasures, and epic Rodeo Rock Concerts featuring Australia's finest. This isn't just an event – it's pure outback theatre.

Learn more: How to get a taste of Queensland's Wild West during Mount Isa Rodeo Festival

Gympie Music Muster, Sunshine Coast

When: 28 - 31 August 2025

Country music artist Morgan Evans performs on the main stage at Gympie Music Muster, with crowd cheering on

Gympie Music Muster, Sunshine Coast

The trees have ears when Amamoor State Forest transforms into Queensland's country music heartland.

For four glorious days, this normally tranquil forest becomes a tent city dedicated to blues, roots and country tunes for the Gympie Music Muster. With Adam Harvey, Alli Walker, Casey Barnes, Daryl Braithwaite, Kasey Chambers, The Choirboys and so many more on the bill, this year’s Muster will be one for the ages.

As Queensland country music festivals go, this one delivers authentic bush charm by the bootload. 

Learn more: 5 things you need to do at this year's Gympie Music Muster

Julia Creek Dirt n Dust, Outback Queensland

When: 29th - 31st August 

Competitors run through deep muddy waters during the Adventure Run at Julia Creek Dirt n Dust Festival

Julia Creek Dirt n Dust Festival, Julia Creek, Outback Queensland. Photo Credit: Jo Thieme

When tiny Julia Creek balloons from 400 residents to 3,000 revellers, you know something special is happening. This legendary outback festival serves up a triple threat of rodeo thrills, heart-pounding horse and dirt bike races, plus live country music under impossibly bright stars.

Chuck in a muddy fun run and the search for Australia's best butt (yes, really), and you've got an event that defies explanation. It's worth the road trip just to say you've been – and you will be back.

Learn more: How to make Julia Creek Dirt n Dust Festival the outback adventure of a lifetime

Birdsville Races, Outback Queensland

When: 5 - 6 September 2025

Crowds cheer on the horses on the home stretch at Birdsville Races

Birdsville Races, Birdsville, Outback Queensland


Some call it the Melbourne Cup of the Outback. We call it an essential life experience.

The 1,500km pilgrimage to Birdsville for this legendary racing carnival creates a temporary dust-covered city in one of Australia's most remote towns. Beyond the 13-race program and coveted Birdsville Cup, you'll find fashion competitions, Fred Brophy's famous Boxing Troupe, and nights at the iconic Birdsville Hotel that'll become the yarns you tell for decades.

This isn't just watching horses run – it's pure outback magic.

Check out these unforgettable things to do at the Birdsville Races.

Savannah in the Round, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

When: 9 - 12 October 2025

Troy Cassar-Daley at Savannah in the Round

Savannah in the Round, Mareeba, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

It's among Queensland's newest country music festivals, but it's already earned legendary status.

Just an hour from Cairns, Mareeba's picturesque surrounds set the scene for an epic lineup of country rock, roots and pop artists that'll have you two-stepping under palm trees. And with headliners like Zac Brown Band, James Reyne, Jackson Dean and Kasey Chambers, you’re sure to be dancing all weekend.

Beyond the music, dive into cultural exhibitions, sample local produce at the marketplace, and let the kids loose in the family funfair.

Groundwater Country Music Festival, Gold Coast

When: 17 - 19 October 2025

Crowds watch performer onstage at a music festival

Groundwater Country Music Festival, Broadbeach, Gold Coast

Surfboards make way for Stetsons when country goes coastal at Australia's fastest-growing country music festival.

The best part? This toe-tapping takeover of the Gold Coast is free. With headline announcements coming soon, prepare for a weekend where the only thing more refreshing than the ocean dip is the authentic country atmosphere in the heart of Australia's playground.

Birdsville Big Red Bash, Outback Queensland

When: 7 - 9 July 2026

Crowds of festival goers dance and clap along to performer onstage, below Big Red sand dune on a sunny day

Big Red Bash, Birdsville, Outback Queensland

Worth the wait and worth the drive – the world's most remote music festival returns in 2026.

Picture this: Australia's biggest musical acts performing against a towering red sand dune in the Simpson Desert, with nothing but open sky above and red earth below. Between sets, try your hand at sand-surfing down Big Red on an Esky lid, join the world-record Nutbush attempt, or simply soak in a landscape that feels like another planet.

Start planning your epic outback adventure now – this bucket-list Queensland country music festival sells out faster than you can say "Waltzing Matilda."

 

Get a lil' dirt on those boots

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