CMC Rocks QLD is going big for its 20th anniversary, with BROOKS & DUNN, ERIC CHURCH and ASHLEY MCBRYDE announced as the three headline acts for the 2027 festival.
There are anniversaries, and then there are anniversaries that deserve a soundtrack.
CMC Rocks QLD will celebrate 20 years in 2027 with a line-up that brings together three very different chapters of modern country music. BROOKS & DUNN will make their long awaited return to Australia, ERIC CHURCH will finally make his Australian debut, while ASHLEY MCBRYDE returns to the festival for the third time.
The festival takes over Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st March 2027, with camping available from Wednesday 17th March.
For BROOKS & DUNN, the trip carries a particularly strong connection to the history of CMC Rocks. The Country Music Hall of Fame duo have not played in Australia for almost 20 years and will make their CMC Rocks debut as part of the anniversary celebrations. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have spent more than three decades building one of country music’s most recognisable catalogues, with 20 US number one hits among the highlights. Songs including Neon Moon, My Maria, Boot Scootin’ Boogie and Red Dirt Road should make for a sizeable singalong when the duo finally take the CMC stage.
Their return to Australia also brings the festival’s history full circle. Brooks & Dunn were among the first US acts toured in Australia by the late Rob Potts, the founder of CMC Rocks, almost two decades ago. They are also heading to Australia at another significant point in their career, having recently been announced as the recipients of the 2026 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
ERIC CHURCH, meanwhile, will be experiencing CMC Rocks and Australia for the very first time.
The Nashville star has built a reputation for big live shows and an equally big collection of country anthems, including Drink In My Hand, Springsteen and Talladega. His Australian debut will give CMC Rocks fans their first chance to see Church headline the festival, with his new song On The Road adding another chapter to the story.
Church arrives with seven ACM Awards, four CMA Awards and 11 Grammy nominations to his name, but it is likely to be the live show that gets the biggest reaction when he steps onto the stage at Willowbank.
ASHLEY MCBRYDE completes the headline trio and will be a more familiar face to CMC Rocks regulars. The Grammy, CMA and ACM Award winner previously performed at the festival in 2019 and 2023 and returns for a third appearance. McBryde has established herself as one of the strongest singer-songwriters in contemporary country music, with her latest album Wild adding to a catalogue that includes the acclaimed Never Will. She is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The three headliners sit at the top of a much larger bill, with KAMERON MARLOWE, PARKER MCCOLLUM, TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS, 49 WINCHESTER, RANDALL KING, BLAKE WHITEN, LANIE GARDNER, KAYLEE BELL, LILY MEOLA, COLBY ACUFF, JADE EAGLESON, LANE PITTMAN, ZAC & GEORGE, RACHAEL FAHIM, TORI DARKE, DEAR TOMMIE, SONS OF ATTICUS and many more also announced.
There is plenty happening away from the main stages too. The Songwriters Show will return with its intimate Nashville style in the round format, while Back Forty will showcase emerging artists across the Cowboy Campground and Great Northern House.
Nifty’s Sports Bar, Big Time Charlie’s and the Amazon Music After Party will provide plenty of options once the main stages fall quiet, while Lil’ Buckaroos returns for younger country fans.
The 20th anniversary is also an opportunity to look back at just how far CMC Rocks has travelled. The festival began in Thredbo in 2008 before moving through the Hunter Valley and Townsville, eventually settling at Willowbank, where it has been based for the past decade.
What started as a country music festival has grown into something considerably bigger, with generations of fans now making the trip together. Some have been there from the beginning. Others will be experiencing CMC Rocks for the first time in 2027.
And with BROOKS & DUNN returning to Australia after almost two decades, ERIC CHURCH finally making his Australian debut and ASHLEY MCBRYDE back for another CMC Rocks appearance, the festival has found three headliners with plenty of history of their own.
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