Australia’s Biggest Touring Country Music Festival, Strummingbird 2026, Unveils Partner Line-Up For A Bootscootin’ Festival Experience

Following a successful debut in 2025, country music festival Strummingbird returns in 2026 with a standout line-up of brand partners set to transform the event into an immersive cultural destination, celebrating country music, culture and community.

Presented by Kicks Entertainment and Live Nation Australia, Australia’s biggest touring country event will bring its expanded format back to Newcastle (17 October) and the Sunshine Coast (18 October), while making its debut in Ballarat, Victoria (10 October).

With a focus on showcasing country music in regional communities, the 2026 event will feature some of the biggest homegrown and international acts, including Tyler Childers (Newcastle & Sunshine Coast), Sam Barber (Ballarat), James Johnston, Bailey Zimmerman, Cooper Alan, Brad Cox and breakout star Stella Lefty..

In a first for Strummingbird, the festival introduces stage-presenting rights partner Hahn, McDonald’s, and Ariat alongside returning partners Red Bull and Diageo’s Bundaberg Rum, Casamigos Tequila, and Gordon’s Gin.

• ‍Hahn takes presenting rights of the Hahn Saloon Stage and Bar for 2026: a high-energy, late-night hub which will host live acts, big crowds and electric festival moments into the night. With line dancing between sets and an atmosphere that will be energetic and totally immersive, Hahn will create a second-stage destination that will have everyone saying its iconic tagline ‘HOW GOOD!’

• Bundaberg Rum returns as presenting rights partner of the Strummo Bowlo for a second year, putting Bundy at the heart of country music culture and reconnecting with Heartland Australia in a way only Bundy can. After a stand-out debut at Strummingbird Festival 2025, the Bundy Strummo Bowlo will bring the much-loved energy of a regional Saturday arvo bowling club to the festival - complete with a heritage-style façade, a fully stocked bar, lawn bowls with mates and classic dance-floor fillers all day long.

• Macca’s is bringing an extra dose of country spirit to Strummingbird Festival, with exclusive fan experiences across all three locations. Festival-goers can enjoy appearances from everyone’s favourite purple icon, Grimace, exclusive merchandise giveaways and the chance to sample the new Nashville Range. In Ballarat and Newcastle, fans can also pull up a seat at Macca’s House of Country, a dedicated festival hub featuring additional live music and feel-good moments between sets, while Sunshine Coast attendees can get involved with interactive photo opportunities and custom boot personalisation with Ariat.

• Ariat is excited to join Strummingbird as the Official Western Apparel & Boot Partner. They’ll be setting up shop on the Sunshine Coast with a full Ariat store on site, loaded with boots, Western fits, and festival essentials to get you kitted out for the weekend. Come say howdy, try on a pair of boots, grab a cowboy hat, and level up your festival fit.

• Rounding out the partnerships, Red Bull returns to Strummingbird this year, so crack a cold can and keep the country spirit high from day to night. The newest Red Bull Summer Edition, Sudachi Lime will be available to VIP ticketholders.

Kristy Rosser, Senior Vice President, Media and Sponsorship at Live Nation Australia & New Zealand said: “Country fans don’t just turn up for the headline act. They come for the songs they know by heart, the line-dancing, boots and hats, and the chance to share unforgettable moments with friends who love the genre as much as they do. Strummingbird’s debut showed the incredible appetite for country music and its culture in Australia.

“For brands, the opportunity is to create spaces where fans can gather, connect and share memories they’ll talk about long after they leave. The partnerships that leave a lasting impression are those that genuinely add value, embrace the culture of the community and help create meaningful experiences fans will remember."

Live Nation’s ‘Step Into Country’ research study highlights the accelerating growth and demand for country music, identifying Australia as the third largest global country music market, behind the USA and Canada. Live Nation data reveals a 746 per cent increase in live country music ticket sales since 2019, alongside a 4.5-fold increase in Live Nation country music shows booked in Australia between 2024 and 2025, demonstrating country's evolution into a mainstream genre.

For more information on Strummingbird and Connect by Live Nation, visit connectbylivenation.com.au