TAMWORTH EXPRESS: TCMF TOUR - Tamworth Country Music Festival Fully Guided Tour with Sky Road Trail

The Tamworth Express: TCMF TOUR
“Giddy up, ladies! Grab those cowboy hats! 
Gents, dust off your spurs and polish up those belt buckles. 
We’re off to the Tamworth Country Music Festival - Yeehaw!”

Join us for 5 days and 4 nights of non-stop festival fun! Whether you’re a die-hard country music fan or just in it for the atmosphere, this iconic Aussie festival promises excitement, live performances, and an unforgettable experience. Travel stress-free from the Gold Coast & Brisbane and enjoy the best of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, complete with luxury glamping, private chauffeur service to all your gigs and group camaraderie!

HIGHLIGHTS

• Airconditioned Bell Tents
• Powered Sites
• Already built Tents on arrival
• No tent pack up
• 1 Included Ticketed Concert - This year it's Casey Barnes (unless sold out prior - will be replaced with another headline act).
• BushPoets Breakfast - a TCMF tradition
• 1 x secret bar performance with a fascinating artist (not to be missed) note: This is a late night treat for those that are up for it.
• Nightly transport, picnic rugs & chairs to the Toyota Park Concert
• The Big Golden Guitar & Information Centre
• Tamworth Tourist Hightlights Tour
• Cavalcade Parade
• 1 x Welcome dinner at a venue.
• 3 x Camp site Dinners cooked by our excellent camp cooks
• 4 x Camp site cooked Breakfasts
• Exclusive use Camp Kitchen
• Chill Out Zone
• Transport from GC/Brisbane to Tamworth return
• Private Transit service throughout the festival - our drivers will get you to your gigs on time.
• Campsite location right near town on the Peel River. Grass sites.
• Tamworth local to escort you throughout the festival. 

CAMP LIFE:

• Glamping Accommodation (Twin/Dbl Share)
• Enjoy the comfort of festival bell tents with power, air conditioning, and essentials like blow-up mattresses, linen, chairs, and lanterns. These spacious tents are designed for up to 4 people.
• Tents are already set up for our arrival. No Tent set up and No Pack up.
• If you’re traveling solo, we’ll pair you with a same-sex solo traveller ensuring you make a new friend along the way.
• Single tents are available (subject to availability) and will include the same comfort, solo tents may be located adjacent to the glamping tents. Solo tents are spacious and large enough for 2 people + luggage.
• Twin Share will be 2 single mattresses. Dbl will be one double mattress. 
• If you have additional friends sharing your tent please talk to us about your mattress configuration requirements (i.e 4 x singles, 1 dbl +2 singles etc). 
• If glamping tents sell out we will use the Solo tents. Solo tents include airconditioning, power, mattresses & lighting. You will need to bring your bedding. 
• Stretcher Beds are available for a fee - please see the ticketing information. 
• You'll have access to shared amenities (toilets & showers) conveniently located nearby—similar to caravan park facilities. There are also demountable toilets located throughout the park.

CAMP KITCHEN & CHILL OUT ROOM: 

• The camp site will have its own kitchen where we prepare breakfast and dinner from Thursday morning until Sunday morning. Wednesday night dinner is hosted by your tour leaders at a local venue. Sunday night dinner at Stanthorpe is at your own cost during the trip back to Brisbane/Gold Coast. 
• The Chill Out Room marquee is a place to relax between gigs and utilised at mealtimes. 
• There are no campfires allowed on site. The weather is usually too hot for fires anyway.  After dinner we usually head out to a new venue to watch further concerts, or you can relax in the Chill Out Room or your airconditioned tent. 
• We camp in the middle of town right on the Peel River - therefore we are central to all the entertainment and located near the shuttles that transport you to and from the music venues. We offer a private shuttle service throughout the event (until 11pm) but if for any reason you want to get back to camp on your own or you are staying out past 11pm, you can use the event shuttle service to our campsite. 

MEALS: 

• We supply breakfast and dinner each day in camp. We cook great food and can cater to most dietary needs. 
• Lunch is not provided.  We recommend guests support the local vendors and the community by purchasing lunch each day or bring your own snack like lunches. Lunch purchase can be made from supermarkets, cafes and restaurants in Tamworth and gives you the opportunity to choose a meal of your own liking.
• Water – natural spring water will be supplied for drinking throughout the whole trip.
• Coffee/Tea/Hot Chocolate:  Are provided and stored in the Camp Kitchen for your convience.
• Drinks of a personal nature – you are welcome to bring along your own beverages. You can store cold drinks in our drink’s fridge (you may need to label your items).  
• Please note: no personal food can be stored in the communal drink’s fridge or in the tour esky. No leftovers are stored.  You will need to bring your own soft sided cooler bag if you would like to store cold food or items. We will supply the ice!

WHAT WILL WE BE DOING IN TAMWORTH?

• This festival is packed to the rafters with entertainment - all day & all night long! There is so much entertainment included from the Buskers to the Fan Zone & Toyota Park. There are performances on every corner (even on the platform of the ?train station) and nearly in every shop and certainly in every licenced establishment. The entertainment program is huge and quite frankly a little overwhelming. You can leave it up to our team to plan out your day (we have a gathered a wealth of experience over the years and have a Tamworth local to lead us around) or you can get busy planning your ulitmate festival itinerary. Some gigs are ticketed and require booking early to avoid sell out.

• Listening to Country Music

• Exploring the Markets & Buskers that line the main street.

• Attending free & ticketed events (ticketed events additional cost). 

• Drinking

• Eating good food

• Talking & making new friends

• Dancing

• Wearing our Cowboy hats and boots.

• Enjoying camp festival life.

There is plenty of free entertainment all 5 days however if you are a fan of specific performers, we recommend that you attend one or two ticketed events during the five days. It is recommended to book these in advance to ensure availability. We will transport you in the shuttle to your paid events. 

For popular performers we suggest booking early.  We have included Casey Barnes Concert in this years ticket which on at the Longyard on Thursday night.  There are many other big artists also preforming such as: Lee Kernagan, John Williamson, Kasey Chambers, The Wolfe Brothers, Troy Caser-Daley, Becky Cole, Amber Lawrence etc. Tickets for these events are not included in our trip cost. This gives everyone flexibility to choose what performance you would like to see. Please note that tickets are on sale now and may sell out. Book now! No need to check with us first before booking as long as the performance is in Tamworth during the dates of our trip - we will get you there.

Each day we have a set program of locations and performances for the whole group to attend and then people break off the group activities for a while if they are booked in to watch a ticketed concert. In the past this flexibility has worked well.

There is plenty of free entertainment all around the town at pubs and venues, you do not need to attend any additional ticketed event. There is always someone great to see.  Often the big stars will do a 'pop' up FREE performance on the Toyota Stand or FanZone and we will always make time in the itinerary to attend these free performances.

There is also the cavalcade down the main street on Saturday and several popular landmarks to visit like the Hands of Fame and the giant Golden Guitar, Museum.

For those that like Silo Art, there is a short hike and lookout to see and photograph Tamworths Silo art Installation.

The whole 5 days we are there it is action packed, we are never bored!

SAFETY

We will carry appropriate safety gear for this trip.

• Extensive first aid kit, rescue plan, iperb beacon, UHF two-way radios.
• We will supply bulk natural spring water during the trip at base camp.
• Please advise us of any medical issues before the trip that we should know about if you need medical attention.

WHAT TO BRING

We will send you a packing list following your booking. 

COSTS

TOUR TICKET

• Twin Share Tent Accommodation, Transport, Meals, Campsite, Festival Chauffeur Service, Gig Guide, Tamworth Tourist Highlights Tour, Casey Barnes, BushPoets Breakfast = $1595
• Single Supplement:  If you would like your own tent the cost is $1750 (note: single tents are not Bell Tents - they are standard tents. They accommodate upto 2 people).

ADDITIONAL ADD ON PACKAGES - look the part - get the swag!

• COWBOY or COWGIRL FESTIVAL SHOWBAG PACKAGE - $195.00pp - Includes a quality Ringers Western Shirt, Tour Themed Shirt, Stubby Holder, Quality Travel Mug and Special BBQ Sauce, Beef Jerky plus a whole lot more.
• FESTIVAL PACKAGE - Tour Themed Shirt and Festival Magazine/Guide $95.00pp  
• FESTIVAL MAGAZINE MAILED TO YOU - $22.95

TOUR LEADERS:

Tour leaders for this trip are Sharon and Patrick

Patrick, a Tamworth local and festival expert, will be your host! With his insider knowledge, he’ll make sure you experience all the highlights of the festival and make the most use of your time. Patrick is a keen cook and is sure to delight you with his camp meals.

Sharon, raised on farm land in Northern NSW, Sharon is at home in the country and no stranger to festivals. This will be Sharon's 3rd year at the TCMF.

Trip is operated by Sky Road Trail

Sky Road Trail is a family-run tour company specializing in adventure travel for those aged 35 to 65+. We focus on sparking your adventurous spirit by taking you off the beaten path and immersing you in authentic, out-of-the-box experiences. Whether you're a solo traveller, a woman seeking a unique getaway, part of a small group, or traveling as a couple, our tours offer something special. With Sky Road Trail, you’ll enjoy a friendly, relaxed, and safe atmosphere that feels like family—where you can fully embrace your adventurous side and discover the world in a whole new way.

ADULTS ONLY - This is tour for over 18yrs only

ITINERARY:

DAY 1: Wednesday Jan 22, 2025

DEPART Brisbane/Gold Coast 7-8AM.  Allow for an 8hr journey with rest stops and lunch.  Pick ups along the way on offer: Ipswich or Beaudessert, Warwick & Tamworth.

LUNCH, You can pack your lunch and snacks for the day or wait for a break stop at a services or similiar to buy your luch. We will get coffee along the way . 

ARRIVE Tamworth campsite at approx. 5pm.

DINNER your tour leaders will host dinner at a local venue on arrival night.

Note: The camp kitchen will be operational for meals from Thursday morning (Day 2).

Coffee, Tea, Water always available.

DAY 2: Thursday Jan 23, 2025

BREAKFAST  - Cooked Breakfast at Campsite.

DEPART FOR CONCERTS BY 10AM

DINNER: Cooked Dinner at Campsite

CONCERT - CASEY BARNES - 8PM

DAY 3: Friday Jan 24, 2025

BREAKFAST - Cooked Breakfast at Campsite

DEPART FOR CONCERTS BY 10AM

AFTERNOON: Highlights of Tamworth Tour

DINNER: Cooked Dinner at Campsite

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT - TOYOTA PARK

LATE NIGHT GIG - Special Performance 10PM

DAY 4: Saturday Jan 25, 2025

BREAKFAST - Cooked Breakfast at Campsite

STREET PARADE/CAVALCADE: 9AM

MARKETS

DINNER: Cooked Dinner at Campsite

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT: TOYOTA PARK

DAY 5: Sunday Jan 26, 2025 - Happy Australia Day!

BREAKFAST - BUSH POETS BREAKFAST AT THE LONGYARD

FANZONE - WINNERS

DEPART TAMWORTH AT LUNCH

MARKET STOP ON WAY HOME

DINNER: AT STANTHORPE

ARRIVE BRISBANE: 9PM - GOLDCOAST -10PM - Estimated times.