CMC Rocks QLD has confirmed its return for 2026.
The country music festival will return to Willowbank Raceway from Friday, March 20th to Sunday, March 22nd.
The announcement comes after the festival’s 18th edition concluded this past weekend, drawing over 23,000 attendees. The full lineup for the 2026 festival will be announced later this year.
This year’s headliners included Cody Johnson, alongside Jon Pardi and Thomas Rhett. The lineup also featured international artists such as Cole Swindell, Billy Currington, Koe Wetzel, Muscadine Bloodline, Wyatt Flores, Kashus Culpepper, and Alana Springsteen.
Returning artists included New Zealand’s Kaylee Bell and Australian acts Travis Collins, Lane Pittman, Zac & George, Max Jackson, Amy Sheppard, Sinead Burgess, Abbie Ferris, Imogen Clark, The Buckleys, Denvah, and Vixens of Fall.
Reflecting on this year’s festival, Chairman of Chugg Entertainment, Michael Chugg, said:
“Our 18th festival has been an incredible success, with beautiful summer days and an incredible line up. To see our loyal fans get really excited about the brand-new sports bar and moving the fan signing area to the heart of the precinct has seen amazing lines to meet the artists. Our wonderful team continue to amaze everyone and it blows me away to be part of the late Rob Potts dream as it continues to exceed everything we dreamed of. Looking forward to 2026”.
Festival Director of Potts Entertainment, Jeremy Dylan, added:
“We’re already planning for next year’s festival, and seeing the excitement from our CMC Rocks community over the past few days has us eager to be back in March. As always, we’ll be working to make the next edition even bigger and better.”
The announcement comes amid a challenging period for the Australian festival scene. Several major events have been postponed or canceled, with new initiatives being introduced to safeguard key local festivals.
Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo will not return in 2025, while smaller events like Souled Out and Victoria’s Esoteric Festival were canceled just days before they were set to take place.
On Friday, it was revealed that Good Life Presents will not be returning next year, while the Byron Bay site that has hosted Splendour in the Grass since 2013 has been listed for sale, raising further questions about the festival’s long-term future.
For updates on CMC Rocks QLD, visit cmcrocks.com.
