Australia's biggest country music festival, CMC Rocks QLD, is back with a bang for its 19th year, set to shake Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 March 2026. After a sold-out 2025 festival that drew more than 23,000 fans, the anticipation had been building. And now, the organizers have delivered a stacked lineup, showcasing global superstars, beloved homegrown heroes, and the genre’s next wave of power players.
Headlining this year’s bill are three undeniable forces in modern country: Jordan Davis, Old Dominion, and Riley Green. Each artist brings a unique flavour and massive fanbase ready to transform Willowbank into a three-night country celebration.
Jordan Davis, the Louisiana-born star, blends sharp lyrical storytelling with irresistible hooks. Since bursting onto the scene in 2018, he’s collected titles like Billboard’s Top New Country Artist and iHeartRadio’s Best New Country Artist. His platinum-selling album Bluebird Days, featuring CMA Song of the Year Buy Dirt (with Luke Bryan) and ACM Song of the Year Next Thing You Know, showcased songwriting finesse and commercial appeal. His 2025 follow-up, Learn the Hard Way, delivers 17 tracks of soulful country-pop, including the international #1 single I Ain’t Sayin’ and current standout Bar None. Fresh off returning to Australia as direct support for Luke Combs, Davis heads back Down Under in 2026 as a main attraction.
Old Dominion make their long-awaited return to CMC Rocks QLD, following their debut performance back in 2018. Since then, they’ve become one of country’s most successful bands with nine #1 singles, over six billion streams, and a sweep of Group of the Year awards (8x ACM, 7x CMA), making them the most-awarded group in country music history. Fans can expect hit-packed sets and new music from Barbara, their recently released sixth studio album.
Riley Green rounds out the headliners with pure authenticity. His self-titled EP dropped in 2018 and made Green quickly become a fan favourite. Hits like There Was This Girl, Half of Me (with Thomas Rhett), Worst Way and his current single Don’t Mind If I Do earned him CMA & ACM recognition, and his debut album Don’t Mind If I Do delivered his first #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay charts. In 2024, he brought his live energy to Australia’s Ridin’ Hearts Festival leaving fans hungry for more. Earlier in 2025, he dropped a deluxe version of the album featuring six fresh tracks, including the well-loved Make It Rain.
CMC Rocks has long been a launching pad for country’s next big names from Luke Combs in 2018 to Taylor Swift in 2009, both appearing long before super-stardom. For 2026, Australia’s finest homegrown talents are ready to rise alongside international stars. Expect to see Wade Forster, Sara Berki, The Wet Whistles, Tyla Rodrigues, and internationals Tucker Wetmore, Vincent Mason, and Willow Avalon delivering breakout moments.
Festival organisers are beyond grateful for the unwavering loyalty of their fans. Michael Chugg, Chairman of Chugg Entertainment, noted:
“Year after year, the loyalty of this crowd blows me away. Nearly half of them are flying in from interstate and so many have been making the trip for over a decade. That kind of commitment is rare in live music and it’s why we work so hard to keep delivering world‑class lineups. 2026's bill is stacked with incredible talent, big international names, Aussie favourites, and the next generation coming through. It’s going to be one hell of a weekend at Willowbank.”
Reflecting on the depth of the new lineup and the excitement ahead, Jeremy Dylan, Festival Director at Potts Entertainment, added:
“It’s so exciting to see the depth and breadth of this lineup, from massive stars making their CMC Rocks (and Australian) debut, and favourites like Old Dominion that our fans have been clamouring for since they last rocked Willowbank in 2018. We have been working hard to give the fans an even better experience than our epic 2025 festival, and we can’t wait to be back on site in March.”
Above and beyond music, CMC Rocks QLD continues to deliver the immersive experiences fans expect. Intimate Songwriters Show sessions, late-night tailgate afterparties, country bingo, VIP lounges, bootscooter line dancing, local markets, and even kids-friendly zones set the event apart.
Queensland’s Minister for Tourism, Andrew Powell, praised the event’s return, noting its success in drawing thousands and injecting millions into the local economy, and the Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding echoed his sentiment, calling it one of the region’s biggest events and congratulating the A-list lineup.
If you want to get your hands on some tickets, they go on sale Thursday, September 4 via AXS.
With the best of legends, locals, and new voices all primed to converge for three epic days, CMC Rocks QLD 2026 is shaping up as a festival fanatics can’t afford to miss.
CMC ROCKS 2026 LINE UP
JORDAN DAVIS - OLD DOMINION - RILEY GREEN
CARLY PEARCE – TUCKER WETMORE – DASHA – GAVIN ADCOCK – TYLER BRADEN – HUDSON WESTBROOK – JOSH ROSS – JAMES JOHNSTON – WAYLON WYATT – BAYKER BLANKENSHIP – BRAXTON KEITH – VINCENT MASON – WILLOW AVALON – CASEY BARNES – ALEXANDRA KAY – THE CASTELLOWS – JAKE WORTHINGTON – ELIZABETH NICHOLS – ZACH JOHN KING – WADE FORSTER – SARA BERKI – THE WET WHISTLES – HAYLEY JENSEN – ROBBIE MORTIMER – BELLA MACKENZIE – TYLA RODRIGUES – MACKENZIE MAY – MACK GEIGER – BRIANA DINSDALE – JADE GIBSON – DEE JAYE BUX – RATTLESNAKE JOHNNY – COUNTRY NIGHT
WITH STAGE HOSTS: STORME WARREN – MIKE CARR – D.J. GRIZZLY ADAMS
Countrytown brings you Australia’s best country music news, interviews, charts and more every week! This post was authored by Countrytown and originally published on the Countrytown website. It has been re-published with permission.
