WILLOWBANK RACEWAY TO HOST BIGGEST COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL IN SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE IN 2015
18 August 2014
Willowbank Raceway is set to host the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest country and roots music festival across March 13-15, 2015.
By moving to the Raceway – Queensland’s premier drag racing facility – the event will be able to accommodate larger festival numbers while retaining its huge international lineups, intimate songwriter shows and on-site camping.
“We are excited about CMC Rocks QLD coming to Willowbank Raceway across 13 to 15 March, 2015,” said Willowbank Raceway CEO Tony Manson.
“It is an event with a great history coming to a venue with a great history, and having another major event here cements our deserved reputation as a great event venue and also that of Ipswich as a ‘can do’ event city.”
Willowbank Raceway is Queensland’s premier drag racing facility, located 45 minutes from Brisbane or just a short drive from Ipswich, offering a year-round program of events for the entire family. For more information including a full event calendar, please visit www.willowbankraceway.com.au
For more information, see below for the official announcement from event organisers.
14 August 2014 –
CMC ROCKS THE HUNTER TO RELOCATE TO QUEENSLAND IN 2015
USA SUPERSTARS LADY ANTEBELLUM TO HEADLINE
CMC Rocks, the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest country and roots music festival, will move to the picturesque Willowbank Raceway site in south-east Queensland next March with multi-Platinum selling artist Lady Antebellum set to headline, festival organisers Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, Chugg Entertainment and Foxtel’s Country Music Channel announced today.
The festival was first held in Thredbo’s Snowy Mountains in 2008. Following extensive attendance growth, the event moved to NSW’s Hunter Valley in 2011. Once again, the festival has grown in scope and popularity and promoters have decided to move to the expandable QLD site. The move will accommodate larger festival numbers, while retaining the CMC Rocks trademarks of huge international lineups, intimate songwriters shows, on-site camping and the late-night camper’s bar.
Located within a one hour drive from Brisbane and Gold Coast domestic and international airports, the new site will allow additional travel options for festival goers as well as added accommodation options within a multitude of price categories.
"With what is basically a metro site located off the Cunningham Highway just one hour from both Brisbane and Gold Coast airports and accessible by road, train and shuttle bus options, travel to and from the event will be much quicker and easier. There is also an unlimited supply of accommodation within an hour radius of the site – including Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Ipswich, along with a much-expanded camping area and new glamping options,” said Rob Potts, CEO, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge.
"Now in its 8th year, CMC Rocks has become a huge fan favourite festival, with country fans flocking to the event from all over Australia and internationally. The new larger site at Willowbank Raceway, south west of Brisbane, opens up exciting options for us in the way we stage the event, along with greater catering and entertainment options, enhancing the festival experience for everyone."
The CMC Rocks festivals have become known for their unique star-studded lineups, combining the biggest international artists with Australia’s most acclaimed country performers, as well as the very best of the young up-and- coming local performers. This will continue in 2015, with USA Grammy winners Lady Antebellum and ARIA winning Troy Cassar-Daley announced as the first two performers for CMC Rocks QLD 2015.
Michael Chugg, Chugg Entertainment Chairman said, "Not only are we excited about the move to Queensland and the new opportunities it gives the festival, but we can now confirm a huge headliner for the 2015 festival, Lady Antebellum. This will be Lady A’s first ever performance at CMC Rocks. They’re one of the biggest bands in country music and will absolutely bring the house down. We’ve been working hard over the past few months to lock down one of the best lineups the festival has seen and can’t wait to reveal the full lineup."
The move of the festival will be a major boon to tourism in Queensland, a state that arguably has the biggest country music audience in Australia.
“CMC Rocks QLD is expected to attract more than 5,000 international and interstate visitors to Ipswich for the three-day music festival,” said Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Jann Stuckey.
“The event will provide a great opportunity to showcase the greater Brisbane region to the important US visitor market through its association with Storme Warren, Festival MC and host of Headline Country, an American Country news and entertainment program broadcast to more than 62 million households.
“Additionally, coverage profiling the festival and region will be broadcast across Australia on Foxtel’s Country Music Channel.”
“Foxtel's Country Music Channel (CMC) is Australia's only television destination for country music and we're very proud to continue our successful long term presentation of CMC Rocks,” said Foxtel's General Manager, Music Channels and Digital Media, Rebecca Batties.
“The festival has been hugely popular both on ground and on air and we think Queenslanders will embrace the festival in this exciting new location. We're looking forward to another massive year of CMC Rocks in 2015.”
The festival promoters would like to sincerely thank their Hunter Valley partners for supporting great live country and roots music, as well as the loyal fans who have attended in their thousands since the festival’s inception.
Now in its eight year of operation, CMC Rocks has established itself as the biggest International Country and Roots Festival outside of North America and one of the premiere events on the Australian music calendar. Artist lineups have included Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill, Big & Rich and many more.
CMC Rocks QLD 2015 will be held on Fri March 13 - Sun March 15, over three days and nights, at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich.
Seven-time GRAMMY award-winning group LADY ANTEBELLUM (USA) will release their fifth studio album 747 on Oct. 3 in Australia, which follows over 11 million album sales worldwide, eight trips to #1 on the country radio charts, five Platinum singles in the USA including their megahit “Need You Now,” which was also certified Triple Platinum in Australia. The trio has won the “Vocal Group of the Year” honor from both the Country Music Association and from the Academy of Country Music three years in a row. Before returning overseas for CMC Rocks, Lady A will complete their headlining 2014 TAKE ME DOWNTOWN TOUR, which will have hit over 80 cities in the US and Canada by the end of the year. For more information, visit www.ladyantebellum.com
TROY CASSAR-DALEY has been one of Australia’s biggest country stars for almost twenty years - a singer-songwriter whose heartfelt songs, soulful voice and hot guitar picking, has touched fans around Australia. The multiple ARIA, APRA and Golden Guitar winning artist has released nine career albums, including his recent collaboration with Adam Harvey, the platinum selling ‘The Great Country Songbook’. One of the most loved performers in Aussie music, Troy is sure to bring his hits and loads of good vibes to CMC Rocks QLD.
The full festival line-up and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information, visit www.cmcrocks.com
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cmcrocks
For CMC Rocks QLD enquiries:
Kerry Roberts - kerryroberts@therobertsnetwork.com.au
Phone: 0405.446.763 or (02) 9361.2200
Darryl Bailey - darryl.bailey@dbmp.com.au
Phone: 0423.563.894