Brooks & Dunn, Eric Church lead CMC Rocks 20th anniversary

One of Australia's most epic celebrations of country music, CMC Rocks QLD, has unveiled the line-up for its 20th anniversary edition.

The 2027 festival will feature headline performances from iconic country duo Brooks & Dunn, Southern rock stalwart Eric Church and award-winning bluegrass singer-songwriter Ashley McBryde.

Kicking off on Wednesday, March 17 and running to Sunday, March 21, CMC Rocks QLD is set to return to Willowbank on Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul Country in Ipswich, Queensland.

To celebrate the 20th year of the festival, the CMC Rocks QLD team has curated a selection of artists brimming with incredible talent from home and abroad, showcasing the breadth of modern country music.

This year's headliners have played a significant role in country music's rise in Australia since CMC's inception, so having them headline such a big celebration feels fitting.

"Brooks & Dunn coming to Australia kicked the door open for Nashville superstars to take our country and our fans seriously," Festival Director Jeremy Dylan said in a statement this morning. 

Alongside the duo's long-awaited return to Australia, their first shows here since 2009, the festival's stages will host acts like North Carolina singer-songwriter Kameron Marlowe, Texas neo-traditional multi-instrumentalist Parker McCollum, and Oklahoma red dirt legends Turnpike Troubadours.

On a local level, you can catch performances from homegrown stars like Lane Pittman, Zac & George, Rachel Fahim, Dear Tommie, Loren Ryan, Tori Darke and more.

CMC Rocks began in 2008 as CMC Rocks The Snowys, featuring a young singer-songwriter named Taylor Swift as its first headliner. 

After events in the Hunter Valley and Townsville, the festival found its home at Willowback Raceway in 2015, where it has remained ever since.

Tickets for CMC Rocks QLD are on sale from 10am AEST on Friday, September 25. Head to the festival's website for more information.

The full dates and line-up are below, with plenty to be explored.

March 17-21, 2027: Willowbank, Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul Country, Ipswich, Qld

Brooks & Dunn, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Kameron Marlowe, Parker McCollum, Turnpike Troubadours, 49 Winchester, Randall King, Blake Whiten, Lanie Gardner, Zach John King, Colby Acuff, Tyler Nance, Kaylee Bell, Lily Meola, Tyce Delk, Kassi Ashton, Lane Pittman, Liam St. John, Kruse Brothers, Zac & George, Rachael Fahim, Jade Eagleson, Tori Darke, Dear Tommie, Loren Ryan, Jack Biilmann, Ethan Calway, Piper Butcher, Sons of Atticus, Sarah Grace Buckley, Bianca Joulianou, Caillin Malley, Willie Pake, Dee Kay Bux, Ladies Love Country DJs