Country music festival announces 2023 date

After the sold-out Gippsland Country Music Festival, organisers have already pencilled in Saturday, April 22 for third annual event.
It followed hot on the heels of the second annual festival in late April featuring live music from some of the best country musicians in Australia. Just 24-hours out from opening the gates, the Gippsland Country Music Festival had sold-out for its second year.
The show at Mossvale Park in Berry's Creek was headlined by Kasey Chambers, The Wolfe Brothers, Travis Collins and Adam Harvey, with Darlinghurst, Taylor Moss, Mick Harrington, The Strzelecki Stringbusters, Bob Wilson Barkindji Man, Lee SonnyBoy Morgan, DJ Brat Paisley, and MC Ben Mastwyk. It wasn't just about the music, with line dancing classes, whip-cracking demonstrations, rides, market stalls and a host of delicious Gippsland food and drinks.
Organiser and long-time Gippsland local Aidan McLaren said the fantastic day was the culmination of months of hard work from the Gippsland Country Music Festival crew.
"What a day," he said. "Perfect weather, an awesome sold-out audience and all of the bands were amazing. We couldn't have asked for much more. Everything came together so well and the vibe was really special."
McLaren said the main highlights of the day would have to be the four headliner artists – Kasey Chambers, The Wolfe Brothers, Travis Collins and Adam Harvey who "all performed stand-out sets and really got the crowd going".
"For most of them, it was their first time playing in Victoria since COVID and they genuinely were really thankful and appreciative to be performing in Gippsland. The line-dancing lead by local legend Linda Pink was also really well received, and it's hard to go past the sunset, which was magic."
Having the festival sell out for its second year in a row was something Aidan and the team only dreamt of.
"The support from the community for this event has been immense," he said. "We're really grateful. To sell-out an event two years in a row is no small feat and it's a great sign that it's something that will hopefully take place in Gippsland for many years to come. There are a lot of local people, local businesses and community groups involved in making this event happen, and it's wonderful that it has been a success and lots of people can benefit from it. To be able to welcome such a high-calibre of artists to perform in our region is awesome as well."
McLaren said the team couldn't wait to announce details of what they have planned for 2023.
"We've already locked in a bunch of amazing artists and we're excited to also be adding more non-musical elements to the event next year as well," McLaren said. "I can't say much more than that at this stage, other than it truly will be a celebration of all things country."
Save the date for the Gippsland Country Music Festival next year on Saturday, April 22.
For further information, visit gippslandcountrymusicfestival.com