Your go-to guide to CMC Rocks QLD, Australia's premier country music festival
Event
By Sam Cummins
When: Friday 20 - Sunday 22 March 2026
Where: Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, Brisbane
Every year, thousands of country music fans throw on their hats, fasten their belt buckles and make the pilgrimage to sell-out CMC Rocks QLD for three days of boot-scooting fun, less than an hour’s drive from Brisbane.
If your language is three chords and the truth, you don’t want to miss this. Here's everything you need to know about CMC Rocks QLD – in fact, we think you should stay a little longer and explore more of what South East Queensland has to offer.
What to expect | How to get there | Where to stay | What to do nearby
What to expect at CMC Rocks QLD
CMC Rocks QLD, Ipswich, Brisbane
In its 19th year of rocking the lives of country music fans nationwide, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest international country music festival has found its home at Queensland’s Willowbank Raceway near Ipswich.
Prepare to dance the nights away from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 March 2026 when CMC Rocks QLD returns to Ipswich for one showstopping weekend.
The two main stages (Rebel and Stampede) are positioned next to each other, providing non-stop music, featuring approximately 28 artists.
How to get to CMC Rocks QLD
Head out west of Brisbane and you'll uncover the historical gem, Ipswich, filled with a variety of heritage and outback attractions. Every year this quaint country town becomes a hub for the CMC music festival welcoming guests from far and wide. CMC Rocks QLD 2025 will take place at the Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich.
Visitors can access Ipswich via the Ipswich Motorway, a 45-minute drive from Brisbane City or a 1-hour drive from the Gold Coast along the Logan Motorway. The Brisbane City train network also provides regular services from Brisbane, connecting with the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast lines. Or check out the CMC Brisbane Bus for transfer connections
Where to stay at CMC Rocks QLD
CMC Rocks QLD, Ipswich, Brisbane
In the true country spirit, camping under the stars is your first port of call when attending the festival. CMC Rocks QLD has six separate camping areas with powered and unpowered sites inside the festival grounds, including provided tents at The Inn campsite and The Glampstead.
If you prefer to spend your evenings inside, there are a range of hotels and motels available in Ipswich. But be quick - accommodation for this popular event sells out so make sure you plan in advance.
You don’t have to be shoulder-to-shoulder at the main stage for this CMC Rocks event, but if you’re craving a little country spirit we’ve got you covered.
Stop in at nearby country shows
Can't get enough of country shows? Plenty are happening just a short drive away, so pack for a little longer and hit the road to these rural festivities.
- Bell Show and Rodeo, Queensland Country
- Millmerran Show, Queensland Country
- Pittsworth Show Society, Queensland Country
- Proston Show, Queensland Country
- Tara Show, Queensland Country
- Inglewood Show, Queensland Country
- Murgon Show, Queensland Country
- Oakey Show, Queensland Country
- Tamborine Mountain Show, Brisbane (Scenic Rim)
- Goomeri Show, Queensland Country
- Warwick Country Show, Queensland Country
- Jandoawe Show, Queensland Country
- RASQ Toowoomba Show, Queensland Country
- Wandoan Show, Queensland Country
- Dalby and District Show, Queensland Country
Indulge in incredible BBQ food
Grab your country music-loving friends and get a taste of Americana with a BBQ feast at some of Brisbane's finest:
- Sugar Creek Smokehouse in Logan
- Barbeque Mafia in Coorparoo
- Bluegrass Barbeque in Eatons Hill
- Billy’s Backyard BBQ in Mount Cotton
- Frankie's Smokehouse in Woolloongabba
Or get a little wild with Brisbane's best country tunes and a ride on the bucking bull at Johnny Ringo’s in the city.
Explore more of Ipswich and beyond
Floating Images Hot Air Balloon Flights, Ipswich, Brisbane
Head out on a camping trip at some of these secret spots, jump in the car to discover Brisbane’s wide open spaces, experience a one-hour city and country balloon flight or plan a getaway to CMC Rocks heartland, Ipswich. There are plenty of ways to embrace Queensland’s strong country spirit, so get ready for some of these awesome music festivals coming to Queensland this year – including Gympie Music Muster and Groundwater Country Music Festival on the Gold Coast.
Looking for more things to do nearby? Here's how to spend a day in Ipswich.
Stay a little longer
