CMC takes Ipswich by storm | CPT PPP Coverage

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by Chantelle Bozicevic, Ipswich Today

Ipswich was the place to be this past weekend for country music fans, as CMC Rocks returned with a bang.

The festival, which started in 2008, has grown in popularity every year since its inception, and this year was no exception. Festival Director, Jeremy Dylan promised that this year’s festival would be the biggest yet, and he certainly delivered.

“We worked so hard to deliver the biggest line-up we’ve ever had,” said Dylan.

“We wanted to reward our loyal fans who have kept the dream alive for the past few years and really deliver the hottest artists in country music, to really turn this into the ultimate party.”

And that’s exactly what they did. The line-up was a who’s who of country music, with headliners Zac Brown Band, Kip Moore, and Morgan Wallen all taking to the stage over the weekend. The reaction to the line-up was overwhelming, with fans snapping up tickets as soon as they went on sale.

“The reaction when we released the line-up was out of this world.

“It was really gratifying to know we’d got it right and delivered so many artists the people were so excited to see.”

But it wasn’t just the headliners that drew crowds. Newcomer on the scene, Jordan Davis took to the stage to play hits such as Buy Dirt and What My World Spins Around, and after a proposal in the crowd realised it was the perfect time to sing Next Thing You Know; creating a moment the newly engaged couple won’t soon forget.

The ex mechanic, who rose to fame via TikTok, had the crowd chanting his name from the minute American Singer Songwriter, Cam finished her set. Bailey Zimmerman shot out to a roaring crowd, and kept the energy up right to the very last second. Even as the second last act of the event, after several days of scorching heat, country rock artist Hardy managed to have the whole crowd jumping and singing along to every song.

It was the first time many of these artists had been to Australia, and they were blown away by the response they received.

“We’ve sold out on the first day on sale every year the festival has been held since 2018, and to do it again for a festival only six months since the 2022 one feels like a massive milestone,” said Dylan.

“(we had) 23,000 people with us this weekend. It’s our biggest ever crowd, and it’s really amazing to keep growing that number year on year, and to have so many first-timers as well as those CMC lifers who come back with their mates every year.”

One of the most talked-about performances of the weekend came from Morgan Wallen. Wallen performed at the festival in 2019, where he appeared toward the end of the line-up announcement and played several early afternoon sets. This year, Wallen was front and centre on the announcement, taking out the final Sunday headline set. Wallen’s rise to fame has been meteoric, and his inclusion as a headliner was a big deal for many fans.

“I think it’s been growing steadily since we first toured Brooks and Dunn in 2008, which really kicked off this wave of big arena tours from US artists like Tim and Faith, Alan Jackson, Florida Georgia Line, The Chicks, and this year Morgan and Luke,” said Dylan.

“The big stars know there’s a massive audience of country music fans down under who are ready to come out and embrace them, and they are all keen to get down here, which is a big change to fifteen years ago.”

During his set, Wallen spoke about how grateful he was to have come so far in his career and thanked the audience for supporting him. It was a heartfelt moment, and one that many fans will remember for years to come.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a country music festival without a few shoeys, and there were plenty of those over the weekend. Artists like Mitchell Tenpenny, Ashley Mcbryde, and Corey Kent got in on the action much to the delight of the crowd.

It was a hugely successful weekend, and fans are already looking forward to CMC Rocks 2024. With the festival growing bigger and better every year, it’s sure to be an event that country music fans won’t want to miss.

For more of Chantelle’s great CMC pics, see page 25