The line-up for the festival, now in its fifth year, has just been released. More than 80 events will take place across 10 days from May 22nd, the event's biggest calendar yet.
The Warratahs join the celebrations as guest artists at the Country Music Honours, with frontman Barry Saunders also performing an intimate house concert.
Trad Night Tuesday, a walk-up, join-in Celtic music session, makes its debut alongside an expanded offering for younger audiences including a book reading, a songwriting workshop for teenagers, and a Singalongercise kids concert, all led by musician and author Jeremy Redmore.
Longstanding favourite events also return, including the MLT NZ Gold Guitar Awards, the Freeze Ya Bits Off Busking Competition, the Gore Truck Show, the Old Hokonui whiskey and food pairing evening, and The Celtic Unleashed, a major fundraiser for the Hokonui Celtic Pipe Band.
Festival chair Jeff Rea said the expanded programme was building on the success of recent years.
“We are incredibly proud of how the festival continues to grow,” Rea said.
“With more than 80 events, a wider range of genres and experiences, and artists travelling from across New Zealand and Australia, we cannot wait for patrons to take in the full sights and sounds of Tussock Country right here in Gore.”
He said in 2025, Tussock Country injected an estimated $2.5 million into the eastern Southland economy, and 2026 was forecast to surpass that.
Tickets for all events go on sale at 9am on December 11.
