But before the main course begins, try out these pre-festival appetisers across the city in the lead up to opening day on Friday.

There’s plenty to see and do to warm up for the big ten days of musical action.

*Denotes free show

*  2:00pm     Two Gals - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  5:00pm     Evan Platschinda & Terry Bennetts -Paradise Tourist Park

*  5:00pm     Lawrie & Shelley Minson - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  7:00pm     Brian Howard - Oasis Hotel-Motel - Main Bar Lounge

*  7:00pm     Shane Teinaki - Tamworth Services Club -In The Lounge

*  8:00pm     Jonny Taylor - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  8:00pm     Seleen McAlister - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  8:00pm     The Long and Short Of It - Oasis Hotel-Motel -Main Bar Lounge

*  9:00pm     Kevin Harris - Oasis Hotel-Motel - Main Bar Lounge

    10:00am    Australian Country Music Hall of Fame - Australian Country Music Hall of Fame

*  10:00am    Gifted Country: Portraits by John Elliott - An exhibition of iconic images of country music stars such as Slim Dusty, Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers and many others - The New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale - Richard Lalor Harris Gallery

*  11:00am    Two Gals - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  2:00pm     Lawrie & Shelley Minson - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  2:00pm     The Cartwheels - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  5:00pm     Brendan Nawrocki Happy Hour and Acoustic Sessions - Paradise Tourist Park

*  5:00pm     Luke Dickens - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  5:00pm     Marie Hodson and The Texas Troubadours - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  6:00pm     Bucketts Way to Tamworth Host Graeme Doubleday - Oasis Hotel-Motel - Main Bar Lounge

*  6:00pm     Capital Country Music Association - Musos’ Jam - South Tamworth Bowlo - Club Stage

*  6:30pm     Tamworth City Bowls Club Walk Up Competition Heat 1 - Tamworth City Bowling Club

*  7:30pm     Shane Teinaki - Tamworth Services Club -

In The Lounge

*  8:00pm     Jonny Taylor - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  8:00pm     Seleen McAlister - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

    10:00am    Australian Country Music Hall of Fame - Australian Country Music Hall of Fame

*  10:00am    Gifted Country: Portraits by John Elliott - An exhibition of iconic images of country music stars such as Slim Dusty, Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers and many others - The New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale - Richard Lalor Harris Gallery

*  11:00am    The Cartwheels - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  12:00pm   Bob Howson - Tamworth City Bowling Club

*  1:00pm     Tom Maxwell - South Tamworth Bowlo - Club Stage

*  2:00pm     Jonny Taylor - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  2:00pm     Kiara Rodrigues - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

    4:00pm     Cattleman’s Welcome to Tamworth Country Music Festival Showcase - Cattleman Steakhouse -

Nashville Bar

*  5:00pm     Heidi Raye (USA) - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  5:00pm     Seleen McAlister - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  5:00pm     Terry Bennetts & Evan Platschinda - City Lights

Caravan Park

*  6:00pm     Opening Night with Darren Carr, Alby Pool, Sandra Humphries, Anthony Taylor & Dan Murphy - South Tamworth Bowlo - Club Stage

*  6:00pm     Trevor Coombes - Oasis Hotel-Motel - Main Bar Lounge

*  6:30pm     Tamworth City Bowls Club Walk Up Competition Heat 2 - Tamworth City Bowling Club

    7:00pm     Australian Independent Country Music Brumby Awards Winner’s Concert - Werris Creek Bowling & Tennis Club

*  7:00pm     Brendan Nawrocki - Two Goats Cafe and Baa

*  7:00pm     Katie Brooke - Paradise Tourist Park

*  7:00pm     Meryl Reinhard - Oasis Hotel-Motel - Main Bar Lounge

    7:00pm     Tamworth Country Music Festival Charity Ball - Capitol Theatre Tamworth

*  7:00pm     The Whiskey Mountain Boys - Courthouse Hotel -Front Bar

*  7:30pm     Michael Bryers - Tamworth Services Club - In The Lounge

*  7:30pm     Mike Vee and Friends - Longyard Hotel - Front Deck

*  8:00pm     Luke Dickens - West Tamworth League Club (Wests) - Legends Lounge

*  8:00pm     Pete Smith - Oasis Hotel-Motel - Main Bar Lounge

*  8:00pm     Travis List - Wests’ Diggers - Diggers Courtyard

*  8:30pm     Pure Country with Tommy Miller - Tudor Hotel - Front Bar

*  9:00pm     Graeme Hugo - Oasis Hotel-Motel - Main Bar Lounge

*  9:00pm     Musos’ Jam - The Albert Hotel - Front Bar