Oceana Meets Europe
Country music is a genre that more and more people are falling in love with so it comes as no surprise to hear about how much it is growing in popularity on this side of the Atlantic which has seen stars like Luke Combs and Zach Bryan selling out multiple shows to huge audiences. The impact of the Nashville sound and culture has seen a rise in emerging homegrown stars particularly since the pandemic with likes of The Shires, Ward Thomas, Twinnie, Kezia Gill and Gareth leading the way and receiving opportunities to take their music internationally. Even in the mainstream pop world, artists such as Ed Sheeran, Anne Marie, Mumford & Sons and Myles Smith all show evident influence in their music whilst going back even further, legends of rock and roll like Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, George Harrison and The Rolling Stones all have treaded the line into the genre through their back catalogues.
However, the UK is not the only place outside of the United States where country music is thriving. Ireland obviously has strong connections to the similarities to traditional and folk music, whilst mainland Europe becoming an equally important tour stop with Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia now seen as integral parts of live schedules where they have their own C2C festival taking place the weekend before the UK edition in Berlin and Rotterdam. In the Netherlands particularly they are seeing a rise in homegrown country artists with Douwe Bob set to make his debut at the German edition this year and fellow Eurovision alumni Isle DeLange remains as one of the genres most influential European pioneers. Then back across the pond, America’s neighbours to the north have their own thriving scene where Shania Twain remains one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in any genre whilst the like of Josh Ross, Tenille Townes, Meghan Patrick, Lindsay Ell and MacKenzie Porter continue to fly the Canadian flag on a global scale.
Finally, we turn to the southern hemisphere and a trio of further Commonwealth cousins. South Africa is emerging as one of the most curious markets to Nashville given the success that Kip Moore has been able to achieve selling close to fifty thousand tickets across two shows and they have their own starlet Roan Ash who will make his UK debut in May at Buckle & Boots festival. Then we have the focus of this piece and our biggest sporting rivals who as Brits we share more in common with than any other nations. Culturally, Australia and New Zealand share a lot with us here in the UK whilst their lifestyle and particularly the rural farming lifestyle is a natural pairing for country music and the genre is absolutely thriving in terms of our favourite stars from Nashville and their own stacked array of emerging talent.
Festivals like CMC Rocks in Queensland have become a target event for artists to play and the Tamworth Country Music Festival along with the accompanying Golden Guitar Awards have been the launchpad for many careers for more than half a century. This year across the events in London and Berlin, C2C: Country to Country festival will see eight Antipodean artists performing over the two weekends and we can guarantee you won’t want to miss any of them.
Keith Urban
However, the UK is not the only place outside of the United States where country music is thriving. Ireland obviously has strong connections to the similarities to traditional and folk music, whilst mainland Europe becoming an equally important tour stop with Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia now seen as integral parts of live schedules where they have their own C2C festival taking place the weekend before the UK edition in Berlin and Rotterdam. In the Netherlands particularly they are seeing a rise in homegrown country artists with Douwe Bob set to make his debut at the German edition this year and fellow Eurovision alumni Isle DeLange remains as one of the genres most influential European pioneers. Then back across the pond, America’s neighbours to the north have their own thriving scene where Shania Twain remains one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in any genre whilst the like of Josh Ross, Tenille Townes, Meghan Patrick, Lindsay Ell and MacKenzie Porter continue to fly the Canadian flag on a global scale.
Finally, we turn to the southern hemisphere and a trio of further Commonwealth cousins. South Africa is emerging as one of the most curious markets to Nashville given the success that Kip Moore has been able to achieve selling close to fifty thousand tickets across two shows and they have their own starlet Roan Ash who will make his UK debut in May at Buckle & Boots festival. Then we have the focus of this piece and our biggest sporting rivals who as Brits we share more in common with than any other nations. Culturally, Australia and New Zealand share a lot with us here in the UK whilst their lifestyle and particularly the rural farming lifestyle is a natural pairing for country music and the genre is absolutely thriving in terms of our favourite stars from Nashville and their own stacked array of emerging talent.
Festivals like CMC Rocks in Queensland have become a target event for artists to play and the Tamworth Country Music Festival along with the accompanying Golden Guitar Awards have been the launchpad for many careers for more than half a century. This year across the events in London and Berlin, C2C: Country to Country festival will see eight Antipodean artists performing over the two weekends and we can guarantee you won’t want to miss any of them.
Keith Urban
“Uncle Keith” as Mitch Thompson and Tom Jordan affectionately called him needs absolutely no introduction whatsoever. The Whangārei, New Zealand born Australian who is London’s Saturday night headliner is the artist on this list that you definitely know off the back of: 15 Golden Guitars, 8 ARIA wins, 15 ACM Awards, 14 CMA’s, 4 Grammy’s, 12 studio albums and 18 US number one singles! One of the biggest stars in country music who always delivers an electrifying live show with a hit factory of singalongs to provide the perfect centrepiece to the whole weekend.
Fanny Lumsden
Fanny Lumsden
We love Fanny and have the hat to prove it! One of our favourite human beings on the planet who is one of the most charismatic and entertaining live performers you will find anywhere who delivers the most energetic, unique and uplifting live shows that you can experience to the daytime stages in London. The double ARIA winning and nine time Golden Guitar recipient from Tallimba in New South Wales doesn’t just play live shows, her and the Prawn Stars deliver a high intensity experience as take you on such a positive journey across her four studio albums.
Brad Cox
Brad Cox
You could put in a strong argument that the four time Golden Guitar winner originally from Jindabyne, New South Wales is the man destined to take Keith Urban’s crown domestically as Australia’s most prominent male artist and that argument would struggle to be beaten. The 2018 Toyota Star Maker winner is no stranger to the UK and will return to play C2C in London for the second time where fans will get a first chance to hear tracks from his latest ‘Endemic Intelligence in Multiple Dimensions’ record (which we are sure will provide more accolades at next year’s awards in Tamworth) for the first time.
Max Jackson
Max Jackson
This lady is a star and we are confident that she is going to be your discovery of the festival and your new favourite artist who will ascend to great heights where you will be able to look back on where you saw her first! The reigning Golden Guitar Female Artist of the Year from Coonamble, New South Wales is just about to release her new record ‘Dangerous In Denim’ and the 2022 winner of the Toyota Star Maker in Tamworth will show you in Berlin and London exactly why she is the recipient of five Golden Guitars and is one of the most exciting artists in country music anywhere on the planet! She has already collaborated with our good Canadian buddies Dan Davidson and Tim Hicks who we are certain will not be the last people that will want to work with her.
Tyla Rodrigues
Tyla Rodrigues
The new girl in town from Brisbane, Queensland is one of the most exciting new artists in Australian country music who secured her first Golden Guitar nomination at this year’s Country Music Awards of Australia celebration in Tamworth. We have quickly become big fans of Tyla and are eagerly anticipating the release of her new EP ‘Hold On Tight’ which we will get the first chance to hear when she performs at the festival in both Berlin and London where we hope she will be bringing plenty of what is the coolest merch in country music over with her.
Sinead Burgess
Sinead Burgess
If the bluesy rock side of country is right up your alley, this Queenslander who now calls Nashville her home is sure to rock your world. Whilst just heading to Berlin this year, Sinead is a C2C veteran who has toured the UK extensively in the past who is set to release long overdue new music this year. She was one of our highlights of last year’s Country Calling festival in Chelmsford where we are sure that her warmth and storytelling will captivate the German audience at the festival in March.
Blake O’Connor
Blake O’Connor
The 2019 Toyota Star Maker winner from Windsor, New South Wales also now calls Nashville home and is someone else who is no stranger to playing in Europe. Whilst London is not currently on the cards, the German audience in Berlin will get a real treat as he performs five sets (two of them with Sinead) over the weekend equipped with hair that every man is jealous of as delivers killer track after killer track with his silky, smooth sound.
Kaylee Bell
Kaylee Bell
Similar to Sinead and Blake, Waimate in New Zealand’s finest is just Berlin bound in 2026 but off the back of her headline set at Country Calling in Chelmsford last summer, the 2013 Star Maker winner will be one of the highlights of this year’s event in Germany. She hit number twelve in the United States with her Keith Urban tribute ‘Keith’ which she first performed for him on the Australian version of The Voice and has recently released her new album ‘Cowboy Up’ so is sure to deliver banger after banger across her sets at the festival.
C2C: Country to Country will take place in Berlin and Rotterdam over the weekend of on Friday 6th to Sunday 8th March where you can full more details about the German event on their WEBSITE or on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK.
The event then heads to the UK for the following weekend where London, Belfast and Glasgow will host the showpiece of the country music calendar which you can more details and ticket information on their WEBSITE and socials (FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM & TIKTOK)
C2C: Country to Country will take place in Berlin and Rotterdam over the weekend of on Friday 6th to Sunday 8th March where you can full more details about the German event on their WEBSITE or on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK.
The event then heads to the UK for the following weekend where London, Belfast and Glasgow will host the showpiece of the country music calendar which you can more details and ticket information on their WEBSITE and socials (FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM & TIKTOK)
