LEE KERNAGHAN & JAMES JOHNSTON ANNOUNCED AS HEADLINERS AT COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL THIS OCTOBER LONG WEEKEND
Shell V-Power Motorsport Park today announced Australian country music icons Lee Kernaghan and James Johnston will headline a refreshed The Bend Classic this October long weekend.
South Australia’s surging country music boom will take centre stage at the fully immersive The Bend Classic festival weekend at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, combining a major country music festival with on-site camping and classic motorsport across the precinct.
Country music legend Lee Kernaghan, one of Australia’s most awarded and best-selling country artists with more than 30 chart-topping singles and multiple ARIA Awards, said The Bend Classic has the potential to become a major gathering for country music fans.
“Country music festivals are all about big crowds, great stories and bringing people together, and The Bend Classic has all the ingredients to become something really special,” Mr Kernaghan said.
“You’ve got the music, the camping, the atmosphere and a whole weekend built around it. I reckon this event has the potential to grow into the Tamworth of the South.”
James Johnston, one of Australia’s most streamed country artists and known for chart-topping hits including RAISED LIKE THAT and SMALL TOWN, said he was looking forward to bringing his music to South Australian audiences as part of the event.
“I’m so pumped to be heading back to South Australia for The Bend Classic to play my very first festival in the state. South Australian audiences are always some of the rowdiest, so it’s going to be one hell of a night.
“To combine this with my other passion of motorsport – I know we are going to have a good time.”
The Bend Classic announcement comes amid a major surge in country music popularity across Australia, with industry data* showing the country has become the third-largest country music market in the world behind only the United States and Canada. Streaming of the genre in Australia has grown sharply in recent years, with some industry reports noting increases of more than 115 per cent over the past three years. Australia is also responsible for around 74 per cent of new global country music listeners on Spotify. The surge is being driven strongly by Gen Z audiences and metropolitan listeners, with more than two-thirds of Gen Z listeners saying they are consuming more country music than ever before.
The refreshed event will deliver a full weekend of “Country, Camping and Cars”, combining live country music with on-site camping, motorsport and country-themed festival-style entertainment across the precinct.
Shell V-Power Motorsport Park CEO Alistair MacDonald said the refreshed event has a number of exciting future announcements, but it starts with the calibre of its headline artists.
“Having artists of the calibre of Lee Kernaghan and James Johnston headline The Bend Classic sets the tone for the entire weekend,” Mr MacDonald said. “They represent two generations of Australian country music and bring huge audiences with them, so announcing them together is a major moment for the event and its future.”
He also said the refreshed format also builds on the elements fans have loved from previous Bend Classic events, bringing them together into one major festival weekend.
“The Bend Classic has always been about great experiences, and this refreshed format brings together everything our fans love — country music, camping and cars — into one big weekend where people can settle in, enjoy great music and great racing, and soak up the atmosphere from morning to night.”
Fans will be able to stay on site across the long weekend with a range of camping options available, including Start Line infield camping overlooking the circuit, Northern Apex and Horizon campgrounds, deluxe pre-set tents, and the new Turn 1 tent and swag camping area, allowing visitors to base themselves inside the venue and move easily between the music, racing and entertainment across the weekend.
Alongside the country music festival, The Bend Classic will also feature nostalgia drag racing and historic motorsport categories showcasing everything from classic Aussie muscle to vintage race machines, alongside entertainment and family-friendly activities across the precinct.
Proudly presented by Burson Auto Parts, The Bend Classic will take place at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, across the October long weekend from 2–4 October 2026, with the Saturday country music festival headlined by Lee Kernaghan and James Johnston. Early-bird tickets and camping packages are on sale now at www.thebend.com.au with further announcements to be released over the coming months.
