John Williamson announces end of an era with final Tamworth festival show

Legendary Australian singer songwriter John Williamson has saddened fans, announcing the 2026 Tamworth Music Festival will be his last.

In the 54 year history of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Williamson – whose song True Blue has become an unofficial Australian anthem – has missed just one show and won 28 Golden Guitars during his hall of fame career.

Although he’s stepping away from the festival stage, Williamson says he still loves writing songs and recording music, but he was ready for some time with family.

Williamson told NBN News after nearly 56 years in the industry he is simply “over being on the road”.

“I’ve got a lot of things I want to do and I’m 80 now and I want to do it before I drop dead,” he said.

The 10-day spectacle, held annually in the city of Tamworth in northern NSW brings together Australians and international country stars.

It is the largest country music event in the southern hemisphere and ranks among the top 10 festivals in the world.

Ahead of his final show on Saturday, Williamson said he was not sure how he would feel once it was over but he wanted to finish on a high.

“I think it’s good to pull out while I’m still doing good shows and I’m not having to read the lyrics or have monitors on the stage,” he told the ABC.

“We’ll see how I feel afterwards, but I mean, just about everybody that retires wants to come back and do it again.”

Williamson’s career began when he wrote a novelty song Old Man Emu in 1969 before he rose to prominence throughout the 1970s.

He released more than 50 albums and sold more than five million copies in Australia alone.

His breakthrough album Mallee Boy went triple platinum with classics including True Blue and Raining on The Rock.

Nearly 50 years later, he performed a rousing rendition of True Blue in last year’s Ashes series in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack.

Williamson was appointed Member of the Order of Australia in 1992 for his contributions to music and conservation awareness.

Tamworth previously honoured him with a life-size bronze statue.