The new Barunah Country Festival takes over Barunah Plains, a heritage-listed property near Hesse, from 26 to 29 March 2027, with Tyla Rodrigues, Brad Cox and The Wolfe Brothers headlining a night each.
The paddocks that host Beyond The Valley are trading raves for woodchops at Easter with the new Barunah Country Festival.
Barunah Country Festival runs across the Easter long weekend, 26 to 29 March 2027, at Barunah Plains near Hesse, about 90 minutes from Melbourne. Damian Canny and Sara Langford, who own the property, dreamt it up. Tyla Rodrigues headlines 26 March, Brad Cox has 27 March and The Wolfe Brothers take the final night on 28 March. It’s all-ages, and you can camp the full stretch or come out for a day on 27 or 28 March.
Barunah Country Festival
- 26 to 29 March 2027
- Barunah Plains, 4484 Hamilton Highway, Hesse
- All-ages, with onsite camping
- Camping tickets and day passes (27 and 28 March only) on sale 12 November at 10am via Moshtix
- Early bird camping runs until 30 November, with general release from 1 December
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The history of the BTV site
Before it was carved up for soldier settlement after World War II, Barunah Plains was the largest sheep station in Victoria, running more than 50,000 merino sheep across 24,280 hectares. The Russell family owned it for well over a century, and their 1866 bluestone homestead, designed by Scottish architects Davidson and Henderson, still stands beside a shearing shed and stables classified by the National Trust.
Shearers will race the clock in a speed shearing competition and the axes come out for a woodchop, with farm utility dog trials and campdraft demonstrations filling out the farm program. Campdrafting, if you’ve never caught it, has a rider on horseback cut a single beast from a mob and steer it around a course of pegs.
Alt country and honky-tonk
Ben Mastwyk programmed the festival’s alt-country and honky-tonk acts, setting them against some of the biggest names in Australian country. He’s MC for the whole event and plays 26 March with his band The Honky Tonk Hounds. Killing Heidi singer Ella Hooper fronts a Linda Ronstadt show the same night, and Misty Harlowe and The Cartridge Family fill out the bill under Tyla Rodrigues.
Brad Cox gets the busiest lineup of the weekend on 27 March. Lane Pittman, from Tamworth, supported Luke Combs across Australia and New Zealand, and Max Jackson is one of the five Faces of the Festival for the 2027 Tamworth Country Music Festival. Zac & George, mates since school, are on too, as are the Davidson Brothers, national bluegrass champions with five Golden Guitars to their name. Bill & Tyler Chambers, William Alexander, The Ironbark Brothers and Buck Dancer’s Choice round it out. Once the headliners wrap, country DJ Willie Pake runs the Home Station After Party.
The Wolfe Brothers lead the last night, with William Crighton, Tori Darke, Sara Berki, Tate Cole and CK & The 45s below them. Two tribute shows are on the bill as well. One works through Dolly Parton’s catalogue, and The Ultimate Superstars of Country covers Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen and Chris Stapleton. Beyond The Valley squeezes 40,000 people onto the same property each New Year. Barunah Country’s tickets have been capped on purpose to keep the crowd small.
For more information, head here.
