FESTIVAL CALENDAR 2026
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FRIDAY 22 MAY - DAY ONE
KIDS HUB COUNTRY DISCO
5.30pm - 7.00pm I Gore Kids Hub I 13 Wayland St
COUNTRY MUSIC HONOURS
Guest Artists: The Warratahs
7.00pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
SATURDAY 23 MAY - DAY TWO
SONGWRITER'S RETREAT
9am I Hokonui Rūnanga I 140 Charlton Rd I Gore
WHITESTONE CHEESE CHEESE ROLL WORKSHOP
10am I Mackay Room, Gore Town & Country Club I Bury St I Gore
CAPITAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
10am I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
GOING LOCAL
12 noon - 1pm I Hokonui Rūnanga I Gore
iTICKET ST JAMES SESSIONS: SKIN & BONE
1pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
Event Info
HOKONUI LINE DANCE SOCIAL
1.30pm I Esplin Room, Gore Town & Country Club I Bury St I Gore
RON MITCHELL & FRIENDS
3pm I Southern Field Days Woolshed I 575 Waimumu Rd I Gore
iTICKET ST JAMES SESSIONS: MIDNIGHT CARAVAN
5pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
Event Info
TUSSOCK COUNTRY LATE NIGHT
Keily Smith, Southern Rust, Jaydin Shingleton
8pm - 1am I Croydon Lodge, Waimea Street I Gore
SUNDAY 24 MAY - DAY THREE
WHOLE PERSON HEALTH WORKSHOP
10am - 11am I Thomas Green I Medway St I Gore
KIDS GONE COUNTRY
11am I Gore Town & Country Club Lounge Bar I Bury St I Gore
TUSSOCK COUNTRY UTE MUSTER
11am - 2pm I Southern Field Days Shed & Croydon Lodge
UTE MUSTER AFTER PARTY - With Rusty Pickups
2pm I Public Bar, Croydon Lodge
THE CELTIC UNLEASHED - MATINEE
The Hokonui Celtic Pipe Band
2.00pm I St James Theatre I Irk St I Gore
COMEDY IN THE COUNTRY - TOM SAINSBURY
Supported by Andrew Logie
5pm I Pioneer Rugby Club I 78 Robertson Street I Gore
THE CELTIC UNLEASHED
The Hokonui Celtic Pipe Band
7.00pm I St James Theatre I Irk St I Gore
BOWMAR ROAD HOUSE CONCERT- Barry Saunders
7.30pm I 61 Bowmar Road I Gore
MONDAY 25 MAY - DAY FOUR
MELODIES & MEMORIES
Keily Smith
10am I Ribbonwood Country Home I Tapanui
CAPITAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
10am I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
GOLDEN OLDIES
1.30pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
EVENING WALK-UP CONCERT
7.30pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
TUESDAY 26 MAY - DAY FIVE
AFTERNOON WALK UP CONCERT
1.30pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
OLD HOKONUI - Whiskey & Food Match Event
6.00pm I Arts & Heritage Precinct I Norfolk Street I Gore
TRAD SESSION TUESDAY
7pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
COUNTRY VARIETY DANCE
7pm I Esplin Room I Gore Town & Country Club I Gore
WEDNESDAY 27 MAY - DAY SIX
PERFORMANCE WORKSHOPS- with Peter Cairns
Book a time I Gore
YODELLING WORKSHOP
9am - 9.45am I Mackay Room, Gore Town & Country Club I Bury St I Gore
UKULELE WORKSHOP
10am I Mackay Room, Gore Town & Country Club I Bury St I Gore
CAPITAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
10am I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
LINE DANCING FOR BEGINNERS WORKSHOP
11am I Esplin Room, Gore Town & Country Club I Bury St I Gore
JAMMIN' AT THE RAZZA
2pm - 5pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
WEDNESDAY GREENBIRD DINING
The Commoners
5pm - 7pm I The Thomas Green I Medway Street I Gore
THE SPARKS WITH HALTON HART
6.30pm I The Roadhouse Shed, 106 Liverpool Street I Riversdale
MUSICAL JINGO
7pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
iTICKET ST JAMES SESSIONS: JAYDIN SHINGLETON
7pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
Event Info
THURSDAY 28 MAY - DAY SEVEN
PERFORMANCE WORKSHOPS - with Peter Cairns
Book a time I Gore
ARTIST DEVELOPMENT MENTORING SESSIONS - with Katie Thompson
Book a time I The Mayor's Chambers, Thomas Green I Gore
FREEZE YA' BITS OFF BUSKING SCHOOL COMPETITION
11.00am - 1.00pm I Main Street I Gore
iTICKET ST JAMES SESSIONS: PHIL DOUBLET
1pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
Event Info
JAMMIN' AT THE RAZZA
2pm - 5pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
THE SINGERS TOOLKIT WORKSHOP - with Hollie Longman
3.00pm I Mackay Room, Gore Town & Country Club I Gore
THURSDAY GREENBIRD DINING
Molly Harrison
5pm - 7pm I The Thomas Green I Medway Street I Gore
MLT ACOUSTIC AMBIENCE DINING - Blazing Copper
Maddison Connor
5pm - 7pm I Blazing Copper Restaurant I Croydon Lodge I Gore
Event Info
PETER CAIRNS & ANDY GILMOUR
Live In The T&C Lounge
7pm I Town & Country Club Lounge I Bury St I Gore
iTICKET ST JAMES SESSIONS: THE HUMBUCKIN' PICKUPS
7pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
Event Info
FRIDAY 29 MAY - DAY EIGHT
MLT NZ GOLD GUITAR AWARDS AUDITIONS - Day One
8.00am - 5.00pm approx I Various venues I Gore
GORE-GEOUS COUNTRY BREAKFAST
Keily Smith & Rufous Whistler (solo)
8.00am I Table Talk Cafe, 76 Main St I Gore
FREEZE YA' BITS OFF BUSKING
10.00am - 2.00pm I Main Street I Gore
CAPITAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
10am I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
SONGWRITING FOR TEENS
1pm - 4pm I James Cumming Community Centre I Ardwick St I Gore
JUST JANIE & SIG WILDER + FRIENDS
TUSSOCK STAGE
1.30pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
THE GALLERY SESSION
6.00pm - 8.00pm I Eastern Southland Gallery I Hokonui Drive I Gore
CRAIG ADAMS & THE RUSTLERS
7.30pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
MLT MUSIC ROUNDUP
5pm - 7pm I Trevor Dawe - Piano at the Moon I Howl at the Moon Cafe Bar
5pm - 7pm I Keily Smith I Blazing Copper Restaurant, Croydon Lodge
5pm - 7pm I Aroha Williams - Friday Dining I The Thomas Green
7pm - 10pm I Turkey the Bird & Kayson Road I Live Country I The Croydon Lodge
8pm - late I Friends Of The Possum Pickers - The Falls Night
9pm - late I Sean Tinker & Josh Keating - Rock The Bar I Traffers Bar I Gore
SATURDAY 30 MAY - DAY NINE
MLT NZ GOLD GUITAR AWARDS AUDITIONS - Day Two
8.00am - 5.00pm approx I Various venues I Gore
MCDONOUGH CONTRACTING GORE TRUCK SHOW
From 9am I Various venues I Gore
FREEZE YA' BITS OFF BUSKING
10.00am - 2.00pm I Main Street I Gore
INSIDE AUSSIE COUNTRY WORKSHOP
Hosted by Linc Phelps
10am - 11am I Thomas Green I Medway St I Gore
Event Info
SING LIKE A UNICORN - Book reading and singalong
Hosted by Jeremy Redmore
11.30am - 12 noon I Gore District Library I Ardwick St I Gore
Event Info
SINGALONGERCISE - Kids Concert
12.30pm - 1.30pm I James Cumming Community Centre I Ardwick St I Gore
Event Info
LINC PHELPS & BRENNY AND THE BUSHWHACKERS
TUSSOCK STAGE
1.30pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
COOPER'S RUN - DINNER & SHOW
6.00pm I Gore RSA I Bowler Avenue I Gore
MIDNIGHT CHICKEN AT AMIGOS
6.00pm I Amigos Restaurant I 35 Medway St I Gore
MLT NZ GOLD GUITAR AWARDS
JUNIOR & INTERMEDIATE FINALS
6.30pm I Town & Country Stadium I Bury Street I Gore
SUNDAY 31 MAY - DAY TEN
MLT NZ GOLD GUITAR AWARDS AUDITIONS - Day Three
8.00am - 12noon approx I Town & Country Stadium I Bury Street I Gore
COUNTRY GOSPEL CHURCH SERVICE
9.40am I St Andrews Presbyterian Church I Devon Street I Gore
CAPITAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
10am I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
MLT NZ GOLD GUITAR AWARDS CLASSIC FINALS
1.30pm I Town & Country Stadium I Bury Street I Gore
MLT SHOWCASE
3pm I Town & Country Stadium I Bury Street I Gore
HANDS OF FAME INDUCTION
3pm I Town & Country Stadium I Bury Street I Gore
FREEZE YA' BITS OFF BUSKING FINALS
4.30pm - 6.30pm I St James Theatre I Irk Street I Gore
MLT NZ GOLD GUITAR AWARDS SENIOR FINALS
7.00pm I Town & Country Stadium I Bury Street I Gore