CampFire Festival 2015

CampFire Festival 2015

Hunter Valley winery Hope Estate has announced a brand new 3-day music festival for 2015.  CampFire Festival will be held March 13-15th 2015 and is set to feature a top-class lineup of respected Australian talent.

The event will replace the -CMC Rocks The Hunter' concert, which has relocated to a raceway in Ipswich.

'After CMC's unexpected exit, we were overwhelmed with messages from the music community," said Hope Estate owner Michael Hope.

'So many people were looking forward to spending the three days here with their friends, it had become an annual and planned ritual for them. They'd already booked flights and accommodation, and wanted to know how they could help bring the show back".

Hope Estate has become one of Australia's sought-after concert destinations in recent years. The venue regularly hosts up to 20,000 fans in its amphitheatre, with the likes of Bruce Springsteen playing two nights in February this year and the Rolling Stones and The Eagles booked in for the coming season.

'All the major promoters now view Hope Estate as world-class venue capable of hosting and delivering world-class shows. It's a testament not just to our own people, but the whole Hunter event community that pitches in to show visitors a great time and unforgettable experience," said Mr Hope.

CampFire Festival will feature bigger staging, a wider variety of food and beverage options including craft beer from the new onsite microbrewery and a new 5-star camping facility all with its beautiful vineyard setting as the backdrop.

Impressed by the grassroots loyalty of country music fans, Mr Hope has structured CampFire Festival to let the audience help create it. There will be two stages, major artists on the Main Stage which will be announced over the next few months.

Ten of the acts out of the fifteen scheduled on the B-Stage will be chosen via an online audience member vote leading into the event, giving up-and-coming performers a chance to shine in front of a big audience.

'So many people have written in to us suggesting acts. There's a strong sense that the Campfire Festival can really belong to fans and we want to harness that energy and help build the next generation of Australian country stars. It's a great chance for new acts to score a paid gig that will get them noticed," said Mr Hope.

In addition to main stage and B-Stage performances, there will also be a busking competition voted by the fans using a phone app with the winner getting a paid slot on the main stage.

'The whole Hunter region is ready to get behind this event, and with the passionate support we've already felt from the fans, we think Campfire Festival 2015 will mark the start of something great," said Mr Hope.