The story

The Big Golden Guitar isn't just a Big Thing — it's the centrepiece of Tamworth's identity as Australia's country music capital. Standing 12 metres tall in front of what's now the Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre, the gold-painted fibreglass-and-steel guitar was unveiled on Australia Day, 26 January 1988, by Slim Dusty, in a ceremony that drew thousands.

It was designed by Harry Frost — also the designer behind the actual Golden Guitar Awards trophy presented at the annual Country Music Awards of Australia. The shape of the sculpture follows the trophy, just scaled up by a factor of about thirty. At only 0.5 tonnes, it's surprisingly light for its size: a hollow fibreglass shell over a steel frame, painted gold and re-touched periodically.

Slim Dusty's connection to the guitar wasn't decorative. He was the first Australian musician to win a Golden Guitar Award (in 1973) and won 38 of them across his career — more than any other artist. Tamworth's annual Country Music Festival each January draws around 300,000 visitors over ten days, making it one of the larger country music festivals in the southern hemisphere. The Big Golden Guitar is the festival's de facto starting point and the most-photographed backdrop in town.

Over the years, the surrounding precinct has grown around the guitar. The Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre now houses the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, the National Guitar Museum (with replica guitars from B.B. King, Slim Dusty, Keith Urban, Tommy Emmanuel and others), a café, gift shop, and the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre. The whole site sees over 117,000 visitors annually — and that's not counting festival week.

"The Big Golden Guitar is one of the most-photographed Big Things in Australia — by the operators' own count, more than 3.6 million photographs since 1988. It's earned its place not by being the biggest, but by being the most loved by an entire genre of music." — Adapted from Tamworth Regional Council tourism material

Despite the precinct's depth, the guitar itself remains a "drive past, get out, take a photo, get back in the car" stop for most visitors. The real depth is in the National Guitar Museum and Country Music Hall of Fame, both of which reward an hour or two if you've got even a passing interest in Australian music history.

Visiting the Big Golden Guitar

The Big Golden Guitar is at 2 Ringers Road, Tamworth — just off the New England Highway as you enter Tamworth from the south. The sculpture is visible 24/7; the Tourist Centre and National Guitar Museum are open daily 9:00am to 4:00pm. There's a large free car park, accessible facilities, café, and gift shop on site.

Practical info

Address
2 Ringers Road, Tamworth NSW 2340 (just off the New England Highway)
Hours
Guitar visible 24/7. Tourist Centre, café, and museum open daily 9:00am – 4:00pm (extended hours during the January Country Music Festival).
Phone
(02) 6755 7200
Entry
Free site entry; Country Music Hall of Fame and National Guitar Museum separately ticketed
Parking
Free, large coach- and motorhome-friendly car park
Accessibility
Fully wheelchair accessible — sealed paths, ramps, accessible toilets
Best time
Outside late January (Tamworth Country Music Festival) for the smallest crowds. Festival itself if you actually love country music.
Official website → Get directions →

What's at the site

The Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre is a substantial complex — there's more to do here than the photo:

  • The Big Golden Guitar itself — 12 metres tall, 0.5 tonnes, freshly repainted gold. The classic shot is from the road approaching the centre.
  • Australian Country Music Hall of Fame — exhibitions on the genre's history, inductees from Slim Dusty and Tex Morton through to Keith Urban and Lee Kernaghan.
  • National Guitar Museum — replica guitars from B.B. King, Slim Dusty, Tommy Emmanuel, Keith Urban, and dozens more. Worth the entry fee.
  • Tamworth Visitor Information Centre — local maps, festival booking info, regional guides.
  • Café and gift shop — coffee, sandwiches, country music memorabilia, the requisite souvenir guitar pick.

🎸 Cooee Tours Tip

Outside the January festival, plan 30 minutes for the photo and a quick wander through the visitor centre. If you've got a serious interest in Australian music, allow 2–3 hours for the Hall of Fame and National Guitar Museum. Tamworth itself has a decent food scene around Peel Street — worth allocating an extra meal stop if you're staying overnight.

The Tamworth Country Music Festival

Held annually in late January, the Tamworth Country Music Festival runs for 10 days and draws around 300,000 visitors. It's been running since 1973 — the same year Slim Dusty won the first Golden Guitar Award. The festival culminates in the Golden Guitar Awards (the Australian country music industry awards, presented at the TRECC venue), which use a miniature version of the same trophy design that inspired the Big Golden Guitar.

During festival week, the entire city centre transforms — Peel Street closes to vehicles and becomes a continuous outdoor music venue, and accommodation books out months in advance. If you're visiting Tamworth in January, book everything well ahead. See tcmf.com.au for dates and lineups.

What else is nearby

Tamworth sits in the New England region of northern NSW — rolling agricultural country at around 400m elevation, with a noticeably cooler climate than the coast. After the Big Golden Guitar, easy add-ons include the Powerstation Museum (5 minutes), the historic Bicentennial Park (15 minutes), and the Tamworth Marsupial Park (15 minutes). See our full New England travel guide for the comprehensive regional itinerary.

For other Big Things, the closest is the Big Mosquito at Hexham (260km east on the way to Newcastle), and the Big Merino at Goulburn is 550km south via Sydney. The Big Banana at Coffs Harbour is 350km east on a scenic drive over the Great Dividing Range.

Trivia worth knowing

  • The Big Golden Guitar was unveiled on Australia Day, 26 January 1988, by Slim Dusty — the first Australian artist to win the Golden Guitar Award (1973) and the all-time winner with 38.
  • Designer Harry Frost also designed the trophy presented at the annual Country Music Awards of Australia. The sculpture is essentially a scaled-up trophy.
  • Despite being 12 metres tall, the structure weighs just 0.5 tonnes — it's a hollow fibreglass shell over a steel frame.
  • By the operators' count, more than 3.6 million photographs have been taken of the Big Golden Guitar since opening.
  • The Tamworth Country Music Festival has run annually since 1973 and is widely regarded as the second-largest country music festival in the world after Nashville's CMA Fest.
  • The original site was the Longyard Hotel on Sydney Road. The guitar and the Tourist Centre have since relocated to the current Ringers Road location.

When to visit

Tamworth has hot summers and cool winters — typical inland NSW climate. April to October is the most pleasant for general visits. If you're specifically interested in country music, the late-January festival is essential — but be prepared for crowds, traffic, and premium accommodation pricing. The shoulder seasons (March or November) are ideal: festival energy still lingers, accommodation prices are normal, and the weather is excellent.