Wholesome, soulful music, a stellar line up and a seriously good venue. CMC is here!
It’s time to suit up and get down, at one of the country’s biggest music festivals right here in Ipswich.
But before you embark on your epic rockin’ journey at Willowbank this year, we have a few helpful hints so you can maximise the good times and minimise everything else.
Here’s our 8 tips and tricks for your best CMC yet!
Dress appropriately
Seriously. There’s nothing worse than festival sunburn.
We’ve all been there before and yet time and time again we find ourselves out in the blazing sun, too caught up in the sights, sounds and live music spirit, to pay any attention to our skin until it’s too late.
Save yourself the peachy pain and cover up before the third degree burns set in.
Also mosquitoes – bring some kind of repellent for those little terrors of the night.
Bring a chair
A pretty simple one but important nonetheless!
Believe it or not, it won’t be all go go go over the entirety of the CMC weekend and you might actually want a comfy place to chill out here and there.
We can’t stress enough how much of a difference a simple camping chair will make to the experience.
Head over to the Discover Ipswich trailer and thank us on the day!
Expect the best, pack for the worst
Unfortunately few things are more out of our control than the weather and the last thing you want is to be the person that is completely unprepared when the clouds come rolling in.
Of course this isn’t something we’re expecting to happen at this year’s CMC, but better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war… or something like that. What I’m saying is, bring gumboots.
Camp, or suss out the local accommodation… but get in quick!
Proper planning prevents poor performance.
Or should I say, get your camping sorted or book accommodation ahead of time.
There’s amazing places in and around town to choose from, including cabins at Ivory’s rock, Oaks Aspire or Quest Ipswich.
Obviously a campsite at the event will get the job done too.
For a complete list of accommodation head over to our accommodation page or have a looky here, on the CMC camping info page for all your onsite camping info.
Check out the area
You might have come from far and wide to follow your favourite artists, so don’t miss out on the finest in dining, craft beer and all manner of other experiences while you’re here.
Notably I would be checking out Summer Land Camels, (yes, camels!) just down the road, The Pumpyard Bar and Brewery and Rafter and Rose for a coffee.
If you’re still keen on more, head over to our home page and we’ll sort you out.
Pace yourself
If you’re here for a few days, remember the R&R.
It’s about the marathon not the sprint and going hard every night might leave you a little worse for wear the next day.
I promise you, no matter how much you love Miranda Lambert, it’s not going to be great pounding the inside of your head with tunes, when your body’s already upset at you from the night before.
For maximum CMC satisfaction, dial it back ever so slightly and keep your body happy while you’re here.
Explore
Find your hangout, pick your poison, tuck into the food stalls and take some time to wander.
Half the fun of festivals is being let loose like children and going deep into the labyrinth of market stalls, pop up pubs and various little bits and bobs hidden around the event– especially at CMC.
My personal picks for the day are going to have to be BBQ Marfia and Byron Jerky for all your manly meat needs, the Jack Daniels Shack for whiskey and the Carlton Dry House for beer.
Ladies might want to stop by Pimm’s Pamper Bar for a makeover and fellas, just follow my lead.
But with plenty more to choose from, there’s some leg work to be done to find the best vendor for you!
Last one… Have a blast!
And don’t forget about the CMC Lucky Locker!
There’s a bunch of prizes to be won including artist meet and greets and tickets for next year, so keep your eyes peeled for the keys hidden around CMC for your chance to win.
