Country to Country 2023: Celebrating 10 Years of Europe's Biggest Country Music Festival
- by Andrew Braithwaite
- in Reviews
Country music fans flocked to The O2 Arena in London over the weekend to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Country to Country (C2C), Europe's biggest country music festival. With a stellar lineup of performers and exciting new features, C2C 2023 proved to be another huge success - the three day event from Friday to Sunday is definitely growing each year.
Breland co-hosted the main arena stage alongside the legendary BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris throughout the weekend. The duo kept the crowd entertained, bouncing off each other with great banter to introduce some of the biggest names in country music.
Thomas Rhett, Lady A, and Zac Brown Band were the main arena headliners across the weekend. Thomas Rhett surprised everyone by bringing Niall Horan on stage. Lady A did what they do best by performing some of their huge country hits, and Zac Brown Band wowed the audience with their impressive dynamic performance.
For me, other notable acts amongst many who performed before the headliners in the main arena were Lainey Wilson - one of the most prominent upcoming female country artists at the moment. Midland with their neo-traditional, honky-tonk country sounds featuring cheeky smooth dance moves. And Matt Stell who we interviewed last year performed a great set.
The festival also features the Radio 2 stage at The O2 Indigo, which showcased some of the most promising up-and-coming artists. In my opinion, standout acts included 49 Winchester, Megan McKenna, and Mackenzie Porter who went on to perform a stripped-back version of "Thinking 'Bout You," a song she recorded with country superstar Dustin Lynch.
In addition to the main arena stage and Radio 2 stage, the festival boasts many other stages situated around The O2 Arena, including Big Entrance, The Saloon, Icon, The Bluebird Cafe, The Wayside, and Town Square. This year, Town Square saw some exciting new changes, including a brand-new dedicated performance space and bar called The Barrelhouse at Town Square. Festival-goers also enjoyed browsing the many merch stalls, market traders, food stands, cocktails, craft beers, and more.
C2C 2023 once again showcased the best in country music and entertainment, bringing together the world's greatest country stars as well as emerging talent from Nashville, the UK, and Europe. Fans were thrilled to experience the excitement and energy of the festival and can't wait to see what C2C has in store for its next decade of country music celebration.
C2C festival will return on Friday 8th to Sunday 10th March 2024 at The O2, London and OVO Hydro, Glasgow.
Early bird tickets are available from Friday 17 March at 10am and can be purchased from www.gigsandtours.com, www.AXS.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk. Belfast tickets will be available via www.ticketmaster.ie.
Photo credit: Luke Dyson.
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