Country Music goes mainstream and new data shows why Australian brands should care

Brands are being urged to embrace country music, as new research reveals the genre’s powerful rise among the Gen Z  Australian audience.

New research from Connect by Live Nation, the creative and experiential agency within Live Nation, has found that more than 68 per cent of those surveyed are now listening to more country music than ever before.

The research also found that 67 per cent of those surveyed follow a country music artist on social media, with TikTok recording an impressive 196 million video views on #CountryMusic in Australia in the last 12 months.

As a result, the report called Step Into Country, declared the country genre as officially mainstream, and Australia is now the third-largest country music market in the world, behind only the United States and Canada.

And if more evidence was needed, earlier this year The Wiggles released a country album Wiggle Up, Giddy Up with collaborations with Dolly Parton, Dasha, Lainey Wilson, Orville Peck, Jackson Dean, and even a special posthumous collaboration with Slim Dusty.

The report highlighted that Country Music and lifestyle is mainly popular among Gen Z, driven mainly by genre-blurring stars like Beyoncé, G Flip, Post Malone and Shaboozey and that influence crossing into everything from fashion to FMCG.

Connect by Live Nation unveiled the research findings to leading brands, including Rimmel and Young Henry's, at an event in Sydney’s CBD, where the exponential rise of country music was framed not just as a genre shift, but as a full-blown cultural movement.

The presentation highlighted emerging subgenres like Hick Hop (country rap), pop country, and YeeDM, a country-electronic fusion, all contributing to country music’s rapid evolution and expanding appeal.

Kristy Rosser, SVP and Head of Media and Sponsorship at Live Nation ANZ, urged marketers to look at country music and new opportunities as there is an overwhelming positivity towards the genre.

“What we are seeing is a shift in perception for traditional country music from "nostalgic” and “emotional” to “on the rise”, “diverse” and “progressive.” These new fans located in urban areas didn’t grow up with country music, they’ve found it through mainstream channels, influencing their lifestyle preferences and driving growth across the retail, FMCG and entertainment categories.”

That cultural influence is already translating to commercial impact. One in two music fans surveyed have purchased country-inspired fashion in the past year while 40 per cent have bought country-themed homewares.

Live Nation’s own figures back this trend up. From 2019 to 2024, the company saw 746 per cent growth in country music ticket sales across Australia and New Zealand.

Acts like Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers and Post Malone have all sold out shows, and 2026 will mark the debut of Sunburnt Country, a new touring festival headlined by Jason Aldean.

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