Illawarra singer-songwriter Olivia Coggan marks special milestone at Tamworth Country Music Festival

Illawarra’s Olivia Coggan is set to take the stage in her own show at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the first time, after growing up backstage and making guest appearances alongside her dad at the annual event.

Olivia is no stranger to the hustle and bustle of Tamworth at the end of January each year.

The 20-year-old daughter of singer Darren Coggan has been attending the festival all of her life to watch her dad perform.

“With my dad being a country music singer, I’ve grown up backstage at his gigs there, seen a lot of his other mates playing music there and have just fallen in love with it over time,” Olivia said.

The “epic vibe” of the premier event on Australia’s country music calendar holds a special place in her heart and has been the setting of musical discovery and inspiration.

“This festival is really where I fell in love with music,” she said.

“Every time I go, I’m so inspired; I come back and there’s so much to write about and I’m so pumped up to write and play music.”

While she has made guest appearances on stage beside her father before, 2025 marks the first year that Olivia will have her own show at the festival.

“It’s very special – a bit of a full circle moment to be coming back and playing my own show and my own music there.”

The milestone is just the beginning for the musician, who recently played beside big acts such as Boy and Bear, and she is due to open for Missy Higgins in April.

“I’m really lucky to have supported some of my heroes and some of my idols,” she said.

“The opening spots sort of started with Kasey Chambers asked me to support her and she’s just been the most amazing support to my whole family and so many other young artists coming up. I supported her for a few shows and I think that sparked a bit of interest.

“It’s really refreshing to know that all these bigger music royalty are supporting younger artists and new artists; it feels really welcoming and nice to know that they’re there to support you.”

She released her first single in 2023 and has travelled across the country to perform, with every week bringing a different experience.

“The weekend I supported Boy and Bear I was playing at a cafe the night before and then the next day I was at the State Theatre; it’s so different but I think it keeps it exciting too.”

She just performed at the Illawarra Folk Festival before making the trip up north, with more local performances also booked in for the coming months.

Olivia said the Illawarra and surrounding areas were improving the opportunities out there for artists to showcase their talent.

“It’s definitely gotten so much better in the last few years than it used to be and I keep hearing that from other artists too.

“There’s a lot of opportunity as far down to Kiama and Huskisson as well; there’s The Changing Tides Music Festival that just happened and Clearly Music Festival and even some of the wineries putting festivals on.”

She’s aspiring to play more festivals and sell more tickets to solo gigs as her career continues to grow.

But when Olivia dreams of the future, it’s not the fame and fortune that’s top of mind.

“I hope I always stay true to who I am and my authenticity in my writing. I hope that’s something I always come back to and I find that it is very grounding.

“I would love to be able to just do this forever.”

Olivia will perform a free show at The Press Basement Bar in Tamworth this Wednesday 22 January, with more information on tour dates and performances available through her website.

Her music can be streamed across most major digital platforms.