Tourism Tamworth began over-the-counter and phone sales on Monday. Rodeo tickets were the most popular, closely followed by Troy Cassar-Daley and The Songbirds concerts.

A total of 1000 tickets were sold over the counter and over the phone in one day, which is a record number for Tourism Tamworth.

Phone lines were flooded and a crowd of ticket buyers were waiting for the doors to open at 9am. It was all hands on deck at the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre with additional staff and volunteers taking ticket orders.

A constant flow of inquiries and sales continued throughout the day as early-bird buyers got in early to secure the best seats in the house.

Tickets went on sale via the internet on October 1 and thousands of tickets have now been sold to 45 concerts on offer through Tourism Tamworth.

“It’s great to see the excitement of those that have come to get early tickets,” Tourism Tamworth marketing and PR manager David Woodward said.

“The indications on ticket sales for 2009 shows strong attendance of the upcoming festival.

“We also have two new venues added to the mix in 2009 – the brand new Capitol Theatre which is hosting some great talent during the festival, and the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre which will also offer a diverse range of exciting experiences for visitors and the local community.

“The 2009 festival is truly shaping up to be a great event. We’re all really excited by the great entertainment set for the stage.”

Tickets to the 37th Country Music Awards of Australia presented by Jayco are not on sale yet but are expected to be available by mid-next week.

Tickets can be purchased over the counter, over the phone or online at Tourism Tamworth’s website www.visittam

worth.com