Armidale teenager Charlie Fittler has been playing at the annual event over the last four years after starting as a busker.

But with the restrictions in place, he said he had not reached out to any venues about gigs at next year's festival, although he hoped it might be able to proceed online in someway.

Tamworth Regional Council this week announced it would recommend to councillors that it suspend the council-run events held during the festival.

That includes the busking competition and free concerts in the park, which have all fallen victim to COVID-19 health controls which prohibit gatherings of more than 20 people.

"It's a shame, but I do support the decision," Charlie said.

"It's for everyone's safety, for the band's safety, musician's safety and the public. I do understand the decision."

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While he will not be at the festival, the young musician said he already had other plans for January, relating to his own music.

"We're doing a fair bit of songwriting and hopefully we can get songs released by the time of January. I want to get songs out to the public by then.

Charlie Fittler performs at Tamworth in January 2020:

"And I imagine they will improvise. Tamworth could do a bit like what they did for Hats Off maybe, I'm not too sure yet but I'd imagine there'd be something like that. Only time will tell."

When the mid-year festival, Hats Off To Country, could not go ahead, there were several gigs played in front of a camera and livestreamed on Facebook.

Charlie performed at Tamworth venue The Pub then and was rapt with the response.

"We got good views live, and we got really good feedback on it," he said.

"It was the first time we ever had to do it. There haven't been too many festivals that have had to be done online."

Charlie released his first single last year. The song, This Guitar Can't Drink a Beer, was co-written with Golden Guitar winner Travis Collins.