The manager of the Tamworth Country Music Festival has left the role after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual touching without consent, less than six months after stepping into the job.
Court documents seen by the ABC reveal Joel Nathan Ulbricht was at a home on the NSW Central Coast on the evening of January 3, when he invited the complainant over to catch up before he travelled north to Tamworth to begin his tenure with the festival.
Over the course of the evening the 45-year-old and the complainant consumed multiple alcoholic beverages, according to the agreed facts.
The complainant, who had intended to stay the night, became unwell and went to sleep in a spare room.
The Tamworth Country Music Festival is Australia’s largest country music event, attracting thousands of visitors to the regional city. (ABC News: Caitlin Furlong)
Between 1 and 2am the following morning the complainant said they awoke to find Ulbricht with his body pressed against theirs and speaking into their ear.
Ulbricht placed his hand inside their underwear and was touching their buttocks and moving closer to their genitals before the complainant rolled off the bed and left the room.
The incident was reported to police on January 5 and the complainant’s underwear and T-shirt were retained for forensic analysis.
Two days later Ulbricht voluntarily attended Gosford police station and admitted to police he had been intoxicated on the night, but did not recall the incident taking place.
On March 11, DNA results from the seized clothing items matched that of Ulbricht.
NSW Police charged him a day, according to court documents.
The matter first appeared before Gosford Local Court on April 30. On June 18 Ulbricht entered a guilty plea to the single charge of sexual touching without consent.
Festival to continue
Tamworth Regional Council announced Ulbricht’s appointment in February of this year, taking over from long-time manager Barry Harley, who had run the event since 2015.
Ulbricht shadowed Mr Harley throughout the 2026 event and told the ABC at the time that he was meeting “stakeholders and locals and learning from the best”.
They described Ulbricht as an “experienced festival and events professional” whose leadership roles with the Parkes Elvis Festival, Katherine Rodeo and Garma Festival in the Northern Territory were considered a “great asset”.
Joel Ulbricht took over the role from Barry Harley, who was involved with the festival for more than 50 years. (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy)
In a statement issued yesterday Tamworth Regional Council said Ulbricht was no longer employed by the council and that plans were in place to deliver the festival in his absence.
The council was contacted for comment on the exact circumstances of Ulbricht’s departure, as well as how long it had been aware of his guilty plea.
A spokesperson said the council would not be making any further comments at this time.
The festival will get underway on January 15.
Ulbricht will be sentenced in Gosford Local Court later this month.
