Just months after it was announced that 2025 of Byron Bay’s enduring blues festival would be its last, festival director Peter Noble has had a change of tune.
With a history of 35 years, this historic festival has become an institution on the Australian festival calendar. Bob Dylan, BB King, Paul Simon, John Mayer, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar With names like Kendrick Lamar, plus homegrown stars Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and Crowded House having performed over the years, the dazzling lineup also gives rising stars a chance to gain a major platform.
However, Noble explained in August that the festival – held annually over the Easter long weekend on Australia’s east coast – would end after its final outing.
“To my dear Bluesfest family, after over 50 years in the music industry, Bluesfest has been a labor of love and a celebration of music, community and the resilience of our fans,” Noble wrote in a statement.
“But after the 2025 festival, as much as it pains me to say this, it’s time to close this chapter,” he continued. “As I said earlier this year at Bluesfest 2024, next year’s festival will happen, and it will definitely happen, but it will be our last.”
News of the festival’s impending demise is yet another chapter in the ongoing story of the wider music festival industry and its efforts to stay afloat. Noble’s announcement comes just weeks after another Byron Bay music festival, Australia’s most famous music event, Splendor in the Grass, was scheduled to host its latest edition, but was unexpectedly cancelled.
However, a new interview with Noble revealed that the festival may be around for a while, explaining IQ Magazine The decision to suspend activities was made to regain support from the New South Wales Government.
“August was a very disappointing time,” Noble told IQ. “We have said to the government, ‘Look, we need investment now, the cost of living crisis has really affected events, there are cancellations everywhere’.
“They sent me a Dear John letter saying we decided not to invest in you. Over the past 12 years, Bluesfest has brought $1.1 billion in revenue to our state through inbound tourism. It’s a golden tsunami. , but it doesn’t seem to matter. [state government] Just trying to put money into their own coffers rather than taking responsibility for major events in Australia.
Noble also pointed out that Australia launched the South by Southwest music festival in Sydney last year, which received significant investment from the state government in its first two events.
“So what do we do? Do we have to say this is the last blues festival to get people to pay attention to us?” Noble asked. “We are the long-suffering wives and SXSW is the mistress who got the diamond ring?”
“All we’re asking our state to do is show us they care about the most award-winning event in Australian music history. No matter what, I’ll always find a way to keep Bluesfest going – that’s my job.
The 2025 Bluesfest music festival is planned to take place during the Easter long weekend in April 2025 and will feature a large number of local musicians, including Crowded House, Hilltop Hoods and Vance Joy. Many international celebrities will also be in attendance, including Gary Clark Jr., George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Allison Russell, BJ The Chicago Kid and more.
According to Noble, his horn could lead to “the most successful festival to date.”
“We’re already on a sell-out path, with 89,000 passes sold, and I believe we’ll hit 90,000 passes when we’re sold out [yesterday’s] Artist announcement,” he explains. “We’re probably the best-selling festival in Australia at the moment. We’ve seen people care about the event and the culture.
At its peak, the Blues Festival averaged 85,000 attendees. By 2022, when live music returns from lockdown, this number will increase to 102,000. However, the most recent show had fewer than 65,000 attendees.
Noble also revealed that he is booking artists for the 2026 Bluesfest music festival. The fruits of his latest labor will ostensibly be announced around August/September 2025, in the tradition of the festival’s first line-up announcements.
