The final countdown is on. The first lineup announcement has dropped for the final ever Byron Bay Bluesfest, and it’s a belter.
We were hoping for Crowded House, and they have delivered. Neil Finn is without doubt in the upper echelon of living songwriters. Their past performances at the festival have been absolute highlights, and we can’t wait to see them again. Their most recent album, Gravity Stairs, is up there with their best, and the injection of sons Liam and Elroy Finn as official members is a natural fit.
Vance Joy and his ukulele are famous for the mega-hit “Riptide”. No doubt that will be on the setlist, as well as other hits such as “Mess is Mine” and “Lay It On Me”. Vance is one of our most loved musicians.
Ocean Alley is a crowd and festival favourite. With big sing-along hits such as “Confidence”, they will go down a storm. Also needing no introduction is Tones & I. Yes, we all know “Dance Monkey” (12 billion streams, I kid you not). It will be her debut on the Bluesfest main stage.
You can get your blues fix with Gary Clark Jr. I first saw him at Bluesfest in 2015 and was blown away. He is effortlessly cool. He has won multiple Grammys and is a legend on the guitar. He hasn’t been back since 2019. Don’t miss him.
UK neo-blues soul superstar Rag’n’Bone Man will light up the stage. With an incredible baritone voice, his track “Human” has racked up 1.9 billion hits on YouTube. His most recent album Life by Misadventure debuted at number one on the UK album charts, where it stayed for seven weeks.
Canada’s Allison Russell was one of the highlights of Bluesfest last year. It’s great news that she is back for a return visit. She is another captivating Grammy award-winning storyteller.
Speaking of Grammy award-winners. Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is as authentic as they come for emotive, searing blues music. He is another return visitor from 2023.
Amongst the locals performing is the brilliant Fanny Lumsden and the Prawn Stars. I caught Fanny in Manchester recently, and it was such a fun night. She is much loved in Australia, having won multiple ARIA awards.
Brad Cox, one of our favourite country stars, is also performing. The fifteen-year-old guitar prodigy Taj Farrant returns to Bluesfest. His performance last year was much talked about. Also back from last year after exceptional performances is WILSN and Pierce Brothers.
Hailing from Woodford Island in the lower reaches of the Clarence River on the Far-North coast of NSW is RY X. An emotive singer/songwriter and spellbinding performer, he has been selling out the likes of Royal Albert Hall.
Guaranteed to get the tent rocking is Here Come The Mummies, the high-energy eight-piece funk-rock band from Nashville. Also bringing in the funk and soul will be Cimafunk from Cuba.
Retro-soul from The California Honeydrops should keep you dancing and smiling, whilst Neal Francis from New Jersey will be bringing his funk, soul, and rock to Byron. Also mashing up genres with a massive voice is Marc Broussard, with his take on rock, blues, and R&B.
Another highlight from last year was the local band 19-Twenty. They were so much fun, full of energy, and genuinely excited to be playing. Make sure you catch them.
Tickets for Bluesfest 2025 are currently on sale. In 2025 the dates are Thursday 17th April to Sunday the 20th April. Grab your tickets HERE before they sell out.
For more information about Bluesfest Byron Bay head to their website, bluesfest.com.au
Bluesfest Byron Bay 2025 First Announcement
Crowded House
Vance Joy • Ocean Alley • Tones and I
Gary Clark Jr • Rag’n’Bone Man
RY X • Allison Russell • Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
Brad Cox • Here Come The Mummies EXCLUSIVE
The California Honeydrops EXCLUSIVE • Marc Broussard • Pierce Brothers
Taj Farrant EXCLUSIVE • Fanny Lumsden • 19-Twenty
WILSN • Cimafunk EXCLUSIVE • Neal Francis EXCLUSIVE
All photos: Bruce Baker
