In major news today, Peter Noble OAM, Festival Director of Bluesfest Byron Bay, announced that the 2025 edition of Bluesfest will be its last outing. Easter on the East coast of Australia will never be the same again.
Perhaps the writing was on the wall when it was cut down from five days to four for 2025. With the collapse of other festivals in Australia, there was always the danger that Bluesfest would succumb to the trend of festivals ending. We lived in hope, but it wasn’t to be.
In a statement from Noble, “To my Dear Bluesfest Family, and after more than 50 years in the music business, Bluesfest has been a labour of love, a celebration of music, community, and the resilient spirit of our fans. But after the 2025 festival, as much as it pains me to say this, it’s time to close this chapter. As I said earlier this year at Bluesfest 2024, next year’s festival will be happening and it definitely is, but it will be our last. To my dear Bluesfest family, I want to make it the most unforgettable experience yet. If you’ve been thinking about it, now is your last chance to experience our beloved festival.”
It has been an incredible run. It kicked off in 1990, at ‘The Piggery’, also known as the Byron Bay Arts Factory, where it stayed for the first three years. It then moved to Belongil Fields, and it was in 1995 that I attended my first Bluesfest. That year Mick Taylor’s Blues Allstars were the headliners, along with Michelle Shocked and John Hammond. Since then, my partner and I have spent most Easters at Bluesfest.
In 1997 it moved to Red Devil Park in Byron, and Ben Harper made his first appearance, winning a legion of fans. He has performed ten more times since. I remember seeing Paul Kelly play in the Juke Joint, which was a tiny concrete building in 1999. It was one of the highlights of that year.
In 2001 Midnight Oil just about lifted the roof off the tent. It was packed to the gills, as the exotic fragrance of Northern Rivers horticulture wafted throughout before they came on. REM was a standout in 2005. From the opening few bars it was evident that Michael Stipe and the rest of the band were on fire.
In 2010, the festival moved to its permanent home at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm. Other notable performances over the years included Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, Crosby, Stills and Nash, David Gray, Cold Chisel, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Tash Sultana, Kasey Chambers and James Brown just to name a few.
As much as we loved seeing the ‘big names’, just as often, the joy was in discovering a performer in one of the smaller tents that you had never heard of and fell in love with. It was also a cracking way to spend Easter with family and friends. It will be much missed.
So, what can we expect for the last hurrah in 2025? I’d expect Ben Harper would be near the top of many lists. Jack Johnson is another fan-favourite, and Michael Franti always gets the crowd going. From a local perspective, Crowded House one last time would go down a treat, and I’d be stoked to see Amyl and the Sniffers get a run. Perhaps we will save our wish list for another day. We need to get over the shock of this news first.
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
All photos – Bruce Baker
