Bluesfest 2025

If I had to decide on one word to describe this year’s Bluesfest it would be “Massive”! Massive Artists, Massive Crowds, Massive Fun! Bluesfest 2025 again took place over the Easter long weekend amongst the huge Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm in New South Wales’s Byron Bay, set over four days the festival this year was visited by over 109,000 attendees making it one of the biggest in the long running events history. It would be remiss of me at this point to not mention that this was implied to be the last ever Bluesfest, so people flocked to the much loved festival for one last hurrah and to give this icon of the scene the send-off it deserved.

Keeping in tone with “Goodbye”, an eclectic mix of artists and band’s were included on the line-up, several that would not of even been considered in previous years due to their distance from the Blues genre including legendary Australian Hip-Hoppers Hilltop Hoods and solo powerhouse Tones And I, but no one seemed to mind as everyone understood what a momentous occasion this was for the Australian Festival circuit. This is were the story turns a bit grey, as half way through the Friday it was announced that Bluesfest would go ahead in 2026. Weather this was due to the record numbers of tickets and parking sold, the government lifeline announced that morning or just a genius marketing ploy from the beginning, some punters were left feeling they had been duped, conned even into attending. Some were just over the moon the event would be back to complete their Easter weekend festivities.

Now to list a musical highlight would be grossly unfair or just a ridiculously long list, no-one could argue the stacked amount of talent that shined, shredded or dominated the five stages of Bluesfest. From the two main stages Crossroads & Mojo right down to the Buskers stage, everyone was brilliant and it would be quicker to write a list of the bad performances as that’s easy, None!! From the internationals who flew in such as Toto, Chaka Chan, Tom Morello, Christopher Cross, Maoli and Crowded House to our own megastars Vance Joy, Missy Higgins, John Butler, Xavier Rudd, Ry X and Kasey Chambers, all delivered their sets with skill, love and a bit of humour. Sunny Grunwald, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram and Taj Farrant were names we also heard a lot when chatting to attendees, standing out not only for their talent but also due to their age and newness to audiences. And then there were those special moments like when Kasey Chambers joined Vance Joy on a makeshift stage set up in the middle of the Crossroads tent to belt out a couple of tracks or when Taj Farrant teamed up with Electric Cadillac for a cover of Jimmy Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Child’. The music was what everyone was here for and the musicians on this line-up didn’t disappoint.

Now after 36 years of existence and having created a permanent home in its current location it is no surprise Bluesfest had everything you need while being only a 12 minute drive to a regional city. Camping and Glamping were available on site, with toilets and showers all available for those guests staying on the farm, pass- outs from the festival even allowed people to return to their accommodation if they needed a siesta or had forgotten a jumper or sunscreen. The event had a vast array of market stalls with everything from clothing to jewellery, massages and activities for the kids, so if you needed a break from the crowds at the stages or had a rare spare moment during the “gotta see them” list, there was plenty to do. Food wise, everything was on offer, with a wide variety of cuisines available to purchase both at the southern and northern ends of the grounds, a giant undercover food hall provided tables and chairs for those who wished to eat the traditional way. In terms of hydration, there were multiple of bars open as well as local brewery setup’s on offer including Byron’s own Stone & Wood, free water stations were also located throughout the grounds and in a demonstration of Duty of Care a Breathalyzer was also available to use ensuring everyone made it home safely. Accessible viewing platforms and spaces again demonstrated the inclusiveness of the event and the forward thinking of organizers, with first aid and Information stations also located at the heart of festival. Bluesfest also had a wide range of Merch available form the standard T-Shirts and Hats to Bags, Posters, CD’s, and beach towels.

In summary, Bluesfest 2025 was a massive success (all be it a little crowded) with the festival clearly demonstrating the love and connection it has with it’s attendees. Regardless where you stand on the “last one” argument, you cant deny the gapping hole that would be left in the Australian Festival scene if we were to loose Bluesfest. While Byron Bay is a tourist mecca in it’s own right the over 230 million the event generates for the local economy can also not be overlooked, especially in recent years where holidays to exotic locations are less of a reality for most. If you are a music lover, this reviewer highly recommends you attend at least one Bluesfest in your life time, you will either be able to check it off your bucket list or you will never want to miss another one again.

Tickets for Bluesfest 2026 are on sale now via https://www.bluesfest.com.au/

Thank you to Bluesfest and Against The Grain PR for having us along