Bluesfest closes a chapter…
Australia's premier and most awarded music festival, the Bluesfest Byron Bay, has announced that the 2025 event will be its final event. After 35 years of delivering a world-class festival, the Bluesfest team have announced that next year’s festival will be the final curtain call for this iconic celebration of Blues, Roots and Rock music, as it says goodbye to the legendary Byron Events Farm, just outside of Byron Bay, NSW, Australia.
The festival industry and fans alike were devastated by the news and left wondering what will fill the void, As the final chapter in Bluesfest’s legacy approaches and with the first of the many artist announcements for the 2025 event expected next week festival, attendees are encouraged to grab their ticket to be apart of the the final horah. This will be the last chance for the Bluesfest punters to experience the magic, the music, and the memories that make this event such a beloved institution.
The festival’s Director, Peter Noble OAM, expressed the significance of this decision:
"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 years festival 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."
The final Bluesfest will be a four-day event, will be held over the Easter long weekend from the 17th to the 20th of April, 2025, at the beautiful 300-acre Byron Events Farm, just 11km north of Byron Bay, the festival will again feature multiple stages and a diverse lineup that will comprise the very best in Blues, Roots & Rock Music.
Tickets and Information are all available via https://www.bluesfest.com.au/
Bluesfest Awards include:
1 WIN at the Keeping the Blues Alive Award Memphis for Bluesfest Director Peter Noble 9 WINS at the NSW Tourism Awards for Major Festivals and Events - (6 Gold, 3 Silver) Induction into the NSW Tourism Awards Hall of Fame in 2019 for three wins a row. 8 WINS at the North Coast Tourism Awards for Major Festivals & Events 4 WINS at the Helpmann Awards for Best Contemporary Music Festival (Ceremony for Australia's most talented and celebrated performers and industry) 1 WIN at the Helpmann Awards for Best International Contemporary Concert 8 WINS at the Australian Event Awards for Best Cultural & Music and Event of The Year 6 NOMINATIONS for NSW for Major Festivals & Events at the Australian Tourism Awards (2 Silver, 1 Bronze) 10 NOMINATIONS at the Pollstar Awards (USA) for International Festival of the Year (No other Australian Festival nominated in this or last decade) 1 WIN at the Pollstar Awards (USA) for International Festival of the Decade with a top 10 finish in 2021. 1 WIN at the first Variety Awards for Festival of the Year
Editor’s Note
Now please don’t take my opinion as gospel, it’s not, but I can’t help wondering if this is actually the last we will see of Bluesfest or if this is just the last time we will see the “Byron Bay Bluesfest”. With the word ‘chapter’ being used so much I can’t help wondering if a new chapter will be started, possibly in 2026, possibly in a new location (It was only a couple of years ago I wrote a story about a new festival-focused development that was under construction, which had already been in talks to host some of our biggest festivals). This internationally recognized shindig has brought so much to the scene, if this truly is the very end of this Award-winning event, the Australian festival calendar will be left with a gaping hole that may never be filled in its entirety, a hole in our live music landscape, a hole in the economy of the Byron Bay region and hole in our hearts.