‘Festivals are back’: Bluesfest confirms 2026 return

The 2026 edition of Byron Bay Bluesfest has been confirmed after organiser Peter Noble performed a U-turn on the fate of the Australian institution.

In August last year, Noble said the “final curtain call” would take place from 17–20 April 2025 and expressed his concerns for Australia’s beleaguered festival sector.

Four months later, organiser Noble told IQ that his clarion call was largely a ploy to attract the attention of the New South Wales state government, which he says declined to invest in Bluesfest during a difficult time for the economy.

This year’s event concluded on Sunday with 112,000 attendances, which Noble says is the third-biggest Bluefest and the highest attendance of any Australian festival since pre-COVID.

“We’re the top-selling festival in the country, and we’ve worked hard to get here,” he commented. “Festivals are back.”

On the final day of the 2025 event, organisers confirmed that the festival would live on, returning between 2-5 April 2026.

Additionally, attendees were also given the chance to purchase “pre-early bird tickets,” with the offer expiring at the conclusion of the festival.

The Australian Greens party launched their Festivals Support Package on the grounds of the festival

“Please support our festival and guarantee our future by the simple act of buying your ticket at the best possible price at the festival today,” organisers wrote on social media.

The announcement of Bluesfest’s 2026 return took place one day after Noble and the Australian Greens party presented their Festivals Support Package on the grounds of the festival.

The Greens’ proposed package to revitalise Australian festivals includes AUD$20 million (€11m) per year in direct festival grants, AUD$2 million (€1.1m) for a comprehensive review of the failures relating to the insurance market that is affecting the live music sector, and a national festival strategy, alongside tax offsets for artists and venues.

“Our festivals are in crisis,” Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said. “Over the past few years we’ve seen the cancellation after cancellation of loved and iconic festivals. It’s clear that the government needs to step in to help the industry.”

Bluesfest organisers added: “With rising costs, insurance issues, and festival cancellations across the country, this plan brings hope and much-needed support to keep Australia’s festival scene alive and thriving.”

Meanwhile, the Australian government have added another $16.4m to the Revive Live programme, bringing the total investment to $25m. This funding will support live music venues and festivals that feature Australian artists.

Launched in 1990, Bluesfest has attracted a who’s who of music legends such as BB King, Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Earth, Wind & Fire, Paul Simon, Robert Plant, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J Blige and Tom Jones. The 2025 edition featured Crowded House, Chaka Khan and Toto in the headline positions.

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