Bluesfest organisers announce 2025 edition to be the very last

Organisers of Bluesfest, one of Australia's most awarded and longest running music festivals in Australia, have today announced its 2025 event will be the very last – marking the end of 35 years of celebrating music of all genres.

The final Bluesfest will take place over Easter in 2025 from 17th to 20th April on Byron Events Farm.

Peter Noble, Festival Director and the driving force behind Bluesfest shared via a statement "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."

Bluesfest began as the East Coast Annual Blues Festival in 1990, headlined by American acts Charlie Musselwhite and Canned Heat at the Byron Bay Arts Factory

Musically, Bluesfest evolved beyond its blues roots into a musical celebration of all genres, hosting the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Mary J Blige, and Jack Johnson alongside music royalty like BB King, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Grace Jones.

Local talent including Cold Chisel, Kasey Chambers and Dan Sultan also made appearances over the years at the festival.

As the event expanded it moved into outdoor spaces like Belongil Fields, Red Devil Park and its final home, the Byron Events Farm in Tyagarah, where over 100,000 people can visit the festival over the Easter weekend.

Like many Australian festivals, Bluesfest has faced many challenges including cost increases, changes in ticket-buying behaviour and being forced to shut down due to the Covid pandemic and extreme weather.

The festival returned in 2022 with the 33rd edition attracting an unparalleled line-up of Australian music’s biggest artists and brightest newcomers playing to the largest and most appreciative crowds they’ve enjoyed in years and in many cases, their careers.

There were plenty of tears shed as the five-day music and camping festival roared back to life at its purpose-built site at Tyagarah, just outside Byron Bay, to help kickstart the besieged Australian live music industry and support the festival’s flood-ravaged local community.

However, the 2023 and 2024 Bluesfest events did not sell out and the 2025 festival has been trimmed down from five to four days due to cost increases and falling ticket sales. 

The end of Bluesfest will no doubt have an impact on the Australian music festival and adds to the list of festivals announcing cancellations. Major events like Splendour In The Grass, Groovin The Moo, ValleyWays, Tent Pole Music Festival, Spilt Milk and Harvest Rock have cancelled events in 2024, while Sunshine Coast Council recently cancelled the Caloundra Music Festival for good.

Creative Australia’s report Soundcheck: Insights into Australia's music festival sector released this year highlighted the cultural, social and economic impact of Australian music festivals, including information on ticketing and attendance trends during the 2022/23 financial year.  

The report revealed that the average cost to run a music festival is $3.9 million while only 56% of music festivals in 2022/23 were profitable (with a median profit of $731,579) - more than one in three music festivals reported a deficit (35%, with a median deficit of $470,000).

Festival organisers nominated rising operational costs as having the most severe impact on almost half of festival organisers (47%) with overheads including artist fees, production, suppliers, freight, transportation and insurance.

Another report released this year by Flight Centre Travel Group’s Stage and Screen showed almost a third of respondents indicating that they now prefer a headline act, such as Taylor Swift and P!NK, in a city stadium.

Following numerous reports of falling support for outdoor festivals, the Flight Centre figures show 89% of young people (aged 18 to 35) citing multiple reasons - including bad weather and rising costs - as deterring them from attending festivals.

Two thirds cited ticket prices as a major deterrent while more than one third are being put off by the logistical challenges of getting to festival locations as well as the general ‘festival atmosphere’.

On Bluesfest’s 2025 event, Noble shared "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."

Bluesfest is set to announce the first names for its final ever line-up next week, with organisers promising to deliver artists “worthy of the momentous occasion”.

The final Bluesfest will be a four-day event, offering a power-packed experience that will close the curtain on this legendary institution. Held over the Easter long weekend from 17th to 20th  April  2025, at the beautiful 300-acre Byron Events Farm, just 11km north of Byron Bay, the festival will continue to uphold its commitment to quality, featuring multiple stages and a diverse lineup that spans the best in Blues, Roots Music, and Beyond. 

Bluesfest organisers add "this final edition is not just the end of an era; it’s a celebration of everything that Bluesfest has stood for over the past 35 plus years – music, community, and unforgettable experiences."

Recognised globally for its excellence, Bluesfest has earned numerous accolades, making it the most awarded music festival in the Australian entertainment industry.

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

Tickets to the final Bluesfest are available here