Bluesfest records highest attendance of any Australian festival since pre-COVID

Bluesfest - an Australian-owned, independent celebration of live music - will return in 2026 following its record attendance in 2025 over the Easter long weekend, from 17th to 20th April held at the Byron Events Farm, located just north of Byron Bay. 

Bluesfest Director Peter Noble advised “music lovers from across the country came together to celebrate what Bluesfest fans and the music community have always known – that live music and this much-loved festival are worth standing behind.

“We’ve had the highest attendance of any Australian festival since pre-COVID at 109,000 attendances - the third-biggest event we've done in the history of the festival -festivals are back.”

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

The crowd of all ages was as diverse as Bluesfest has ever welcomed, testament to the event's multi- generational appeal to live-music loving fans from all walks of life.

The Bluesfest team has been humbled by the overwhelming support received from both artists and fans since the announcement that 2025 might be the final year.

Noble added “that support means Bluesfest fans have kept this dream alive. It's a clarion call for me. People want this event. People want it to continue.”

This year's four-day showcase of some great live performers was a virtual sellout, with the biggest-ever opening night crowd pouring through the festival gates from the moment they opened on Thursday.

The festival hosted young Australian artists and busking stage graduates, including Tones and I, who reminded the packed Crossroads tent of her humble beginnings when she pointed to the nearby Buskers stage – the very stage where she first performed at Bluesfest – before delivering a powerhouse set to a sold-out crowd.

Festival Director Peter Noble’s special mentions across the weekend – beyond the headliners – included The Pierce Brothers, the reformation of The Beards, Kim Churchill, Nahko, Fools, Eric Stang, RY X, Sweet Talk, 19-Twenty, Roshani, WILSN, and Clarence Bekker. And honestly, we could almost add every artist to that list.

Adding to the sense of musical legacy, Birren – an emerging Indigenous artist and cousin of Budjerah – won the 2025 Busking Competition, and 14-year-old Torin Peat was the grommet winner, offering a glimpse into a future that’s clearly going to be big for both.

Noble continued “the finalists showed there is so much incredible young talent coming up, and the standard was as high, or higher than recent years, and sees a big future for both Birren and Torin.”

Maoli brought the spirit of the Pacific from Hawaii to our shores, captivating audiences with a blend of roots, reggae, and soul, while a special mention must go to The Pierce Brothers, whose energetic performance lit up the festival.

And then there were the legends: Chaka Khan and Hilltop Hoods didn’t just raise the roof – they launched it into orbit, with a scheduled landing date around Easter 2026.

The Bluesfest performances of true blues teenage guitar supremo Taj across the weekend were among the greatest.

Tom Morello amped up crowds on Thursday and Friday with his full-throttle, Rage Against the Machine-energised rally cry to do and be better in the face of dangerous times.

Friday's line-up was an unmissable day for guitar lovers and blues fans with Noble sharing "you simply won't find a collection of guitar legends like this on any single day in Australia.

"With Steve Lukather (Toto) - one of the world's most revered and prolific guitarists - George Thorogood bringing his signature Bad to the Bone energy, and Gary Clark Jr, the Grammy-winning blues innovator with his fiery guitar work and deep, soulful vocals.

"Add to that Tom Morello, a true guitar icon whose mind-bending solos have reshaped modern rock, plus the young stars of blues Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram and Australia's own Taj Farrant and many more."

Collaboration between “musical mates” - and there was plenty of it this year - has become another hallmark of Bluesfest.

Taj Farrant joined Electric Cadillac for a searing rendition of Voodoo Chile, Minnie Marks jumped up to jam with Hussy Hicks and Kasey Chambers joined Vance Joy.

The next generation of live music artists and fans were also on show at Bluesfest 2025, from the stellar talent on the Buskers stage, led by this year's grommet winner, 14-year-old Torin Peat, to the musical progeny of some of the festival's most beloved performers.

Kasey’s son Arlo and his band Motion Sickness performed as part of the busking contest while Bluesfest favourite and proud dad Ash Grunwald was joined onstage by daughter Sunny for a Bill Withers cover.

There were plenty of happy feet across the four days too, with high-energy made-for-dancing shows from Cimafunk, Here Come the Mummies, Melbourne Ska Orchestra and The Cat Empire.

Bluesfest was the only place in Australia fans could see freaky funky funsters Here Come The Mummies and Cimafunk - along with Neal Francis, The California Honeydrops and Melody Angel, who all played exclusive Bluesfest-only shows.

Vance Joy and Crowded House led dreamy sing-alongs under the big tops on Saturday, while Australian all-stars Missy Higgins, John Butler and Hilltop Hoods “had the joint jumping” for Sunday night's finale.

Tickets for the four-day Bluesfest 2026 are on sale now.

Images. Bluesfest 2025. Credit: Steve Romer