Bluesfest Rises From The Ashes With New 2021 Event Featuring Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly & More

You can’t keep a good festival down.

After its devastating eleventh-hour cancellation this past Easter following a single case of COVID-19 in Byron Bay, Bluesfest is rising from the ashes with a brand new event locked in for this October.

Running from Friday, 1st October to Monday, 4th October, the four-day event will be headlined by Aussie royalty in the form of Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly, alongside previously announced weekend headliners Tash Sultana and Jimmy Barnes.

To boot, festival boss Peter Noble has confirmed that “almost all the artists due to play at Easter will return to play”.

“Who would have thought after the cancellation of Bluesfest last Easter by a Public Health Order, less than 24 hours before our gates were due to open, due to one local case of transmission, that sent shockwaves through our industry, and traumatised everyone who had been working on presenting Bluesfest at Easter, that six weeks later we would be announcing our re-scheduled festival, and a week later, today our artists,” he said in a statement.

“This October, Bluesfest will be the first major festival to return, since COVID-19 struck, with a multi-day, multi-stage, camping event…”

Noble continued: “As we rise from the ashes of Bluesfest, Easter 2021, please come join us as we celebrate our indomitable determination to present live music in Australia safely, at a major event level. Let’s make history! We are back – we cannot be kept down – please join us.”

The promoter added that he looks forward to change coming for Australia’s major music events, and is calling on Canberra to introduce a targeted insurance scheme for festivals like Bluesfest.

“This is the time that major events need investment from government; more than we have ever received.
Our most recent completed event’s (2019) Economic Impact Report shows that we create 858 full-time equivalent jobs in our region and 1,333 in our state of NSW, but on top of this, the money that we generate regionally ($163M) and through our state ($277M) underlines the true value of major music events,” he argued.

Despite the October instalment of Bluesfest effectively shrinking to a four-day event, Noble has assured fans they’re in for something extra special.

More details will be announced soon.

For now, check out all we know so far, below.

Bluesfest 2021 – Rescheduled Lineup

Midnight Oil
Paul Kelly
Tash Sultana
Jimmy Barnes

Ocean Alley
Ziggy Alberts
John Butler
Xavier Rudd
The Cat Empire
Pete Murray
Mark Seymour & The Undertow
Kate Ceberano
Kasey Chambers
The Waifs
The Church
Jon Stevens
Ian Moss
The Living End
The Angels
Ross Wilson And The Peaceniks
Russell Morris
Troy Cassar-Daley
Briggs
Tex Perkins
The Man In Black
Hiatus Kaiyote
Kate Miller-Heidke
Weddings Parties Anything
The Black Sorrows
The Bamboos
Chain
Backsliders
Ash Grunwald
Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Vika & Linda
Jeff Lang
Nathan Cavaleri
Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission
Kim Churchill
Henry Wagons
JK-47
Garrett Kato
Mama Kin Spender
Dami Im
Pierce Brothers
Emily Wurramara
The Buckleys
Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers
Ray Beadle
Pacey, King & Doley
All Our Exes Live In Texas
Hussy Hicks
Roshani
Declan Kelly
Daniel Champagne
Little Georgia
Lambros.
Round Mountain Girls
The Regime
Electric Lemonade
Palm Valley
Byron Busking Competition