With Kendrick Lamar and The National atop the bill Bluesfest 2016 was already looking good but now it’s just gotten that much better with the addition of a handful of legends.
The big news is that Brian Wilson will be playing the iconic record Pet Sounds in full with an 11 piece band including original band member Al Jardine and long-term player Blondie Chaplin. The other eight members will be made up by a string section.
Bluesfest organisers have promised that Wilson won’t only play Pet Sounds in full, he’ll also be adding a number of the band’s extensive list of hits.
It doesn’t stop there though. Blues and roots legend Taj Mahal has also been announced and will play solo and unplugged down-under for the first time in over a decade.
Avant-garde American collective The Residents, soul group Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Scotland’s Shooglenifty have also been announced on this latest lineup drop.
Festival director Peter Noble has said that even though nearly 40 names have been announced there are still more acts to be added.
Bluesfest will go down during the 2016 Easter long weekend at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm just north of Byron Bay. Tickets are on sale now and you can check out the details below as well as the full lineup.
UPDATE 26/11/15: Soul man D’Angelo has been added to the bill alongside Cold War Kids, Hitaus Kaiyote and a bunch more.
UPDATE 03/12/15: Even more artists have been added to the Bluesfest 2016 lineup including The “Original” Blues Brothers Band.
UPDATE 16/12/15: A special Christmas announcement has seen 10 more acts added to the Bluesfest 2016 lineup, including Modest Mouse & Ash Grunwald.
UPDATE 04/02/16: Eagles Of Death Metal plus a slew of other names have been added in the final lineup announcement.
Bluesfest 2016 Lineup
The Mick Fleetwood Band
Eagles Of Death Metal
Playing For Change Band
Chain
Backsliders
Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Irish Mythen
Digging Roots
Frazey Ford
Marshall Okell
Sahara Beck
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks
Joining…
Modest Mouse
Richard Clapton
Ash Grunwald
Graham Nash
Kamasi Washington
Elle King
Blind Boy Paxton
Dustin Thomas
Wards Xpress
Raw Earth.
Joining
The “Original” Blues Brothers Band
Don McLean
Russell Morris
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Jeff Martin (The Tea Party)
Archie Roach
Tex Perkins & The Ape
The Mastersons
Hussy Hicks
East Journey
Joining
D’Angelo And The Vanguard
Cold War Kids
Hiatus Kaiyote
Houndmouth
Fantastic Negrito
Con Brio
Kaleo
Mike Love
The Bros. Landreth
Kim Churchill
Mojo Juju
Pierce Brothers
Harts
Steve Smyth
Joining
Melissa Etheridge
Kendrick Lamar
Tom Jones
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
The Decemberists
Jason Isbell
Sturgill Simpson
Tweedy
Steve Earle and The Dukes
The Wailers
Grace Potter
Lord Huron
Nahko and Medicine For The People
Vintage Trouble
Lucky Peterson
Emdee
Blackberry Smoke
joining…
The National – Bluesfest exclusive
City And Colour
UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell, Astro & Mickey Virtue – Bluesfest exclusive
Joe Bonamassa – Bluesfest exclusive
Tedeschi Trucks Band
The Cat Empire
Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real
The Word
Rhiannon Giddens
Janiva Magness
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Allen Stone
The Selecter
Shakey Graves
Songhoy Blues
Thursday, 24th March – Monday, 28th March 2016
Byron Bay Bluesfest 2016
Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW
Tickets: Bluesfest
Tickets to Bluesfest 2016 are on sale now.
