Festivals & Venues August 21, 2024

Bluesfest Reveals First 20 Artists for Final Edition

L-R: Brad Cox, Tones and I, Vance Joy

Image: Giulia Giannini McGauran

The first artists for the final Bluesfest have been unveiled, and the departing festival is clearly determined to go out on a high.

20 artists have been announced for the 36th and final Byron Bay Bluesfest today, with many more set to be added to the lineup soon.

Crowded House lead the lineup, fresh from topping the ARIA Albums Chart with their most recent album, Gravity Stairs.

One of Australia’s most successful singer-songwriters of his generation, Vance Joy, will join them at next year’s Bluesfest, bringing hits like “Riptide” and “Lay It on Me” to the festival.

Perennial festival favourites Ocean Alley, busker-turned-pop superstar Tones and I, genre-hopping US musician Gary Clark Jr., soulful English singer Rag’n’Bone Man, and rising country star Brad Cox also feature in the first wave of artists.

Fittingly for its big finale, Bluesfest has booked plenty of exclusive performances from the likes of Here Come the Mummies, Taj Farrant, The California Honeydrops, and Cimafunk.

Check out the full first artist announcement below.

The final Bluesfest will be a four-day event, stretching from April 17th-20th of next year. The festival will again be held at Byron Events Farm, just north of Byron Bay.

Bluesfest director, Peter Noble, shared a statement: “As we prepare for the final chapter of Bluesfest in 2025, I am profoundly moved by the outpouring of support from thousands in our community, along with the many artists and their management eager to be part of our farewell edition. Thank you all for your heartfelt messages and expressions of solidarity.

“We’re thrilled to unveil the first wave of artists for our grand finale. This lineup, meticulously curated to honour Bluesfest’s rich legacy, features a dynamic mix of legendary and cutting-edge performers. This announcement marks just the beginning… Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Let’s make the final Bluesfest one for the ages!”

Noble added that the festival’s second lineup “is well and truly in the works and the reveal is on the horizon.”

More information about Bluesfest can be found here.