Bluesfest organisers say October event is likely be rescheduled again

Just days after revealing the financial impact of its last-minute cancelation this April, organisers of Byron Bay’s Bluesfest have cast doubts over the likelihood of their event going ahead in October.

In an email to ticketholders, the festival said that while it was too soon to make a decision, the likelihood of rescheduling its October event was becoming “ever more likely” due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in New South Wales.

Throughout the email, Bluesfest lamented that the current circulation of the Delta strain has made it increasingly difficult for the festival to confidently deliver a safe and successful event, noting that a further announcement would be made soon.

“You may be wondering why we haven’t yet made a call… Some of you may even be thinking that the solution is simple, and therefore think… ‘why hold out on an announcement any longer?!’,” the email reads.

“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. However, we understand your desire for answers. So, we write to you this week with transparency, as we always endeavour to keep you as informed as possible.

“The COVID-situation in NSW is at large, once again. This time with a strain that has increasingly been more difficult for State Governments to contain.

“And as the clusters begin to pop up in more places and continue to grow exponentially, a reschedule of our October event is becoming ever more likely.”

This week, Bluesfest released a report revealing the apparent economic impact of this year’s festival cancellation, with NSW Health’s executive order to cancel the event resulting in a national loss of $181 million.