Byron Bay Bluesfest

The Byron Bay Bluesfest, formerly the East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, is an annual Australian music festival that has been held over the Easter long weekend in the Byron Bay, New South Wales, area since 1990. The festival features a large selection of blues and roots performers from Australia and around the world and is one of the world's leading contemporary music festivals.

Byron Bay Bluesfest
2014 festival from above
GenreBlues, roots
DatesEaster long weekend
Location(s)Byron Bay, New South Wales
Years active1990-2019, 2021-
Websitebluesfest.com.au

The festival was founded by Dan Doeppel and Kevin Oxford in 1990 and is run by Peter Noble who joined Oxford for the 1994 event. It has been held at several locations in and around Byron Bay and is currently held at Tyagarah, 11 kilometres drive north of Byron Bay town. Originally running for four days, it now runs for five days, from Thursday to Monday. From an original crowd of 6,000, it now attracts annual audiences of over 101,000 across the five days. Patrons range from locals to international visitors from a wide age range, including celebrities such as Matt Damon, Jason Momoa and Chris Hemsworth.[1]

Bluesfest 2020 was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Australia.[2]

History

The festival began in 1990 at the Arts Factory in Byron Bay as a five-day blues music event over the Easter weekend. In December 2004, Keven Oxford, a director and founder of the event, left the festival and sold his 50% share of the company to a consortium comprising Michael Chugg (managing director of Sydney-based Michael Chugg Entertainment), Daryl Herbert (CEO of Melbourne-based Definitive Events) and Glenn Wheatley (CEO of Melbourne-based Talentworks), who ran the festival with co-founder Peter Noble. Noble bought out the consortium in 2008 and now owns the festival alone.[3] In 2010 Bluesfest moved to its permanent home at the 120-hectare Tyagarah Tea Tree farm.[4]

Bluesfest 2020 was the first of 31 Bluesfests to be cancelled, due to event restrictions imposed when the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia occurred.[2][5]

The 2021 event is scheduled for 1–5 April.[6]

Awards

Awards summary – Bluesfest

  • 1 win at the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards Memphis - For Festival Director Peter Noble
  • 7 wins at the NSW Tourism Awards for Major Festivals & Events (5 Gold, 2 Silver)
  • 6 wins at the North Coast Tourism Awards for Major Festivals & Events
  • 4 wins at the Helpmann Awards for Best Contemporary Music Festival, Ceremony for Australia's most talented and celebrated performers and industry
  • 6 wins at the Australian Event Awards for Australian Event of the Year
  • 9 nominations at the Pollstar Awards (US) for International Festival of the Year (6 in a row from 2012- incl 2017)

Bluesfest Awards

  • 2019 Best Regional Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2018 Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event - Australian Event Awards
  • 2018 Keeping the Blues Alive Award Memphis - For Festival Director Peter Noble
  • 2017 Gold Major Festivals & Events - NSW Tourism Awards (After winning Gold 3rd time in a row Bluesfest entered the NSW Tourism Hall of Fame)
  • 2017 Best Regional Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2016 Gold Major Festival & Events, NSW Tourism Awards
  • 2016 Best Regional Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2016 Gold Major Festivals & Events, North Coast Tourism Awards
  • 2016 Order of Australia Medal (OAM), Won by Festival Director, Peter Noble ‘For service to live and recorded music, to tourism, and to the community.’
  • 2015 Gold Major Festivals & Events, NSW Tourism Awards
  • 2015 Gold Major Festivals & Events, North Coast Tourism Awards
  • 2015 Pan Australasian Festival Of The Year, Canadian Music Week International Festival Awards
  • 2014 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 2014 Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event, Australian Event Award
  • 2014 Gold Major Festival & Event, North Coast Tourism Awards
  • 2014 'The Rolling Stone Award' Won by Festival Director, Peter Noble
  • 2014 Silver Major Festivals & Events, NSW Tourism Awards
  • 2013 Silver Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event Australian Event Awards
  • 2013 Gold Major Festivals & Events, NSW Tourism Awards
  • 2013 Gold Major Festivals & Events, North Coast Tourism Awards
  • 2013 Best Regional Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2013 Best Contemporary Music Festival Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 2013 Business Excellence Award, North Coast Tourism Awards
  • 2012/13 The International A Greener Festival Award
  • 2012 Silver Major Festival & Events, NSW Tourism Awards
  • 2012 Business Excellence Award, North Coast Tourism Awards
  • 2011 The International A Greener Festival Award
  • 2011 Gold Major Festivals & Events, NSW Tourism Awards
  • 2011 Business Excellence Award, North Coast Tourism Awards
  • 2010 Australian Event of the Year, Australian Event Awards
  • 2010 The International A Greener Festival Award
  • 2009 The International A Greener Festival Award
  • 2008 Grammy Award, ‘Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album’, Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience (AIM Records artist)
  • 2008 The International A Greener Festival Award
  • 2007 The International A Greener Festival Award
  • 2006 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 2005 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 1998 – 2013 Readers Poll Award, Rhythms Magazine – "Best Australian Festival"
  • 1994 -96 Readers Poll Award, Rhythms Magazine – "Best Australian Festival"

Bluesfest nominations

  • 2019 Pollstar Awards (USA) for International Festival of the Year
  • 2017 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 2016 International Music Festival of the Year, 28th Pollstar Awards (2017)
  • 2016 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 2015 International Music Festival of the Year, 27th Pollstar Awards (2016)
  • 2015 Best Contemporary Music Festival Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 2014 Major Festivals & Events, NSW Tourism Awards
  • 2014 Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2014 Best Tourism Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2014 Best Regional Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2014 Best New Event for Boomerang Festival, Australian Event Awards
  • 2013 International Festival of the Year 25th Pollstar Awards (2014)
  • 2013 Best Tourism Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2012 International Festival of the Year 24th Pollstar Awards (2013)
  • 2012 Best Cultural/Arts Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2012 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Robert Helpmann Awards
  • 2011 Best Regional Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2011 Best Achievement in Sustainability, Australian Event Awards
  • 2009 Best Cultural or Arts Event, Australian Event Awards
  • 2009 Best Overseas Festival, UK Festival Awards
  • 2008 Grammy Award, ‘Best Tropical Latin Album’, Greetings From Havana - Cubanismo (AIM Records artist)
  • 2008 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
  • 2007 International Music Festival of the Year from the esteemed US based Pollstar Concert Industry Awards

Line-up 2007

The line-up for the 2007 festival included:[7]

Line-up 2008

The 2008 festival was held at the 26 acres (110,000 m2) Belongil Fields, the original outdoor venue. The 2008 festival had more food and craft stalls, a covered area where festival goers could eat at tables, a chill-out area, plus an area for an additional, fifth stage.

Artists in 2008 included Buddy Guy, Eskimo Joe, The John Butler Trio, Gotye, The Beautiful Girls, Newton Faulkner, Seasick Steve, Charlie Musselwhite, Mavis Staples, John P. Hammond, John Hiatt, Ray Davies, Maceo Parker, Loudon Wainwright III, Ozomatli, Ruthie Foster, Jake Shimabukuro, Keith Urban, Amali Ward, Lior, MOFRO, Dan Sultan, Jeff Lang, The Cat Empire, Clare Bowditch, Raul Midon and Xavier Rudd.

Line-up 2011

The line-up for the 2011 festival included:

Line-up 2012

The line-up for the 2012 festival included:

Line-up 2013

The line-up for the 2013 festival included:

Line-up 2014

The line-up for the 2014 festival included:

Line-up 2015

The line-up for the 2015 festival included:

Line-up 2016

The line-up for the 2016 festival included:

Line-up 2017

The line-up for the 2017 festival included:

Line-up 2018

The line-up for the 2018 festival included:

Line-up 2019

The line-up for 2019 included:[8]

Line-up 2020

Bluesfest 2020 was cancelled on 16 March 2020 due to the Public Health COVID-19 Public Events Order 2020.[5]

The line-up for 2020 was set to include:[9]

See also

References
  1. "Stars feel the blues this Easter". Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  2. Cashmere, Paul (16 March 2020). "Bluesfest 2020 Has Been Cancelled". Noise11.com.
  3. "Bluesfest buy-out". DBMagazine (451). 15 October 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  4. "Bluesfest Byron Bay Tickets". Oztix.com.au. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  5. "Public Health COVID-19 Public Events Order 2020" (PDF).
  6. Martin, Josh (19 March 2020). "Byron Bay Bluesfest announces 2021 return, confirms new dates". NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  7. Archived 15 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Byron Bay Blues Festival Playing Schedule". Byron Bay Bluesfest. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  9. "Byron Bay Blues Festival Playing Schedule" (PDF).
  10. "Australian Americana Music Honours".

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