Bluesfest Byron Bay, held annually since 1990 in Byron Bay, Australia, features a large selection of blues and roots musicians from around the world, and is considered one of the world’s leading contemporary music festivals. Originally running for three days, it now runs for five days during Easter weekend, beginning on Thursday and concluding the following Monday. From an original crowd of 6,000 it now attracts annual audiences exceeding 100,000 music fans. Bluesfest has been nominated a total of eight times for Best International Music Festival in the Pollstar Awards; 2017’s nomination is its sixth in a row. Each year Bluesfest presents around 200 performances on several stages, as well as camping for over 6,000 people on-site. Past blues and roots artists who have been showcased include Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Bo Diddley, Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, among many others. In addition to bringing some of the world’s best blues artists to Australia, festival director Peter Noble prides himself on discovering new talents before they become well known and introducing them to a very appreciative Bluesfest crowd.
