Bluesfest, a popular music festival held annually in Byron Bay, has announced the cancellation of its 2026 edition.
In 2024, festival director Peter Noble announced the 2025 edition would be the last, but later confirmed it would continue for another year.
The 2026 festival was scheduled for the Easter long weekend (2-5 April).
Bluesfest’s website now says: “Rising production, logistics, insurance and touring costs, combined with a challenging environment for major live events, mean it is no longer possible to deliver the festival to the [same] standard”.
2025 edition
In August 2024, Noble announced 2025 would be the last Bluesfest.
At a Senate inquiry into the live music industry in November 2024, Noble said: “People can’t afford to go out as much, unless it’s something they really don’t want to miss... They’re going to sit on that money unless you find a way to make them spend it.“
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“When we said, with Bluesfest, this just might be the last one, all of a sudden we’re selling more tickets”.
During the 2025 festival, tickets went on sale for the following year.
2026
On Friday, Bluesfest’s website was updated with a statement announcing the cancellation of the 2026 edition.
It said a liquidator had been hired “to manage all financial matters, including vendor and partner obligations.”
Liquidation is the process of a company selling off its assets to pay its pre-existing debts before closing.
The liquidator will be tasked with contacting ticket-holders for “potential refund arrangements”.
