Source : the age
Numbers at this year’s Bluesfest have swelled to near capacity, in part on the back of widespread but unfounded fears it would be the final year for the iconic Byron Bay event.
Organisers said they expected 108,000 in attendance over the festival’s four days, compared with about 70,000 at last year’s five-day event. Huge crowds were evident everywhere over Easter weekend, from the lines at food and drink outlets to the large numbers packing the four main venues, car parks and camping areas.
In August last year, veteran promoter Peter Noble said he was pulling the pin on Bluesfest due to rising costs, the lingering effects of the pandemic, slow ticket sales and a perceived lack of government support.
“I got to the point of disillusion of going, I can’t afford another bad one at my age. I’m not going to retire to a caravan,” Noble said on Saturday regarding his August statement.
Then in December, with ticket sales gathering momentum, he appeared to backflip, telling industry website IQ he “would always find a way” to put on the event.
He admitted some of this year’s festival attendees may have bought tickets thinking it would be their last chance.
“They’re not all here because of that statement by me,” he said. “Some are, I’ll cop to that, but they’re here because they want things like this.”
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, one of the headliners at this year’s Bluesfest.Credit: Edwina Pickles
News that planning was already in train for 2026 drew anger from some quarters on social media.
“Can’t shake the feeling of being ripped off” and “surprise, surprise” were typical comments on one Byron Bay Facebook page this week.
Earlier on Saturday, Noble stood behind Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young as she launched her party’s festivals support package, which includes $20m in grants and a commitment to review skyrocketing insurance costs for the live music industry.
“Our festivals are in crisis,” said Hanson-Young. “It’s clear the government needs to step in.”
Despite urging support for the Greens, Noble denied relations had broken down with federal and NSW Labor over what he sees as a lack of financial support in general and a refusal to heed a specific call for investment in infrastructure for the Tyagarah site.
“No, [Federal Arts Minister] Tony Burke came to my wedding and I went to his, he’s a friend,” said Noble. “But I don’t have to agree with everything he says. And [NSW Arts Minister] John Graham and I have worked together for ten, 20 years.”
Tickets are already on sale for Bluesfest 2026 and Noble confirmed he was negotiating with artists. However, he refused to give a 100 per cent guarantee the festival would return next year.
“I will do it as long as the public buys tickets, but that’s the only people we can rely on,” he said.
“We can’t rely on anyone else. I have every intention of doing it but maybe [saying] that will make government go, ‘Well, they’re going to do it anyway. We don’t have to help them.’”
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