Concerns have been raised to the New South Wales workplace health and safety regulator regarding last month’s Bluesfest.
The 2025 edition of the Byron Bay festival again took place over the Easter Long Weekend and reported its third-highest ever attendance ever. However the workplace health and safety regulator has confirmed to Rolling Stone AU/NZ that it received “five requests for service” following the event.
“Concerns have been raised with SafeWork NSW in relation to security, crowd control, traffic management and access to and from venues,” a spokesperson for SafeWork NSW told Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
“SafeWork NSW is currently making enquiries in relation to the concerns raised.”
As the matter is ongoing, SafeWork NSW could not elaborate on the specifics of each concern.
Bluesfest declined to comment when contacted by Rolling Stone AU/NZ. The news comes only weeks after Bluesfest confirmed it will return in 2026, despite originally announcing the 2025 event as its last,
Meanwhile, the former head of marketing for Bluesfest alleged a “toxic culture” in a public post late last month.
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Jay Clair, who joined the team in 2023 and departed this April, wrote: “What began as a purpose-driven role gradually revealed its cost. I saw how a toxic culture chips away at great people. Micromanagement at every turn.
“Emotional volatility. Many talented leaders and team members, quietly (and some not so) walking out the door.
“I stayed. I fought. I tried to be the bridge. I pitched solutions. Proposed bold ideas. Even tried to heal what conflict had frayed.
“But eventually, I realised: change wasn’t welcome. And I couldn’t keep trading my integrity for a title, I realised ego was fuelling my tenure.”
Despite this, Bluesfest reported an attendance of 109,000 for this year’s festival, with performances from heavyweights like Tom Morello, Chaka Khan, and Crowded House.
“Bluesfest is an institution,” director Peter Noble told The Music Network when asked if the show would go on into the late 2020s and beyond.
“I don’t know yet, and I’m not getting any younger. Certain things are going to have to happen now for it to move into the next decade.
“And once all those things are put in place, I don’t see any reason why it won’t.”
Bluesfest 2026 is set to go ahead from April 2nd-5th.
