Though the 2025 edition of Bluesfest was said to be the last, it has been confirmed that the Byron Bay spectacle will return in 2026.
The news was confirmed at the festival this past weekend, with Bluesfest 2026 to go ahead from April 2nd-5th. Early bird tickets are on sale now.
Bluesfest director Peter Noble announced last year that 2025 would be the final year, however in a recent interview that declaration was as much a call to action as a resignation to fate. “Do we have to say it’s the last Bluesfest to get people to focus on us?” Noble said at the time, hinting that the move was designed to grab the state government’s attention.
Describing the disappointment he felt when the NSW government declined to invest in the 2025 event, Noble pointed to the festival’s immense cultural and economic contributions. “During the last 12 years, Bluesfest brought $1.1 billion to our state through inbound tourism. That is a tsunami of gold, but it seemingly doesn’t count,” he said. “The [state government] just wanted to put it in their coffers and not take responsibility for Australia’s great events.”
Confirmation of Bluesfest 2026 came on the same day that the Australian Greens unveiled a $20 million-a-year rescue plan to keep the country’s festival scene alive and kicking.
On Saturday at the Byron Bay site, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, the Greens’ arts spokesperson, launched the Festivals Support Package alongside local candidate Mandy Nolan and Noble.
The Greens’ proposed package includes:
$20 million per year in direct festival grants, with higher maximum caps and infrastructure eligibility;
$2 million for a comprehensive review into the insurance market failure affecting the live music sector and options for a government-backed solution;
A national festivals strategy delivered through Music Australia to ensure better coordination and long-term support;
Tax offsets for touring artists and venues, including 10% offsets for hosting live music and 50% for touring expenses;
Support for small businesses, including a festival incubator and an extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off until July 1, 2026.
“Our festivals are in crisis,” Senator Hanson-Young said. “Over the past few years we’ve seen the cancellation after cancellation of loved and iconic festivals. It’s clear that the government needs to step in to help the industry.”
Senator Hanson-Young said the Greens’ plan goes beyond patchwork measures, offering a long-term, structural solution to the challenges facing the industry.
“A plan for the arts is nothing without the funding required to support the industry,” she said. “The Greens’ plan for supporting our festivals takes a holistic view of what the sector needs. That means direct support in the form of grants, a review of the market failure in insurance for live events, a federal strategy for sustainability, and tax offsets for both venues and artists.”
