Byron Bay Bluesfest celebrates its 25th birthday
To those who love a bluesy guitar riff or the sounds of a soul master stroking the piano, Easter doesn’t just mean chocolate and hot cross buns, it also means a chilled-out long weekend of musical goodness.
Nick Cave once said: ‘The blues is instilled in every musical cell that floats around your body’. It’s a pretty powerful statement, but true for those who make the pilgrimage to Tyagarah Tee Tree Farm each year for Byron Bay Bluesfest. A celebration of blues in all its forms, this year’s Bluesfest is also doubling as a birthday bash, as the festival marks its quarter-century milestone.
Across the festival’s six stages from April 17–21, a range of artists will bare their souls to swooning crowds. The diverse line-up is headlined by Jack Johnson, who will be joined by the likes of John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, John Butler Trio, Jake Bugg, Matt Corby, Joss Stone, Passenger, Jeff Beck, Elvis Costello and Devendra Banhart over the weekend. Other noted performances include Coronet Blue – whose members have, between them, played with the Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Ben Folds and The Eagles – as well as The Magic Band and The Grandmothers of Invention, which will play songs the band members created with Frank Zappa many years ago.
Those who still haven’t sorted out their Easter plans yet can leave a note out for the Easter Bunny, letting him know you’ve snapped up a last-minute ticket to Bluesfest.
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.