Peter Noble: ‘Bluesfest 2025 doesn’t have to be the last’

After announcing that Byron Bay Bluesfest would bow out next year, Peter Noble now says that the 2025 edition of the Australian festival “doesn’t have to be the last”.

In an open letter, the festival director issued a call to save the long-running institution ahead of the “final curtain call” in April 2025.

“I want to make it clear that it was never my intention to end Bluesfest,” says Noble in the letter. “I have always believed in its future, and I still do. But the current circumstances make it impossible to continue the festival in its current form.

“That said, I firmly believe Bluesfest is something worth preserving – not just for today’s music lovers, but for future generations, including those who haven’t even been born yet. The arts, and events like Bluesfest, are worth protecting. It’s something we believe is worth fighting for.

“I firmly believe Bluesfest is something worth preserving for future generations”

“Although we’ve announced that 2025 will be our last festival, it doesn’t have to be. Under current economic conditions, we simply cannot continue and that’s why we have asked for NSW government support.”

Adding that Bluesfest isn’t seeking a “handout” but a “hand up” as the music industry grapples with an ongoing cost-of-living crisis and other challenges, Noble continued, “Bluesfest has contributed over a billion dollars in inbound tourism to the state of NSW. To the government, I ask: is that not worth saving?”

Revealing the numbers from this year’s event, Noble stated that Bluesfest contributed $235 million in inbound tourism to NSW. “This is an amazing achievement, not only for the Byron Shire but for the entire state, demonstrating just how significant Bluesfest is to our local and state economies, yet in 2024 Bluesfest lost money, and we still delivered an amazing result for NSW.”

The statement concluded, “Thank you for your continued support as we work together to keep the spirit of Bluesfest alive.”

Noble’s statement arrives a week after Tamara Smith MP, the local member for Ballina, started an E-Petition to save Bluesfest. Smith called on the NSW Government to offer Bluesfest a rescue package in the petition.

“Bluesfest has contributed over a billion dollars in inbound tourism to NSW. To the government, I ask: is that not worth saving?”

If the petition receives 20,000 signatures, NSW Parliament must address the future of Bluesfest via a debate. As a press release notes, “This is our chance to rally together and ensure that one of Australia’s most iconic music festivals continues to thrive for years to come.”

The ending of Bluesfest is perhaps the most severe blow yet for Australia’s beleaguered festival sector, which has been left in disarray following a flurry of cancellations. Adelaide’s Harvest Rock became the latest Australian festival to pull the plug on its 2024 edition last week, following in the footsteps of other high-profile casualties such as Splendour in the Grass, Groovin The Moo, Coastal Jam, Summerground, Vintage Vibes, Tent Pole: A Musical Jamboree and ValleyWays.

In response, Australia’s House of Representatives has launched an inquiry into the struggling scene.

Bluesfest will return between 17-20 April 2025 with a line-up including Crowded House, Crowded House, Vance Joy, Tones and I, Ocean Alley, Here Come The Mummies, The California Honeydrops, Taj Farrant, Cimafunk, Neal Francis, Pierce Brothers, WILSN, and 19-Twenty.

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