The fate of Bluesfest, one of Australia’s most beloved music festivals, has been in question ever since Festival Director Peter Noble announced earlier this year that the 2025 edition would be its last.
However, in a recent interview with IQ Magazine, Noble revealed that next year might not mark the end after all.
Despite his earlier proclamations, Noble is actively booking artists for a potential 2026 festival and has reopened discussions with the New South Wales state government about securing support for the Byron Bay-based event.
The revelations come amid what has been a turbulent year for Australian music festivals, with major events like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo cancelling their 2024 editions.
Back in August, Noble’s announcement that 2025 would be Bluesfest’s swan song sent shockwaves through the music community. But as he told IQ Magazine, 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, 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.”
Yet, the response from fans has been nothing short of overwhelming. The buzz around the “final” Bluesfest has driven record-breaking sales, with Noble reporting that the event is well on its way to selling out. “We’re potentially going to have our most successful festival yet,” he told IQ Magazine. “We’re on the path to selling out, with 89,000 passes sold, and I’m sure we’ll go past 90,000 after [this week’s] artist announcement. We’re probably the best-selling festival in Australia at the moment.”
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The third artist announcement for Bluesfest 2025 dropped this week, adding Missy Higgins, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Nahko to an already stacked lineup that includes Crowded House, Gary Clark Jr., Allison Russell, Brad Cox, WILSN, Kasey Chambers, and The Cat Empire.
While Noble remains focused on making the 2025 edition an unforgettable experience, he’s not ready to give up on Bluesfest’s future. “Regardless, I will always find a way for Bluesfest to go forward—that is my job,” he said, reaffirming his commitment to keeping the festival alive.
