While the Soundwave 2014 Lineup is due to drop tomorrow just after midday, revealing the 63 acts or so playing the annual hard and heavy music festival next February, the list of bands that are hitting up Australia’s other mammoth music festival won’t be too far behind.

The date has been set for the first round announcement of the Bluesfest 2014 lineup, with the organisers of the award-winning Byron Bay event celebrating their 25th birthday next year and promising a festival bill that will “enormous, vibrant, plus unique and as always, a perfect blend of legendary, modern, up and coming and straight down famous artists.”

Next Tuesday 27th August will see the first unveiling in a series of lineup announcements, which is “the earliest announcement in the history of Bluesfest,” according to the team, who note they are “over the moon” about the acts they have locked in for the 25th Silver Anniversary edition of the festival.

As for who to expect on the lineup, which promises over 200 performances across seven stages at the regular Tygarrah Tea Tree Farm site over the traditional Easter long weekend, the Bluesfest forums have kept the rumour mill churning. One poster points towards the Rhythms Q&A interview series for some likely candidates, including jam band institution Dave Matthews Band, Welsh crooner Tom Jones, and the return of Trombone Shorty and Grace Potter.

Other speculation namechecks iconic guitarists Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson, and the young gun, Gary Clark Jnr, as well as blues favourites The Black Keys and Black Crowes. Other rumours include Bluesfest regular Michael Franti, and on the local front, John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd, and Kasey Chambers.

To give you an idea of the caliber to expect from the first round announcement, this year’s Bluesfest lineup featured Ben Harper, Santana, Iggy & The Stooges, Wilco, Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Rait, Dropkick Murphys, Glen Hansard, Grace Potter, and more in the first round reveal (in September 2012). Additional announcements brought Paul Simon, Robert Plant, Rodriguez, Jimmy Cliff, Mavis Staples, Rufus Wainwright, Counting Crows, and countless more.

No matter the lineup, the full 5 Day Season Passes for Bluesfest 2014, running from Thursday 17th to Monday 21st April in 2014, are already exhausted after early bird specials went on sale for the event in June.

Bluesfest 2013 reached “capacity crowds” of 17,000 per day for its enormous star-studded lineup; bringing the total attendance rate to 85,000, topping records from previous years, marking it as one of Australia’s biggest music festivals as it generated millions for the local economy. It also scored a Helpmann Award last month, beating out the likes of VIVID, and the newly expanded Falls Festival and Laneway in the music festival category.

“It has been a long 7 years since we last won – and in that time we have been nominated 5 times as a finalist,” said Bluesfest Director Peter Noble of the Helpmann win in a statement. “I was beginning to think it would NEVER happen again. I will do a report next week on Bluesfest and our artist announcement(s). All I will say is, it is beginning to look like a VERY special 25th coming up.”

Before the 25th Annual Bluesfest, the festival’s Tygarrah Tea Tree Farm site will host the inaugural Boomerang Festival this October, the newly launched event celebrating Indigenous music, arts, and culture, The full Boomerang program reveals a deep, diverse array of arts, theatre, film, panels, speakers, and special events as well as a musical lineup that includes Gurrumul, Archie Roach, Busby Marou, The Medics, Casey Donovan and many more.

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2014

25th Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest
Thursday 17th – Monday 21st April, 2014

First lineup announcement – Tuesday 27th August, 2013

All tickets available to purchase direct through the Bluesfest website or by calling the Blues office on 02 6685 8310

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2014 Lineup Rumours

Tom Petty
Eric Clapton
Dave Matthews Band
Tom Jones
The Black Keys
Steve Earle
Willie Nelson
Gary Clark Jnr
Black Crowes
Michael Franti
Trombone Shorty
Grace Potter
John Butler Trio
Xavier Rudd
Kasey Chambers

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