Bluesfest 2013 Announce Playing Times & Digital Program

With the many, many bands and artists added to its lineup over the last six months or so, its now just under three weeks until the 24th Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest is set to kick off, and as Festival Director Peter Noble has already enthused, the Easter music festival promises to be the hottest ticket in town.

So what better time to plan your way around possibly the event’s biggest lineup yet? To that end, Bluesfest organisers have put together a number of ways to navigate their colossal 2013 lineup.

The set and playing times have been announced for the four days worth of music, with Bluesfest partnering with Rhythms – an online digital magazine distributor – to allow festival-goers to download a digital copy of the program, available online for free as a flipbook as well as for iPhone and iPad users through the app store.

In print or online, the booklet boasts 64 pages of festival info, maps, bios, and the all important timetables to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

As for what festival-goers can expect… Guitar lovers are in for a treat on Good Friday as Santana followed by Tedeschi Trucks Band take the stage, meanwhile fans of the smaller stringed ukulele variety will need to get there early for internationally renowned Uke player Jake Shimabukuro.

The Beards are set to play a jaw-dropping four times over five days and are in for a potential beard-off with the husky voiced Ben Caplan from Canada who plays on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

On Saturday night, Blues fans will be staying put at the Jambalaya stage with a lineup boasting Ruthie Foster, Taj Mahal and The Robert Cray Band, while the more energetic punters are sure to be over at Crossroads with Beasts of Bourbon and the Dropkick Murphys.

Lines will be drawn in the sand as Festival-goers then decide how to finish up their night, will it be the legendary Robert Plant presents Sensational Space Shifters or the irrepressible Iggy and the Stooges?

The line up for Sunday will have you dancing all day long as King Cannons kick things off early and are followed by the very big sounds of Saskwatch, Nicky Bomba’s Bustamento, Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Cat Empire and Manu Chao La Ventura. Or just take a moment and be seduced by soul divas Bettye Lavette and Mavis Staples.

Headlining Monday is Paul Simon, a musician whose career is so well known he needs no introduction. Acts that are sure to take home a whole new legion of fans include JD McPherson, Zac Brown Band, 2013 Brit Award Winning Ben Howard as well as the hottest act on the airwaves right now, The Lumineers.

Whatever your tastes and whatever you fancy, there is one thing that is for sure – the ink will run dry highlighting every act you want to see at Bluesfest 2013!