Blues fans see red as organisers pull plug on festival

Music promoter Peter Noble was right after all - the 2025 Byron Bay Bluesfest might well have been the last.

Thousands of Australian music fans have been left high and dry after one of Australia's largest festivals was cancelled on Friday, weeks out from the event.

Bluesfest organisers cited poor ticket sales and rising production costs for their decision to cancel and appoint a liquidator to manage all financial matters, including vendor and partner obligations.

A staple for festival-goers for more than 36 years, Bluesfest has hosted some of the world's biggest artists including Bob Dylan and James Brown.

Organisers promoted Bluesfest 2025 as their final curtain call, but backflipped on the decision after the festival drew more than 100,000 patrons across four days.

The 2026 event was scheduled for April 2-5, with Split Enz, Buddy Guy and Parkway Drive among the headliners.

"For more than three decades, Bluesfest has brought extraordinary artists and audiences together in Byron Bay while also driving significant tourism and economic activity for the Northern Rivers and NSW," festival director Noble said in a statement.

"This makes the decision incredibly difficult. After careful consideration, we concluded we could not proceed in a way that would meet the standard our audiences, artists and partners expect."

RMIT music scholar and lecturer Sam Whiting said Bluesfest's troubles were a sign of the times, with big, multi-genre festivals losing their appeal to music fans as streaming services pushed audiences toward specific artists.

"Most festivals that are still doing well and are competitive are very genre-specific ... or they'll just have one massive headliner that carries the whole bill," he said.

"With Bluesfest, looking at the line-up this year, it's pretty esoteric."

Dr Whiting said ticket-buying habits had changed.

"People really wait until much closer to the date now to buy tickets," he said.

"Back in the day, you'd hope to sell 90 per cent of your tickets in the first week of release - and that provides certainty of supply. You know you've got the cash flow coming.

"I think maybe Peter Noble was hoping that they'd come through in this last month before the festival but it seems like they haven't."

It is not yet known whether international artists on the bill including Sublime, Black Crowes, Buddy Guy and Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band will proceed with their Australian sideshows, promoted by Bluesfest Tours.

"Discussions are under way with artists and their management regarding Bluesfest touring activity," a festival spokeswoman told AAP.

The liquidator is contacting festival ticket holders, including parking pass customers and campers, regarding potential refund arrangements.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said events such as Bluesfest, which received state government funding, were important for regional communities.

"When they're gone, they're gone for good. It's very hard to get them up and running again," he told reporters on Friday.

Greens arts spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the cancellation was another devastating blow to Australia's music community and a stark warning about the fragile state of the arts sector.

"Countless arts organisations, venues and festivals are being pushed to the brink in this cost-of-living crisis," she said.

"Without urgent and sustained investment, more events that support Australian musicians and creatives will disappear."