It’s raining, it must be Bluesfest
After a Welcome to Country by Delta Kay, dances by the Arakwal mob and warm words from festival director Peter Noble set the event in motion, seven performance stages went off yesterday at the 26th instalment of the Byron Bay Bluesfest.
As happens on Blues Thursday, there was plenty of walking space and not too much mud as crowds are still arriving from the across the country for this iconic annual event.
Come back each day of Bluesfest to check out our festival updates.
As also happens on Thursday, some of the best acts of the festival graced the stages and early audiences were blissed and blown out by performances from Trombone Shorty, Counting Crows, Nikki Hill, Angus and Julia Stone, Jimmy Cliff, Sticky Fingers, and Jurassic 5 just to name a few.
Irish lad Andrew Hozier was a definite crowd favourite, at just 24 Hozier managed to hold hundreds in the palm of his hand, stealing more than just a few hearts during his set.
The sprinkle of rain late in the evening did nothing to dampen day one spirits and all is well with the world…
~ Photos Tree Faerie
Jeff Dawson photos
More stories from Bluesfest 2015
Human cost: Bluesfest
In a last minute scramble to get shows in the region, Brandin Farrant, father of music prodigy Taj Farrant, says that the cancellation of Bluesfest has been rough on a lot of levels.
Byron mayor urges blues fans to come anyway
Byron Shire Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye, has a message for everyone wondering what to do with their Easter weekend plans following the cancellation of Bluesfest last week – come to Byron Bay anyway.
Interview with Dom Turner from the Backsliders
Bluesfest regulars, the legendary Australian blues band, Backsliders return in a reinvented format – celebrating and paying tribute to long-time drummer and key songwriter, Rob Hirst, who passed away last month after a tremendous struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Interview with Steve Poltz
Steve Poltz has fun on stage. Steve Poltz has fun off stage. Every show has its own vibe. Raucous, joyous, improvisational and always strange. Stellar guitar work and songs that will have you smiling one minute and crying the next.
Bluesfest announces next wave of artists for 2026
Byron Bay Bluesfest, Australia’s most awarded music festival, today announces the next wave of artists joining the Bluesfest 2026 lineup, with the addition of three of the most influential, revered and culturally significant acts in modern music: Parkway Drive, Erykah Badu, and The Wailers.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
