ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Our Story
Byron Bay Bluesfest is proudly Australia’s premier contemporary Blues & Roots music festival.
Since 1990, we’ve showcased music from around the world every Easter long weekend, just north of Byron Bay in New South Wales.
You might’ve heard of some of our featured artists; Bob Dylan, Hozier, Paul Simon, Gary Clark Jr., Angus & Julia Stone, Robert Plant, Alabama Shakes, John Mayer, Jurassic 5, James Brown, Zac Brown Band, Joss Stone, David Gray, Trombone Shorty, Angelique Kidjo, John Legend, and BB King – just to name but a few.
Entertaining 6,000 in our first year, Bluesfest now attracts over 100,000 music fans and is proudly the premier festival in Australia as a safe, fun, family-friendly event. In 2010, Bluesfest moved to its permanent home, the community event site at the spectacular 300 acre Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, just 11km north of Byron Bay.
Bluesfest features 200 performances across multiple stages over five x 12 hour days. Camping for 6,000 guests. Five licensed bars. 100+ food and market stalls. Undercover food courts. Beer gardens. Quality family entertainment.
And much, much more for you to discover every year.
PETER NOBLE
Under the direction of Festival Director, Peter Noble OAM, Bluesfest has built on early acclaim to become the most highly awarded festival in the Australian entertainment industry.
Peter Noble has been working in the music industry for almost fifty years. His significant contribution to the industry has been recognised by many prestigious organisations. In 2014 Peter Noble was awarded the Rolling Stone Award for his outstanding career-long contribution to popular culture.
In January 2016, Peter Noble was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to live and recorded music, to tourism, and to the community. In 2017, Noble received the ‘Keeping the Blues Alive’ award from The Blues Foundation in Memphis Tennessee. Over the course of his career, Peter Noble has worked in many areas of the music business including record producing (for his own label AIM – the first ever Australian label to win a Grammy Award), touring artists, artist management, setting up the Aboriginal Artists Agency, event site development and promoting festivals in Australia and South East Asia.
As the Festival Director for Bluesfest Byron Bay, Peter Noble spends his time working and living between the Byron Bay area and Bali and says “Life truly is an amazing adventure which I take on with wild enthusiasm on a daily basis”.
✰ 1 WIN at the Keeping the Blues Alive Award Memphis for Bluesfest Director Peter Noble
✰ 9 WINS at the NSW Tourism Awards for Major Festivals and Events 6 Gold, 3 Silver
✰ 7 WINS at the North Coast Tourism Awards for Major Festivals & Events
✰ 4 WINS at the Helpmann Awards for Best Contemporary Music Festival Ceremony for Australia’s most talented and celebrated performers and industry.
✰ 1 WIN at the Helpmann Awards for Best International Contemporary Concert
✰ 6 WINS at the Australian Event Awards for Australian Event of the Year
✰ 8 NOMINATIONS at the Pollstar Awards USA for International Festival of the Year (6 nominations in a row from 2012 – incl. 2017.
✰ NOMINATED at the Pollstar Awards USA for International Music Festival of the Decade, making Bluesfest Byron Bay one of the top 10 festivals in the world in the last decade according to Pollstar
✰ 1 Win for Festival of The Year - Variety Awards 2024
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2019 Best Regional Event – Australian Event Awards
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2018 Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event – Australian Event Awards
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2018 Keeping the Blues Alive Award – For Bluesfest Director Peter Noble awarded by the Blues Foundation in Memphis Tennessee.
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2017 Gold Major Festivals & Events – NSW Tourism Awards (After winning Gold 3rd time in a row Bluesfest has entered the NSW Tourism Hall of Fame)
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2017 Best Regional Event – Australian Event Awards
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2017 Best International Contemporary Concert – Australian Helpmann Awards
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2016 Gold Major Festivals & Events – NSW Tourism Awards
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2016 Gold Best Regional Event – Australian Event Awards
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2016 Gold Major Festivals & Events – North Coast Tourism Awards
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2016 Order of Australia Medal (OAM) – Won by Festival Director, Peter Noble
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‘For service to live and recorded music, to tourism, and to the community.’
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2015 Gold Major Festivals & Events – NSW Tourism Awards
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2015 Gold Major Festivals & Events – North Coast Tourism Awards
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2015 Pan Australasian Festival of the Year – Canadian Music Week International Festival Awards
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2014 Silver in Major Festivals & Events – NSW Tourism Awards
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2014 Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event – Australian Event Awards
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2014 Best Contemporary Music Festival – Australian Helpmann Awards
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2014 Gold in Major Festival & Events – North Coast Tourism Awards
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2014 ‘The Rolling Stone Award’ – Won by Festival Director, Peter Noble
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‘For contribution to Australia Music.’ 2013 Silver Major Festivals & Events, – National Australian Tourism Awards
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2013 Gold Best Regional Event – Australian Event Awards 2013 Gold Major Festivals & Events, – NSW Tourism Awards
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2013 Gold Major Festivals & Events – North Coast Tourism Awards 2013 Best Contemporary Music Festival, – Australian Helpmann Awards
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2013 Business Excellence Award, North Coast Tourism Awards 2012/2013 The International A Greener Festival Award 2012 Silver Major Festival & Events, NSW Tourism Awards 2012 Gold Major Festivals &, North Coast Tourism Awards 2011 The International A Greener Festival Award 2011 Gold Major Festivals & Events, NSW Tourism Awards 2011 Gold Major Festivals &, North Coast Tourism Awards 2010 Australian Event of the Year, Australian Event Awards
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2010 Silver Best Cultural Event, Australian Event Awards
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2010 Gold Major Festivals & Events, NSW Tourism Awards 2010 The International A Greener Festival Award
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2009 The International A Greener Festival Award
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2008 The International A Greener Festival Award
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2007 The International A Greener Festival Award
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2006 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
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2005 Best Contemporary Music Festival, Australian Helpmann Awards
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1998 – 2010 Readers Poll Award, Rhythms Magazine – “Best Australian Festival”
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1994 – 1996 Readers Poll Award, Rhythms Magazine – “Best Australian Festival”
BLUESFEST
A Celebration of Blues
& Roots Music & beyond
FAQs
TERMS & CONDITIONS
CONTACT
LOCATION
LOT 103/105 Pacific Hwy
Tyagarah - NSW 2481
ABN 74 675 011 168