Bluesfest 2013 Announce 1st Round Lineup

The ace festival lineups and announcements are showing no sign of slowing down. Earlier in the week we had St Jerome’s Laneway Festival dropping some rather unsubtle clues to their February 2013 lineup, then Sugar Mountain showed their musical hand the same day; while Big Day Out have recently announced their spate of high-profile shows from their festival bill – including The Killers, Alabama Shakes, Animal Collective, Sleigh Bells, Gary Clark Jr. and a whole mess more.

Now the multi-award winning 5 day-long music festival, Bluesfest, has dropped their first round of artists due to play for Easter 2013. Having won back the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm grounds to hold their festival at the beautiful Byron Shire, next March 28-April 1st  will see a killer line up of acts flocking to the esteemed event.

The 2013 lineup announcement is the earliest in the history of Bluesfest, arriving six weeks sooner than usual and marks the first of four announcements to be made over the coming weeks.

Festival Director Peter Noble enthuses that: “This is our Year” of the first mammoth lineup announcement. “We are delivering one of our absolute best artist lineups ever, and the first announcement is only the beginning.”

He’s not wrong. Amongst the names in the first round lineup are Australian favourite BEN HARPER with his band, the legendary axe-wielding SANTANA, proto-punks IGGY & THE STOOGES on their alleged final tour, and fellow essential punk act THE DROPKICK MURPHYS.

Joining them will be the blue-eyed croon of CHRIS ISAAK, America’s peerless WILCO, the effervescent BONNIE RAITT, Ireland’s beloved GLEN HANSARD with THE FRAMES and UK firebrand FRANK TURNER and the SLEEPING SOULS.

“That’s not all folks!” teases Noble, “We sure have got some more deadly artists up our sleeves to roll out over the next month.” Bluesfest has already been recognised as one of Australia’s longest-running and highest-achieving events. Scooping the ‘Best Major Event’ category at the Country Link North Coast Tourism Awards earlier this month, for the second year running.

A victory made all the sweeter since Noble and his team found vindication after winning a long, embittered battle with local Byron Bay councils over the festival site for Bluesfest - which now trumpets its permanent home at the Tygarah Tea Tree Farm just outside Byron Bay

The 24th Bluesfest will take place between Thursday 28th of March until Monday 1st of April for Easter 2013.

Tickets are on sale now through www.bluesfest.com.au or by phoning the Bluesfest office on

The 24th Bluesfest will take place between Thursday 28th of March and Monday 1st of April 2013 at Bluesfest’s permanent home at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm just outside of Byron Bay.

Tickets are on sale now (in a variety of camping and pricing options) through www.bluesfest.com.au or by phoning the Bluesfest office on 02 6685 8310

24th ANNUAL BYRON BAY BLUESFEST // 2013 1st LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

BEN HARPER
SANTANA
IGGY & THE STOOGES
STEVE MILLER BAND
CHRIS ISAAK
WILCO
BONNIE RAITT
DROPKICK MURPHYS
GLEN HANSARD WITH THE FRAMES
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND
NEWTON FAULKNER
WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE
FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS
GRACE POTTER
PLAYING FOR CHANGE
BEN CAPLAN
+ MORE To Be Announced