Just when you thought the Bluesfest 2014 lineup couldn’t get any bigger, festival organisers today announce even more acts for the event’s 25th Silver Anniversary Edition.

Another 12 artists are set to take part in Bluesfest 2014 with the news of the return of the Juke Joint, a traditional festival favourite, as the sixth additional stage for the event, taking place at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over five days during this April’s Easter long weekend.

“For the first time there will be six major stages at Bluesfest on our 25th Birthday Festival plus our Buskers stage,” says Bluesfest promoter Peter Noble, “we are stoked to be bringing back the much loved and missed Juke Joint Stage.” returning after a few years’ absence to rejoin the five usual stages – Mojo, Jambalaya, Crossroads, APRA, and Cavanbah.

With a history that spans rugged performances from Blues favourites like RL Burnside, Hat Fitz, and Ash Grunwald’s first Bluesfest appearances, the Juke Join returns in 2014 with a collection of 12 solid Blues and Roots artists.

Joining the ranks of the massive Bluesfest 2014 bill will be Garland Jeffreys, Backsliders, Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Ray Beadle Band, and The Mojo Webb Band. Plus Shaun Kirk, Claude Hay, Genevieve Chadwick, Daniel Champagne, Marshall OKell and the Pride, plus Hat Fitz – playing his 22nd consecutive year at Bluesfest – along with partner in crime Cara. “We are stoked to be bringing back the much loved and missed Juke Joint Stage.”

Already announced Bluesfest artists also playing the Juke Joint stage include The Charlie Musselwhite Blues Band (who just won a Grammy Award), North Mississippi All Stars, Music Maker Relief Foundation featuring Pat Wilder, Cool John Ferguson and Little Freddie King, plus many more putting the “blues back into Bluesfest” as Noble puts it.

The promoter calls it the “best ever Blues & Roots bill of artists so far in our 25 year history, and let me tell you a little secret – Bluesfest 2014 is beginning to really sell out.”

Last year’s Bluesfest brought huge audiences with “capacity crowds” of 17,000 per day and a total attendance of 85,000, generating millions for the local economy and nabbing a Helpmann Award in the process.

For those following the multiple Bluesfest 2014 lineup announcements, the Juke Joint additions is the seventh major lineup announcement for the 25th Silver Anniversary Edition.

The first featured headliners John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, and John Butler Trio, before adding The Doobie Brothers, Aaron Neville, Dr. John, Steve Earle, then Elvis Costello, Jack JohnsonBuddy Guy, Jake Bugg, Booker T Jones, and a pre-Christmas announcement that brought Jeff Beck, KC & The Sunshine Band, Chali 2na, and Kate Miller-Heidke. That’s not to mention the raft of multiple Bluesfest 2014 sideshow announcements.

Bluesfest has also won a ream of awards in the last year, its multiple gongs include scoring Gold in the ‘Best Major Festival & Events’ category at the NSW Tourism Awards, an eco-minded nod from UK not-for-profit A Greener Festival, and is in the running for the International Music Festival of the Year award (for the second year running) from Pollstar.

The same US stats trackers also ranked Bluesfest’s Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm home at #44 on their list of 2013′s top selling venues in the Festival/Outdoor sites category, selling a combined 104,244 tickets from the site’s flagship Bluesfest and the inaugural launch ofIndigenous arts, music, and culture festival, Boomerang, last October.

Bluesfest 2014 Lineup

Juke Joint Stage 2014 lineup
Garland Jeffreys
Backsliders
Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Ray Beadle Band
The Mojo Webb Band
Shaun Kirk
Claude Hay
Genevieve Chadwick
Daniel Champagne
Marshall OKell and the Pride
Hat Fitz & Cara

joining the already announced lineup:

Jack Johnson • John Mayer • Dave Matthews Band (two exclusive performances)
Jeff Beck • Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Buddy Guy (two exclusive performances) • Erykah Badu • Doobie Brothers
John Butler Trio • India.Arie • Michael Franti & Spearhead
Joss Stone • Aaron Neville • Passenger • Iron & Wine
Gregg Allman • Boz Scaggs • Dr John & The Nite Trippers
Gov’t Mule • Morcheeba • Gary Clark Jr
Steve Earle & The Dukes • Kasey Chambers • Jason Isbell
Jake Bugg • Devendra Banhart • Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
The Wailers • WAR • Sly & Robbie and The Taxi Gang
KC & The Sunshine Band • Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 • The Black Sorrows
The James Cotton Blues Band • Booker T. Jones • Robben Ford
Jimmie Vaughan • Beth Hart • The Charlie Musselwhite Band
Suzanne Vega • Kate Miller-Heidke • Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Chain • Ozomatli • Chali 2Na • CW Stoneking
Allen Stone • Larry Graham & Graham Central Station • Eric Bibb • KT Tunstall
The Magic Band • Grandmothers of Invention
Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience • Dyson, Stringer & Cloher • The Beards
Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes • North Mississippi Allstars • Walter Trout
Trixie Whitley • The Soul Rebels • Valerie June • Devon Allman
Seth Lakeman • Nikki Hill • The Paladins
Glenn Cardier and The Sideshow • Candye Kane Band
Nahko & Medicine For The People • Saidah Baba Talibah
Public Opinion Afro Orchestra • Cambodian Space Project • Matthew Curry
Music Maker Foundation Feat. Pat Wilder, Cool John Ferguson, and Little Freddie King
RocKwiz Live

Bluesfest 2014 Dates & Tickets

25th Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest
Thursday 17th – Monday 21st April, 2014

All Single Day, Camping, Festival tickets are on sale now through www.bluesfest.com.au and Bluefest office on 02 6685 8310

Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster on www.ticketmaster.com.au

Bluesfest playing schedule is available on www.bluesfest.com.au

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