Bluesfest have come out swinging with the first artist announcement for their 2020 event stacked to the rafters. Honest. To. God.
Perhaps the shiniest of the 2020 gems revealed today is Crowded House, who'll start the next chapter of their storied career with an exclusive Australian performance at Bluesfest.
Don't forget to breathe as you take in that amazing news before taking a lungful of Dave Matthews Band who return to Bluesfest for a third time. "Dave Matthews Band are one of the top grossing, most in-demand bands in the world – and finally they are coming back to Bluesfest. This is going to be magical and UNMISSABLE," Festival Director Peter Noble OAM says.
Still on your feet? Not for long. After winning the 2017 Helpmann Award for Best International Contemporary Concert the last time she played Bluesfest, the godmother of punk, Patti Smith and her band return to Byron Bay for the Easter classic. And she asked Bluesfest if she could come back: "I'd like to do it all over again.... I'm ready if you are!" Yes please, Patti.
Then there's ten-time Grammy Award winner George Benson; or Brandi Carlile, who's in the middle of a massive 2019 following the release of her Grammy Award-winning album, 'By The Way I Forgive You'.
The international stars don't end there either. Bluesfest 2020 will also welcome Morcheeba, Jenny Lewis, Frank Turner, John Mayall, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Larkin Poe and The War & Treaty.
Scroll a bit further down and there are a trio of Aussie festival favourites also housed the on 2020 bill: John Butler, Xavier Rudd and The Cat Empire. Nice Garry.
"Eight months before Bluesfest, located just outside beautiful Byron Bay, next Easter, where the rainforest meets the sea, and the average temperature in April is 24 degrees in the day and 18 degrees at night... we have just dropped what we believe is our finest first artist announce in our 30 years so far," Peter Noble says.
"Next Easter April 9-13, 2020, on our 31st Bluesfest we will be having what is undeniably one of the world’s greatest bands," continues Peter, "who have sold tens of millions of tickets, AND taken more than $1 billion US dollars at the box office, overs 50 million records sold and the ONLY band in the world to have seven consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard 200... Dave Matthews Band.
"Joining them as absolute equal headliners are Crowded House, on an exclusive Bluesfest appearance... we are chuffed to have Neil Finn take a short break from his touring with Fleetwood Mac.
"We have plenty more coming... including more absolute headliners... We believe in music... it's in our DNA... and we are dedicated to present the very best. We have a historic Bluesfest coming on our 31st edition... Hello music lovers. Come join us!"
2020 Bluesfest (Byron Bay) takes place 9-13 April. For tickets, click here.
2020 Bluesfest First Artist Line-up
Dave Matthews Band
Crowded House
Patti Smith And Her Band
George Benson
Brandi Carlile
John Butler
Xavier Rudd
The Cat Empire
Morcheeba
John Prine
Jenny Lewis
Frank Turner
John Mayall
Buffy Sainte-Marie'
The Marcus King Band
Walter Trout
Christone "KINGFISH" Ingram
Greensky Bluegrass
Larkin Poe
The War & Treaty
Plus more to be announced
