For the first time in their 30-plus-year history, Bluesfest is headed south to host a special two-day offering, Bluesfest Melbourne, featuring a selection of artists playing the 2023 festival in Byron Bay.
To be staged at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (8-9 April), Bluesfest Melbourne will turn the CBD venue into a waterproof festival precinct with multiple indoor theatres and stages.Confirmed artists for Bluesfest Melbourne include Ash Grunwald, Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, C.W. Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, The Doobie Brothers, Kasey Chambers, Lucinda Williams, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Paolo Nutini, Robert Glasper, The Soul Rebels with Talib Kweli & GZA, Steve Earle, Xavier Rudd and others.
"I am so excited to be bringing Australia's leading music festival, Bluesfest Byron Bay, down south to present a first of its kind, two-day indoor music festival," Bluesfest chief Peter Noble, who has joined forces with Melbourne-based music industry veteran Neil Croker to present Bluesfest Melbourne, says.
"We'll be bringing some of the absolute premium international and local artists who perform at Bluesfest alongside the fantastic Melbourne artists to create an experience for music lovers that is unprecedented in this city.
"Offering patrons the chance to see more than thirty performances over a two-day period in an environment that is weatherproofed, accessible and safe, right in the heart of the Melbourne and Docklands area.
"I see Bluesfest Melbourne becoming an absolute must-see on the annual events calendar."
Bluesfest Melbourne takes place at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 8-9 April, 2023.
Bluesfest Melbourne 2023 Line-up
Ash GrunwaldBacksliders
Buddy Guy
Chain
Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram
C.W. Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra
The Doobie Brothers*
Eric Gales
Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Fools
Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers
Greensky Bluegrass
Henry Wagons
Kaleo
Kasey Chambers
Keb' Mo'
Lucinda Williams
Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Paolo Nutini*
Robert Glasper
Shaun Kirk
The Soul Rebels with Talib Kweli & GZA
Southern Avenue
Steve Earle
Xavier Rudd
*The Doobie Brothers and Paolo Nutini will perform in the reserved seat Plenary Theatre (their only Melbourne shows)
