For any dedicated music fan, the only place to be Easter 2024 will be at Bluesfest.
Still eight months out from the annual gathering just north of Byron Bay, event organisers are already busy piecing together a 2024 line-up to make even the most fervent live music fan drool in pleasure.Also marking the 35th anniversary of the annual music festival, in 2024 Bluesfest will welcome an icon of music and one of the most recognisable names the last 50 years who still gets hearts (young and older)racing. . . Mr Tom Jones is headed to Byron Events Farm.
The legendary Welsh crooner has sold 100 million records with such memorable ballads like 'It's Not Unusual', 'Sexbomb', 'She's A Lady', 'Green Green Grass Of Home' and 'Delilah'.
Showcasing the breadth of Bluesfest's artistic offering, the other major headliner of the first artist announce is surf rock, roots-folk singer-songwriter Jack Johnson who will perform exclusively, bringing such hits 'Better Together', 'Upside Down', 'Banana Pancakes' and 'Sitting, Waiting, Wishing' to Byron Bay.
On the local front, a couple of deadset contemporary shining lights, the soulful blues-rock of The Teskey Brothers ('Forever You And Me', 'Pain And Misery') and indie rock, soul, roots slayer Matt Corby (his first Bluesfest since 2014) will dish out plenty of onstage charm.
Two-time Best Group award winners at New Zealand Music Awards, find out why L.A.B. have been voted NZ's best live act by Radio New Zealand for their superb blend of reggae, blues, funk and electronic tones.
The legends keep coming with Elvis Costello & The Imposters set to regale the Bluesfest audience with music stretching across 40 years and 30-plus records – you can expect to hear the classics as well as a few rarities including such titles as 'Alison', 'Pump It Up', 'This Year's Model', '(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love And Understanding'.
A couple of living icons of Australian music are also venturing to Byron; one of the world's greatest guitarists all time, Tommy Emanuel returns to Bluesfest in 2024 for an exclusive Australian performance; while Peter Garrett brings his band The Alter Egos (that also features Midnight Oils' guitarist Martin Rotsey) for a set of Garrett's solo material with a few Oils songs thrown in too.
Other highlights of the first batch of 2024 artist additions are Canadian folk-bluegrass ensemble The Dead South, Australian folk-rock band The Paper Kites, southern rock lords Drive-by Truckers (their first Bluesfest since 2009) and folk-pop singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner.
There are also a number of regular Bluesfest faces returning including the quirky storyteller Steve Poltz, Kiwi bluegrass-rock-roots groovers 19-Twenty, and Canadian folk-blues artist Harry Manx.
While Bluesfest will showcase the virtuoso talents of 14-year-old Australian guitarist Taj Farrant (who has already performed on major stages including 'The Ellen Show'. There'll also be exclusive performances from Finnish sensation Erja Lyytinen and Nashville-based Here Come The Mummies.
While the grassroots Australian blues-roots-folk community will be represented by Clayton Doley's Bayou Billabong, Little Quirks, Hussy Hicks and Blues Arcadia, while perennial festival favourite RocKwiz Live returns for another season.
"It's Bluesfest Byron Bay's 35th Birthday next Easter, and as usual, we'll be rolling out multiple artist announcements over the coming months," Festival Director, Peter Noble OAM says.
"Surfer, artist, filmmaker, humanitarian, and environmentalist Jack Johnson, who first played Bluesfest in 2001 as a virtually unknown artist, will return for one exclusive performance, the only one he is scheduled to play in Australia in 2024.
"Welsh national treasure Tom Jones has had over 100 million album sales, and 36 top 40 hits. . . The last time Tom Jones played Bluesfest was in 2016, and he had his manager personally contact Bluesfest to ask to return in 2024. We can't wait!
"There are so many other great Australian and international artists coming to perform, including the most requested artist to return to Bluesfest after their show-stopping 2022 performance: The Teskey Brothers.
"We also have favourites L.A.B., Elvis Costello, Peter Garrett, Tommy Emmanuel, first-timers and internet sensations The Dead South. Drive-by Truckers are returning after a 15-year absence from our stages. Returning by popular demand is 19-Twenty and so many more.
"Special mention to wunderkind blues guitarist and singer Taj Farrant, who, at the age of 14 years, has almost one million Facebook followers and just secured the number one single on the iTunes Blues chart worldwide; he is going to be a superstar.
"This is only our first announcement, with so many more to come. We have three and five-day tickets that are now on sale; one-day tickets will be announced soon."
Tickets are on sale.
Bluesfest 2024 takes place at Byron Events Farm (Northern Rivers) across the Easter Long Weekend 28 March to 1 April.
Bluesfest 2024 Line-up
Jack JohnsonTom Jones
The Teskey Brothers
Matt Corby
L.A.B.
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos
Tommy Emmanuel
The Dead South
The Paper Kites
Drive-by Truckers
Newton Faulkner
Steve Poltz
19-Twenty
Taj Farrant
Erja Lyytinen
Harry Manx
Here Come The Mummies
Clayton Doley's Bayou Billabong
Little Quirks
Hussy Hicks
Blues Arcadia
RocKwiz Live
Plus more to be announced
