5 reasons to love the BYRON BAY BLUES FEST
There’s no feeling blue at Bluesfest – good times abound!
For years now, great pals of mine have been going to this five-day musical extravaganza held every Easter in the northern New South Wales town of Byron Bay. This year, I went with them.
1The festival
Bluesfest is Australia’s premier blues and roots music festival, which takes place on a huge farm just out of Byron (fly into Brisbane or Coolangatta, then head south). Something like 200 performances play out across various stages over five days, with masses of food and market stalls with a familyfriendly vibe. Once upon a time, it was held on a footie field in town, but now it attracts an audience of more than 100,000 – either rocking up for the whole five days like I did, or dipping in and out with one or two-day passes (also a good option).
2In your element
You can camp on site at Bluesfest – about 6000 people do – but I did two lots of Sweetwaters back in the 1980s, so I’ve done my time in a sweltering tent. Instead, we treated ourselves to Elements, a leafy village of up-market prefab villas on the fringes of Byron Bay. At first, I thought it to be overpriced, but once I hassled for a room upgrade, I felt better. Then, when we hit the festival and realised crowds of people can get overwhelming, we started hanging by the pool (there are two, one with a tequila bar!) during the heat of the day, then heading to Bluesfest in the afternoon. This really made it feel like a holiday.
3Kiss from a Rose
Another reason to stay at Elements… My pal Gwennie and her girlfriend were staying in one of the fancier villas near the beach but were annoyed that someone next door kept bursting into song. Eventually, the girlfriend was despatched to tell the songbird to shut up, but she soon stopped in her tracks. It was Seal, one of the main acts. And – when we saw him on stage later that night – one of the highlights of the festival. Needless to say, she let him be.
4The music
Across the five days, we rocked out to Seal, the New Power Generation (Prince’s old band), disco soul stars Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, Morcheeba, Lionel Richie, Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow. But the surprise for us newbies were the artists we stumbled upon that we didn’t know anything about. Not only did we see our favourites, but we found new ones. We loved Robert Plant and his bluegrass vibe, fell in love with Rag ’n’ Bone Man, boogied on down to Leon Bridges and got a real taste of New Orleans with Dumpstaphunk.
5The hot tips
Sensible boozing is encouraged with several bars and beer tents, but by day five, even the cruddy stuff runs out. The food options are much better. Mozzarella and spinach arancini balls, anyone? An avocado burger? Or a foot-long bratwurst sausage? Headliners for Bluesfest 2019 are already being announced, so if you’re looking for a music immersion break in a beautiful part of the world, check out the website. Download the app too – it’s great while you’re there to plot your day, but you can also get in the mood by listening to the Bluesfest playlist wherever you are. Oh, and if you do go, know the weather can be hot, but it can also be wet. A pair of sturdy boots might mess up your look, but you’ll love me for telling you to pack them.