Overview
UPDATE: MARCH 17, 2020 – Due to government restrictions on public gatherings, Bluesfest has been cancelled. The event organisers will contact ticketholders directly to process refunds or to roll tickets over to Bluesfest 2021, which is scheduled to take place April 1–5.
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its first two artist announcements for its 2020 festival — and you're in for an absolute treat come Easter. Heading the stampede are famed American singer Patti Smith, rockers Dave Matthews Band and the legendary Crowded House.
All three are repeat Bluesfest offenders, with Patti Smith and her band returning after a standout performance in 2017, the "magical and unmissable" Dave Matthews Band heading back for their third festival and Crowded House once again trekking up the coast — this time for an exclusive Australian performance. Expect to hear plenty of huge tunes from the likes of Smith's 'Because the Night' to Matthews' 'Crash Into Me' and the anthem that is 'Don't Dream It's Over'.
The one and only "last of the great rockstars" Lenny Kravitz has also joined the top of the lineup in the second announcement. This will be music to the ears of anyone who had tickets to Bluesfest 2015 — Kravitz cancelled his appearance two month out from the festival.
Other acts to hit the stage over the weekend include the multi Grammy Award-winning George Benson, 90s folk rock back The Waterboys, American singer Brandi Carlile, California's Eagles of Death Metal, Aussie favourites The Cat Empire, British trip-hop band Morcheeba and John Butler.
The festival will return to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm — just outside Byron Bay — for 2020 despite Festival Director Peter Noble threatening to leave NSW earlier this year because of the State Government's strict new music festival licensing regime. Better start making Easter plans because tickets are already on sale. Anyway, here's the full lineup (so far).
BLUESFEST 2020 LINEUP
Alanis Morissette
Tori Kelly
Dave Matthews Band
Patti Smith and Her Band
Crowded House
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 Kind Band
Walter Trout
Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram
Greensky Bluegrass
Larkin Poe
The War & Treaty
Second announcement
Lenny Kravitz
Jimmie Vaughan (Exclusive)
The Waterboys (Exclusive)
Eagles Of Death Metal
Ani Difranco
Amadou & Mariam
The Allman Betts Band
Zucchero (Exclusive)
Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles
Yola
Tal Wilkenfeld
Joachim Cooder (Exclusive)
Steve 'n' Seagulls (Exclusive)
Image: Joseph Mayers.
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