Bluesfest 2026 Announces Artist Play Days
Set times for each day are to be revealed soon.
Image bluesfest.com.au
After Bluesfest announced three huge additions to this year’s lineup – metalcore heroes Parkway Drive, soul singer Erykah Badu and reggae legends The Wailers – organisers have revealed the artist play days for the festival.
The newly announced Parkway Drive will headline Thursday evening, along with Sublime, while Friday features soul and R&B acts Erykah Badu and Earth, Wind & Fire. Saturday is being billed as a day for the legends, with Split Enz, Counting Crows, Marcus King Band and The Wailers all performing. Sunday is closed out by blues icon Buddy Guy and American rockers The Black Crowes.
This year’s Bluesfest takes place across the Easter weekend from April 2 to April 5 2026. The lineup is stacked full of incredible international and local acts, with limited tickets still available at bluesfest.com.au. Check out the full list of artist play days below.
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Speaking on the new additions, Festival Director, Peter Noble OAM released the below statement:
“This is a very special announcement for us. Today we make history, welcoming Byron Bay’s most successful band ever to play at Byron Bay Bluesfest. Parkway Drive are locals who took their music from this region to the world, and now they are coming home. For their first ever major festival appearance in Byron Bay and their first show since playing at the Byron Bay high school in 2014.
“The last time Parkway Drive toured Australia in September 2024, they played in arenas with great sales. That tells you everything you need to know about the scale they operate on now. This is a major addition to the Bluesfest lineup, and something we are incredibly proud of. We have always believed at Bluesfest that great music is great music, no matter the genre. If metal is not your thing, there are three other stages offering everything else you could want. But I will say this very clearly. Parkway Drive are not to be missed.
“Erykah Badu, The Queen of Neo Soul, last played Bluesfest in 2012. Interestingly, so did Earth, Wind & Fire. This year, they will be playing on the same night, on the same stage, one after the other, Good Friday, April 3. That did not happen in 2012 when they played on different nights. This time, it is five-time, including 2025 - Grammy winner, Erykah Badu into Earth, Wind & Fire, back-to-back on the same stage. If you miss this you will surely have a hole in your soul.
“The Wailers are among the most loved and important artists in Bluesfest history. They are the original band that stood behind Bob Marley and later came together again with a clear purpose to ensure his music would continue to be played live, properly and with meaning. Seven years after Bob Marley’s passing, The Wailers reformed to protect the integrity of his music and carry its message forward. As the original members passed on, they did something deeply significant. They taught their sons and a new generation of musicians who truly revere Bob Marley how to play this music with authenticity, respect and a deep understanding of what it stands for.
“When Bob Marley knew his time on this planet was coming to an end, he asked his bandleader Family Man Barrett to make him a solemn promise that his music would continue to be played live for as long as possible. That responsibility was carried by Family Man, the legendary bandleader of Bob Marley & The Wailers, a founding member, songwriter and producer on many of their recordings, right up until his passing in 2024.
“What makes this moment so important is that Family Man also trained the next generation to carry that legacy forward, including his son, Aston Barrett Jr., who now leads The Wailers. This is not a tribute and it is not a cheap imitation. This is Bob
“Marley’s music played properly, taught by members of The Wailers themselves and passed on to musicians who deeply care about both the music and its message.
“Over three nights at Bluesfest, audiences will hear Bob Marley albums performed the way Bob would have wanted them played. This tour carries the spirit, power and purpose of his music into the future. It honours the past while keeping the message alive, and it is absolutely not to be missed.”
“Add all of this to an already extraordinary lineup including Split Enz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sublime, Buddy Guy, The Black Crowes and so many more, and we know we have another great Bluesfest ahead. Tickets are still available, and I strongly encourage people to camp on site. Those who do know it is the best way to experience Bluesfest. You can go back to your campsite whenever you like, hear the music everywhere, and truly live inside the festival. Stay at Bluesfest. Be at Bluesfest. It is going to be another great one.” - Peter Noble OAM, Festival Director
Byron Bay Bluesfest 2026 takes place from Thursday 2 April to Sunday 5 April at Byron Events Farm. Tickets are on sale now via bluesfest.com.au.
Byron Bay Bluesfest FIRST LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
Split Enz
Parkway Drive • Erykah Badu • The Wailers
Earth, Wind & Fire • Sublime
The Black Crowes • Buddy Guy
Counting Crows • The Pogues • Marcus King Band
Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew “Remain In Light”
The Living End • Xavier Rudd
Mental As Anything • Mark Seymour
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
Robert Randolph • Taj Farrant
Skegss • The Dreggs • South Summit
The Southern River Band • 19-twenty
Chain • Backsliders • Pierce Brothers
Áine Tyrrell • Ray Beadle • Steve Poltz • Daniel Champagne
• Nik West (Exclusive) • Roshani • Angelique Francis (Exclusive)
Jovin Webb (Exclusive) • Z-star
Ben Catley • Laid Back Country Picker (Exclusive)
