After COVID-19, Floods, Bluesfest 2022 Exceeds Expectations

BRISBANE, Australia — As Australians settle into the cooler months, the normal festivals season ends on a comforting observe. Byron Bay’s Bluesfest, one of many nice manufacturers on the festivals calendar, wrapped with out disruption, and welcomed greater than 100,000 friends by its gates.

After a tumultuous two years, which included a last-minute aborted mission in 2021, Bluesfest went forward as deliberate from Thursday, April 14 to Monday, April 18 on the Byron Occasions Farm, with extra ticket gross sales than anticipated.

“This yr we’ve offered greater than 101,000 tickets —  greater than 15,000 of these previously week,” explains Bluesfest director Peter Noble. “We had a surge of gross sales within the final 10 days. Folks waited to verify we didn’t get cancelled once more earlier than they purchased a ticket.”

That wait-and-see strategy might be traced again to the late cancelation of the 2021 occasion, by a public well being order from the New South Wales authorities, when a customer to central Byron Bay examined constructive to the novel coronavirus.

That eleventh hour improvement impacted shopper confidence throughout all stay occasions, promoters say. 

Due to a mix of resilience and good planning, which included reserving a mostly-homegrown invoice and making use of COVID-safe protocols on web site and throughout its workforce, the 2022 Bluesfest managed to exceed expectations.

“We did a funds on 80,000, with the hope of 85,000,” Noble instructed Billboard backstage through the penultimate day.

This yr’s lineup included Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes, Amy Shark, The Cat Empire, The Teskey Brothers, and worldwide acts George Benson, Crowded Home and Six60.

On multiple event, nevertheless, mom nature contrived to spoil Bluesfest’s plans. The positioning on the Byron Occasions Farm, Tyagarah, endured two flash floods in six weeks main into the occasion, together with a flood two-and-a-half weeks earlier than showtime. Central Byron Bay went underwater, whereas Lismore, a close-by pupil city, “had the worst flooding they’ve ever had, then 4 weeks later, on the day one other flood,” notes Noble. 

The mud didn’t soften curiosity within the occasion. This yr’s competition employed 1,200 workers, 350 stall holders and welcomed 400 volunteers. In a present of solidarity for the neighboring communities swamped by latest floods, A$1 from each ticket offered is injected into flood reduction. Additionally, lots of of flood victims and their supporters had been amongst invited friends.

“We needed to offer the flood survivors a joyous second over the weekend. Persons are damage,” notes Noble. “Folks on this space are out of labor. They depend on the trickle-down impact the competition offers.”

The pandemic has been wretched to Bluesfest and its long-suffering followers and employees. When the 2020 version was scrapped, plans had been locked in for the 2021 version, scheduled for its typical Japanese weekend slot in April. Well being officers swooped on that COVID-positive take a look at. When gates had been meant to open, organizers had been left with the troublesome process of telling ticket holders to remain away. Later, a condensed competition was introduced for October 2021, that includes an all-local lineup led by Midnight Oil, however that too was shelved because of the emergence of the Delta variant, and the uncertainty of interstate — and worldwide — journey.

With a federal election set for Might 21, Australia’s stay music business is determined for extra assist from the nation’s leaders, whoever takes energy. “Irrespective of who’s in authorities, our business nonetheless has difficult occasions going ahead,” notes Noble. “We have to entice individuals to place the occasions on. However on high of that, the general public is popping out in droves. I by no means gave up. I needed to be there when it may occur. I’m part of the business. My half is to create a platform for the artists to look. To get the general public within the door, in entrance of the stage, get the artists up. That’s what it’s about.”

Work is effectively underway on the following version of Bluesfest, set for Easter 2023. Noble and his workforce began planning for it in February of this yr. It’s “going to be the most effective f—ing factor I ever did,” he insists.