Byron Bay Bluesfest will end next April after 35 years, in another hammer blow to Australia’s music festival sector following the cancellation of Splendour In The Grass and several other major festivals.

Peter Noble, the director of Bluesfest since 1994 and driver of growth that saw 102,000 people attend in 2022, said conversations with artist agents, insurers and other stakeholders had made it clear he would be forced to downsize the Easter long weekend festival if it lingered on past 2025.