Bluesfest cancelled again with promoter begging for NSW government insurance scheme

Bluesfest has abandoned its plans for an October festival because of the NSW lockdown and promoter Peter Noble ramps up calls for a live events insurance scheme.

BLUESFEST promoter Peter Noble has called on the NSW Government to urgently ratify the Business Interruption Fund it flagged for the live events industry as he is forced to reschedule his festival again.

Noble confirmed he will not go ahead with the 2021 Bluesfest he had rescheduled to the October long weekend, after it was dramatically cancelled on the eve of opening gates in April by a public health order due to one case in the Byron Bay region.

He is now pinning his hopes on the vaccination rollout hitting 80 per cent so he can stage his 2022 Bluesfest next Easter, with Jimmy Barnes, Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Kasey Chambers among dozens of artists confirming they will hang in there until next year.

Midnight Oil have signed on for Bluesfest 2022. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Noble said promoters need the disruption fund and a government-backed insurance scheme to give them the confidence they need to plan gigs next year after 18 months of uncertainty and no income.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet flagged the development of an insurance scheme to underwrite events against lockdown cancellations on April 3.

“What I want to see now is the government doing what they said they would. They announced there would be a Business Interruption Fund, guidelines were sent out but it has yet to be ratified. I don’t know why it’s stalled and the government hasn’t delivered it,” he said.

Kasey Chambers and Busby Marou have reschedule their tour to 2022. Picture: Supplied.

Bluesfest isn’t the only event announcing yet another run of dates in the past 24 hours. Kasey Chambers and Busby Marou have pushed their Behind The Barricades tour, due to kick off next month, to May next year.

Richard Clapton has pushed his Music Is Love national tour to next March while the APIA Good Times crew including Vika and Linda Bull and Kate Ceberano are optimistic they can get back up and running in November when vaccination rates should hit between 70 to 80 per cent.

Noble said he would proceed with an all-Australian line-up for the 2022 Easter festival but would scramble to add international artists should borders open up.

Paul Kelly has also committed to his headlining spot on Bluesfest next year. Picture: Supplied / Cybele Malinowski

“I am confident that, by the end of this year, Australia will have achieved at least a 70-80 per cent vaccination rate and will have achieved at least ‘Stage Three’ in the plan to open up the whole country. Lockdowns will be consigned to history,” he said.

“Perhaps we may even see international artists returning. If they can come we will be presenting them.”

Wildly popular British festival act The Wombats are optimistic we will be welcoming them to Australian stages next June, announcing a national tour yesterday.

NSW Shadow Minister for Arts John Graham said if Mr Perrottet didn’t deliver on the proposed measures to build confidence in the live events sector, NSW faced a “silent summer”.

“We can avoid that with vaccination and proper planning. The Government needs to deliver on its promises. Both of these measures were promised – a business interruption fund and a Covid road map. The music sector needs them. The Government should deliver them. They will make all the difference this summer,” he said.

“Festivals and venues need to plan ahead now for events over summer and beyond.”

Originally published as Bluesfest cancelled again with promoter begging for NSW government insurance scheme