Bluesfest 2021: Fury at double standards as Byron Bay festival cancelled

A band that was supposed to be playing at the now-cancelled Bluesfest has hit out over a glaring double standard in our virus rules.

A band that was supposed to be playing at the now-cancelled Bluesfest in Byron Bay this weekend has hit out over a glaring double standard in our virus rules.

Tyde posted on social media following the event’s sudden cancellation yesterday pointing to the hypocisy of the decision after crowded sports events have been allowed to go ahead.

“The double standard of having sports events go ahead and not a socially distanced festival says something about how arts are valued in this country,” they said.

They said they were “absolutely cut” at the news.

“While we believe we have to do the right thing to keep everyone safe, it’s disgusting that sports events in stadiums with no social distancing still go ahead (e.g. the Aus Open in Melbourne during peak lockdown, all the AFL and rugby games that went ahead in NSW and the Broncos game in Brissy just a few days ago).

“Absolutely disgusting that a seated, socially distanced arts event gets cancelled next to these sports games going ahead.”

Tyde were supposed to be performing at the festival this weekend. Picture: Samantha Kiley

Chair of the Australian Music Vault Advisory Committee, Jane Gazzo tweeted saying: “Nobody can explain why music events are still being treated differently to sports events!”

In a press conference today NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the festival was “wasn’t viable under the circumstances” — after a single COVID-19 case was detected in Byron Bay.

She explained that a music festival is different to an event like the Royal Easter Show, for example, because it would mean “people are together with dancing and singing and music”.

“I think people realise and accept the pandemic is an evolving situation,” she said.

“The festival going ahead would have been great, but it is just a postponement as far as I am concerned and the government will continue to work with the organisers to see if that can be resurrected at a future stage.”

There were chaotic scenes in Byron Bay after thousands of blues fans were turned away from the festival in a last-minute cancellation yesterday.

Some had travelled from as far away as WA — with one group making a 30-hour drive from Geraldton — only to be told the event wouldn’t be going ahead due to fears of a COVID-19 outbreak.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard signed a public health order cancelling the event.

As a result, food vendors, with fridges and freezers full of produce ready to sell to the festival’s 15,000 people attendees, were left stranded.

Artists have also been left devastated, with one band lashing the decision to scrap the event as “absolutely disgusting”.

Bluesfest typically wraps up the summer festival circuit and has won several local and international awards.

March 31, 2021: Byron Bay Blues Festival front gates are locked shut with a big metal chain by Event Security after ticket holders were told the event had been cancelled at the last minute due to current Covid-19 outbreaks at Byron Bay. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

Ticketholders were also left frustrated.

Jess Shanahan, 19, told the ABC she was left wondering what to do yesterday when she heard the news at Coffs Harbour, six hours from her Hawkesbury home and just a couple of hours from Byron.

“We’re pretty annoyed and not sure what to do. Obviously, if we go to Byron it’s risky — spending five or six days will mean the possibility of going into a place a COVID case has been,” she said.

Others on social media say they had made even longer journeys only to be turned away.

Meanwhile, Byron Bay locals are trying to support food vendors who have been left with stock they can’t sell — pitching ideas like drive-through stalls where they can sell fresh food.

Bluesfest injects $100 million into the local economy and its cancellation is expected to have major financial impacts.

Bluesfest director Peter Noble has been left devastated. Picture: Natalie Grono

Evelyn Richardson from Live Performance Australia, told the ABC, it is “devastating news”, not just for one of the country’s biggest music festivals, but for the live entertainment industry.

“We have only just started to get back on our feet and we’ve seen one case of community transmission close down a major festival, having major flow-on effects less than 24 hours before the festival was to happen,” Ms Richardson said.

“People being turned way to go home and an operator that has been running that festival for 30 years who has had the festival shut down two years in a row and now in an environment where nobody can get insurance for that.

“This has major implications for the industry. We can’t sustain another six or 12 months of this, of sudden lockdowns and being shut down.”

When the pandemic forced Bluesfest organisers to scrap last year’s event, the financial impact on the Byron Shire and Northern Rivers was just shy of $117 million in lost revenue and 745 full time jobs, according to The Industry Observer.

Bluesfest typically wraps up the summer festival circuit and has won several local and international awards for its show since its inaugural 1990 event.

Bluesfest director Peter Noble said they really wanted to be at the forefront of the return of live music at pre-COVID-19 level.

Many Aussie musicians were due to perform at the festival, including Kate Ceberano, who posted this to her Instagram story. Picture: Instagram/therealkateceberano

Jimmy Barnes was also on the line-up. Picture: Radke Brendan

Declan Kelly, an alternative artist from Sydney, shared this on his social media. Picture: Instagram/declankellymusic

“We feel deeply for everybody affected, the fans, the artists, and the hardworking Bluesfest team. But in the end, the health of our community must come first,” he said in a statement.

He said this weekend they will be packing down the event that was cancelled within 24 hours of gates due to open.

Artists who were scheduled to perform at the event included Tash Sultana, Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Kasey Chambers and Kate Ceberano.

Another Bluesfest artist, Briggs, was saddened by the news but said ‘life goes on’. Picture: Instagram/senatorbriggs

Other artists also took to social media about the cancellation. Picture: Instagram/garrettkato

Barnes took to his Instagram on Wednesday night to say, while “this is such huge blow for Aussie music — not just the artists, but all the roadies, stage crew, volunteers, the punters, and everyone in between, we have to remember that the health and wellbeing of this country has to come first”.

“Thanks to the team at Bluesfest for doing the best they could in preparation.”

“Were so gutted that Bluesfest is off,” Australian blues musician Ash Grunwald posted on his Instagram.

Fans of musicians who were meant to attend the festival have taken to social media to share their “disappointment”.

“So devastated,” one person wrote.

“Devastating for you all,” added another.

“My heart to all the production crew and artists involved in Bluesfest. Those bruises must be so painful after all your hard work,” radio and TV presenter Marieke Hardy wrote on Twitter.

Bluesfest organisers are hoping ticketholders will support the festival and hold tickets to the rescheduled date, which is yet to be announced.

Did you have tickets to Bluesfest, or do you run a local Byron Bay business? Tell us how this decision will impact you below in the comments or email [e-mail]