Byron Bay Bluesfest: New 2022 date revealed
Organisers behind one of Australia’s major annual music festivals have been forced to once again do the Covid-19 shuffle.
For the second time in five months, the organisers behind one of Australia’s major annual music festivals have been forced to once again do the Covid-19 shuffle, as the nation’s live entertainment sector continues to suffer.
Six weeks out from its planned start date of October 1, the organisers of Byron Bay Bluesfest announced on Tuesday that the event will not proceed given the rising Covid case numbers across NSW, which is currently in statewide lockdown.
Instead, Bluesfest will be restored to its usual spot on the calendar across the Easter long weekend. Headlined by Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Jimmy Barnes – as well as the new addition of New Zealand band Fat Freddy’s Drop – the 2022 event will be held from April 15 to April 18.
In an interview with The Australian on Tuesday, festival director Peter Noble said, “I’ve accepted some weeks ago that Bluesfest wouldn’t be occurring in October. The reason I keep rescheduling it is because we have to find a way back. Every time we reschedule, you know what happens? We get a stronger event.”
It’s the second major blow for the festival this year, following its cancellation by a NSW public health order on March 31 – with ticketholders already setting up their camping gear on site, and all stage equipment set up and ready to go – after one Covid case was detected in the Byron Shire.
“The addition of Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly to October strengthened what was already a strong event, that had already been cancelled twice,” said Noble. “We’ve got artists who were down to play in 2020, who are now down to play in 2022.”
“I’m not crying about that, because the whole industry is dealing with it,” he said. “When you talk to agents and managers, what we talk about is reschedules and how we deal with it; how we deal with governments closing borders; how artists find ways to play.”
“That’s just the way it is, and those people are not going to throw the towel in. So when Bluesfest has to reschedule again, we make jokes about it: we say, ‘We’re experts at rescheduling,’ or ‘Next Easter is going to be the resurrection, hopefully not the crucifixion’.”
Even with the eleventh-hour scratching of the event on March 31 by NSW Health, Bluesfest brought $27m to the NSW economy, according to an economic impact report issued by Reuben Lawrence Consulting earlier this month. The same report estimated a nationwide loss of $181m as a result of the cancellation.
Last month, Bluesfest was handed $2.4m from the federal government as part of an arts rescue package, among 81 other RISE grant recipients.
Despite the double disappointments he has experienced this year, the Byron Bay festival director is doing his best to remain upbeat.
“I see people in my industry all the time saying they’re heartbroken and they don’t know what to do. Well, I know what to do: it’s another bloody reschedule,” he said with a laugh.
“One day, it’s all going to happen and we’ve got to keep working toward that. If we don’t, our industry is going to fall apart.”
As well, Noble flagged the possibility of a “no vax, no entry” policy as a requirement for Australians to attend major live entertainment events.
Such a move would mirror what music fans overseas are experiencing, with global promoter Live Nation reportedly requiring attendees in the US to provide either a negative Covid test of proof of vaccination to enter its concert venues from October 4.
“At some point, we are going to reopen, and we are going to get vaccinated,” said Noble. “And those people who won’t agree to become vaccinated most likely will have difficulty doing everything that they would like to do.”
“I suspect in two or three months, it will be a major issue,” he said. “There’ll be a lot of people talking about ‘freedom’, and the fact that we’re trying to inhibit it – but people who have done everything to combat this virus have a right to be free to associate as safely as possible.”
In the meantime, the festival director encouraged patient fans to keep their existing tickets for the October event, which will now roll over to April next year.
More artists will be announced when the NSW outbreak is contained, with Noble flagging the possibility of more international acts appearing on the line-up if border restrictions allow their arrival into the country.
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