Bluesfest

What Bluesfest does

Bluesfest is an Australian event organizer that operates Byron Bay Bluesfest, an annual five-day contemporary Blues and Roots music festival held over the Easter long weekend at the 300-acre Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, located 11km north of Byron Bay, NSW. Founded in 1990 by Peter Noble OAM, the festival grew from 6,000 attendees in its first year to attracting over 100,000 music fans annually, featuring 200+ performances across multiple stages over five 12-hour days, on-site camping for 6,000 guests, five licensed bars, 100+ food and market stalls, and family-friendly amenities. The company also operated affiliated sub-brands Bluesfest Tours (artist-tour packages) and The Green Room Byron (on-site hospitality venue), and held multiple industry awards including Helpmann Awards, NSW Tourism Awards Hall of Fame inductions (2019, 2023, 2025), "Keeping the Blues Alive" awards from The Blues Foundation in Memphis (2018, 2024), and a Rolling Stone Award to its founder in 2014.

The company's product is structured as a modular offering: festival entry tickets sold as 4-day, 3-day or 1-day passes via the Moshtix primary ticketing platform (with Tixel as the official resale marketplace and PayPal Pay-In-4 for four-installment BNPL), layered with add-on modules including general and large-vehicle (5.5m-9.5m) camping, glamping, tent motels, tipis, day parking, VIP lounge experience, locker rentals through BSAFE Mobile Lockers, and ticket insurance via Booking Protect. Revenue streams combine one-time ticket and add-on licensing with on-site transaction-fee revenue from the licensed bars, food courts and market stalls. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, leveraging brand reputation, past-lineup archive, owned social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify) and an email newsletter as primary marketing surfaces.

In March 2025, both operating entities - Bluesfest Enterprises Pty Ltd (ABN 40 674 992 440) and Bluesfest Byron Bay Pty Ltd (ABN 51 650 115 709) - entered liquidation with reported debts of $5.7-$10M against assets of approximately $1.23M, leaving only $300,664 available for over 900 creditors. The 2026 festival was officially cancelled less than three weeks before its scheduled start, citing rising production, logistics, insurance and touring costs; the liquidator's report indicates the operator likely traded while insolvent from approximately October 2025, and investigations into founder Peter Noble cover irregular payments totaling over $800,000 to his farm and a controlled labour-hire entity in the weeks preceding collapse. Unsecured creditors, including approximately 900 ticketholders, are expected to recover only about 11 cents per dollar owed.

Name

Bluesfest

Legal name

Bluesfest Enterprises Pty Ltd

Website

https://bluesfest.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bluesfest is an Australian event organizer that operates Byron Bay Bluesfest, an annual five-day Easter contemporary Blues and Roots music festival attracting 100,000+ attendees at the 300-acre Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm north of Byron Bay. Both operating entities entered liquidation in March 2025, cancelling the 2026 edition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival Events

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Music festival events
• Live music experiences
• Festival ticketing services
• Blues and roots music
• Event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tyagarah

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Festival Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling multi-day festival tickets (4-day, 3-day, 1-day passes) to music fans. Ticket types include Adult, Youth, and Child categories. E-tickets sold through Moshtix platform.
2. Camping and Add-ons: Revenue from camping tickets, car parking passes, and vehicle passes for oversized vehicles. Separate charges for large vehicle camping (over 5.5m). Camping is alcohol-free zone.
3. VIP Experiences: VIP lounge tickets offering exclusive seating, food stalls, and premium beverage service including cocktails and margaritas. Upcharge on top of festival admission.
4. Food, Beverage, and Retail: Five licensed bars, 100+ food and market stalls, undercover food courts, and beer gardens generate ancillary revenue during the five-day event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bluesfest is an Australian event organizer that produces the annual Byron Bay Bluesfest, a five-day contemporary Blues and Roots music festival held over the Easter long weekend at the 300-acre Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm site near Byron Bay, NSW. The offering includes multi-day festival tickets (4-day, 3-day, 1-day passes), VIP lounge experiences, on-site camping with vehicle options, day parking, glamping/tipi/tent motel accommodations, locker rentals, and ticket insurance.

Product overview

Bluesfest is a music festival company that operates as a single, unified event product with multiple add-on modules. The core offering is the annual Bluesfest Byron Bay music festival featuring 200+ performances across multiple stages over five days at Easter. The product portfolio includes festival entry tickets as the primary offering, supplemented by VIP experiences, camping accommodations (general and large vehicle options), day parking, pre-set accommodation (glamping, tent motels, tipis), locker rentals, and ticket insurance. Related brands include Bluesfest Tours for artist tour packages and The Green Room hospitality venue. The festival operates at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, 11km north of Byron Bay, with facilities including camping for 6,000 guests, five licensed bars, and 100+ food and market stalls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bluesfest Festival Entry Tickets General admission multi-day tickets (4-day, 3-day, and 1-day passes) providing access to the five-day Bluesfest music festival featuring 200+ performances across multiple stages.
• VIP Lounge Experience Premium upgrade offering extra seating, exclusive food stalls, and top-shelf beverages including cocktails and margaritas in a dedicated VIP area.
• 4-Day Camping & Festival Ticket Camping package allowing arrival from Wednesday morning through Monday morning checkout, spanning the full festival duration with camping wristband exchange included.
• General Camping (Up to 5.5m Vehicles) Camping ticket for tents and small vehicles up to 5.5 metres including car pass for one vehicle in the camping area.
• Large Vehicle Camping (5.5m - 9.5m) Camping pass for vehicles, campervans, caravans and anything towed between 5.5 and 9.5 metres, requiring a separate large vehicle ticket in addition to individual camping tickets.
• Day Parking Pass Daily vehicle parking valid for single entry per day during festival operating hours (9am to 12:30am), pre-purchased with barcode displayed on dashboard.
• Glamping, Tent Motels & Tipis Pre-set accommodation options including glamping, tent motels and tipis available as add-ons to festival tickets, where each occupant must also purchase a camping ticket.
• VIP Lounge Experience (duplicate entry - removed in dedup) Duplicate of VIP Lounge entry above; merged.
• Bluesfest Tours Affiliated touring company offering tour packages related to Bluesfest artists and performances.
• The Green Room Hospitality Venue Hospitality venue associated with Bluesfest, providing food and beverage service during the festival.

Quantifiable outcome

• Attracts over 100,000 music fans annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MoshtixcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary ticketing platform for Bluesfest. Handles all ticket sales, e-ticket distribution, name changes, and resale mechanisms. Integrated with PayPal Pay-In-4 for installment payments.
• TixelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial resale marketplace recognized by Bluesfest for secondary ticket sales. Only site officially endorsed by Bluesfest for ticket transfers.
• Bluesfest ToursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated touring company (bluesfesttours.com.au) that organizes and promotes artist tours related to Bluesfest appearances.
• The Green RoomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Green Room Byron (thegreenroombyron.com) - affiliated venue or partner site linked from Bluesfest website.
• Tyagarah Tea Tree FarmcoreOthers300-acre permanent festival site located 11km north of Byron Bay. Home to Bluesfest since 2010. Community event site hosting the annual festival.
• Live Performance AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry body membership. Bluesfest Enterprises PTY LTD is a member of Live Performances Australia and adheres to its Ticketing Code of Practice.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Splendour in the Grass: Australia's other leading multi-day contemporary music festival (held in Byron Bay region NSW). Closest direct peer to Bluesfest in terms of audience, geographic catchment, genre span (contemporary/rock/pop), and multi-stage multi-day format.
• Falls Festival: Australian multi-day contemporary music and camping festival with multi-state editions (originally Lorne, Marion Bay, Byron Bay). Directly comparable to Bluesfest on multi-day multi-stage format, camping-based audience, and Easter/summer timing.
• Woodford Folk Festival: Large multi-day Australian community/performing-arts festival with camping. Comparable on multi-stage programming and 100,000+ attendee scale, though folk/world-focused; serves as the closest Australian "festival + camping + community" counterpart to Bluesfest.
• St Jerome's Laneway Festival: Multi-city Australian touring music festival featuring contemporary and indie artists. Direct competitor in the same Australian contemporary music festival market with multi-day multi-stage format and similar demographic.
• Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival: Iconic multi-day, multi-stage contemporary and roots-music festival operating on a dedicated permanent site (Empire Polo Club). Directly comparable to Bluesfest on multi-day programming, camping/glamping tier, and high-attendance scale.
• Glastonbury Festival: Iconic UK multi-day, multi-stage music festival held on a permanent dedicated site (Worthy Farm). Comparable as a long-running generational brand with camping, broad genre programming, and 100,000+ attendance scale.
• Bonnaroo Music Festival: US multi-day, multi-stage contemporary music and camping festival with broad genre programming and dedicated farm venue. Closest US functional comparator to Bluesfest on multi-day, camping-integrated, multi-stage format.
• WOMADelaide: Australian roots/world-music multi-day festival held in Adelaide. Most direct genre counterpart to Bluesfest's "Blues & Roots" positioning and comparable on multi-stage outdoor programming and family-friendly ethos.
• Frontier Touring: Australia's leading concert touring and festival promoter, parent of the hugely successful Download Festival Australia. Direct comparable as the dominant Australian festival/touring operator and the natural consolidator candidate for any Bluesfest revival or asset acquisition.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment conglomerate that owns, promotes, or produces hundreds of music festivals worldwide. Overlaps with Bluesfest as the dominant controlling entity of the international festival market and potential acquirer of distressed festival brands.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ByronBluesfest
• Facebookfacebook.com/bluesfestbyronbay
• Instagraminstagram.com/bluesfestbyronbay/?hl=en
• Xx.com/bluesfestbyron

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bluesfest