Australia’s iconic Bluesfest has announced the first round of artists set to perform at its 2026 edition, unveiling a cross-generational lineup led by Split Enz, Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Pogues.
Returning to Byron Bay’s Bluesfest site — the Byron Events Farm — from April 2 to 5 next year, the long-running festival will host a full reunion set from Split Enz. The legendary New Zealand group, featuring brothers Neil and Tim Finn of Crowded House fame, also announced a separate national tour this week. It will mark the band’s first full-scale Australian tour in nearly two decades.
Joining them are funk and soul trailblazers Earth, Wind & Fire, who last played the event in 2012, and Irish punk-folk icons The Pogues, returning for the first time in 14 years to mark 40 years since the release of their seminal album Rum, Sodomy & the Lash — a tribute to the late Shane MacGowan.
Other international acts on the 2026 bill include Sublime, The Black Crowes, Counting Crows, blues veteran Buddy Guy (on his farewell tour), and Marcus King Band. Local talent includes Xavier Rudd, The Living End, South Summit, Mental As Anything, Skegss, The Dreggs, Pierce Brothers, and Mark Seymour.
The announcement follows a high-water mark for the festival earlier this year. In April, Bluesfest officially confirmed its return for 2026 following one of its strongest post-pandemic editions. Held across the Easter long weekend, Bluesfest 2025 drew more than 109,000 attendees over five days — the festival’s highest attendance since 2019, and the third-biggest turnout in its 35-year history.
“We’re the top-selling festival in the country, and we’ve worked hard to get here,” festival director Peter Noble said in a statement at the time. “We’ve had the highest attendance of any Australian festival since pre-COVID at 109,000 attendances – the third-biggest event we’ve done in the history of the festival… Festivals are back.”
The festival’s second lineup drop for its 2026 event is expected in the coming weeks. Several of the artists announced — including The Pogues, Sublime, and Buddy Guy — will also play exclusive headline shows around the country as part of the Bluesfest touring program.
Bluesfest 2026 takes place from Thursday, April 2, to Sunday, April 5. Tickets and artist information are available at bluesfest.com.au.
