Bluesfest 2026 Artists Confirm AU/NZ Tours as Festival Fallout Continues
Several artists from the cancelled Bluesfest 2026 lineup have confirmed they will still tour Australia and New Zealand.
The fallout from Bluesfest 2026 continues to unfold, but several artists from the cancelled festival’s lineup have confirmed they will still tour Australia and New Zealand.
The festival, which was due to return from April 2nd-5th, was called off earlier this month, with organisers citing “rising production, logistics, insurance and touring costs, combined with softer ticket demand and international uncertainties” as key factors behind the decision.
In the weeks since, the situation has grown more complex. A liquidator was appointed to manage the festival’s financial affairs - including vendor payments and ticket refunds - but ticketholders have since called for further investigation after reports emerged that Bluesfest owes approximately $5.7 million to creditors. In correspondence from Worrells, the appointed liquidator, it was also indicated that refunds are “unlikely” to be issued.
Festival director Peter Noble, who was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to the industry in 2016, has since gone to ground.
A recent investigation by The Australian uncovered decades of alleged mistreatment by Noble, including claims of repeated bullying and verbal abuse toward staff, disputes with performing artists over payment, and accusations of misleading the public after declaring Bluesfest would end in 2025 before successfully applying for more government grants for survival.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the festival itself, a number of acts have opted to continue with their Australia and New Zealand plans, locking in standalone headline shows and revised tour dates.
Among those moving forward are Sublime, The Pogues, The Wailers, The Black Crowes, and Marcus King Band. The Wailers have reshuffled their itinerary, announcing new shows across NSW in place of their Bluesfest residency.
Reporting from inside the Australian music business since '94.
Split Enz' forthcoming Australian tour - set for May - is also still going ahead, while The Living End have announced a one-off show in Brunswick. “Like all of you who had planned on going to Bluesfest, we were bummed out when it got cancelled. So, we thought stuff it, we wanna play a gig anyway so we are," the band shared.
However, performances from Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew, Erykah Badu, and Earth, Wind & Fire have all been scrapped, alongside select sideshows such as The Black Crowes’ planned Newcastle date.
UPDATE: Marcus King Band have since cancelled while Split Enz have added more dates.
Originally billed as one of the festival’s most stacked lineups in recent years, Bluesfest 2026 was set to feature a mix of legacy icons and contemporary heavyweights, including Parkway Drive, Counting Crows, and more.
Check out the confirmed dates below.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOURS (FORMER BLUESFEST SIDESHOWS) 2026
SUBLIME
Wednesday, April 1st Festival Hall, Melbourne VIC
Saturday, April 4th Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
Wednesday, April 8th Wolfbook Arena, Christchurch NZ
Friday, April 10th Trusts Arena, Auckland NZ
Saturday, April 11th Brewtown, Wellington NZ
THE BLACK CROWES
Thursday, April 2nd The Forum, Melbourne VIC
Friday, April 3rd The Forum, Melbourne VIC
Monday, April 6th Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane QLD
Wednesday, April 8th (NEW SHOW) Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW
Thursday, April 9th Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW
THE POGUES
Wednesday, March 25th Fremantle Prison, Fremantle WA
Friday, March 27th Hindley St Music Hall, Adelaide SA
Sunday, March 29th The Forum, Melbourne VIC
Thursday, April 2nd (NEW SHOW) Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane QLD
Sunday, April 5th Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW
Monday, April 6th Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW
Wednesday, April 8th St James Theatre, Wellington NZ
Thursday, April 9th Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch NZ
Saturday, April 11th NZICC Theatre, Auckland NZ
Wednesday, April 1st Drifters Wharf, Gosford NSW
Thursday, April 2nd Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
Friday, April 3rd Finnians Tavern, Port Macquarie NSW
Saturday, April 4th Coffs Hotel, Coffs Harbour NSW
Sunday, April 5th Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads NSW
Saturday, May 2nd (NEW SHOW) Claudelands Arena, Hamilton NZ
Monday, May 4th (NEW SHOW) Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch NZ Wednesday, May 6th TSB Bank Arena, Wellington NZ
Thursday, May 7th TSB Bank Arena, Wellington NZ
Friday, May 9th Spark Arena, Auckland NZ
Saturday, May 10th Spark Arena, Auckland NZ
Wednesday, May 13th Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne VIC
Thursday, May 14th Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne VIC
Saturday, May 16th (NEW SHOW) Entertainment Centre, Brisbane QLD
Monday, May 18th TikTok Entertainment Centre, Sydney NSW
Tuesday, May 19th TikTok Entertainment Centre, Sydney NSW
Friday, May 22nd RAC Arena, Perth WA
Monday, May 25th Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide SA
Saturday, April 4th Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads NSW
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Reporting from inside the Australian music business since '94.
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