“It’s our 25th Birthday! We are going to be celebrating this one as never before and will deliver you one hell of a line up and mark my words: This is only the beginning.”
These are the words of promoter Peter Noble who has tonight revealed the first round of acts set to play Bluesfest 2014.
Lead by John Mayer and the Dave Matthews Band – billed as “two major headliners” – the lineup includes John Butler Trio in their 10th Bluesfest appearance, Erykah Badu in her first and the heavily rumoured Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.
Iron and Wine (aka folk singer Sam Beam) will return for the festival in his first Australian appearance since being awarded the boot at Golden Plains five years ago and since releasing new album Ghost on Ghost. He will be joined by Devendra Banhart, Bluesfest regulars Michael Franti & Spearhead, British triphop trio Morcheeba and Gary Clark Junior.
Bluesfest have described their 2014 lineup as “enormous, vibrant, unique and as always, a perfect blend of legendary, modern, up and coming and straight down famous artists”. Given that 2013’s second and third announcements included Robert Plant, Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright, Rodriguez, Jimmy Cliff, Counting Crows and Mavis Staples it’s probably safe to expect even more big names added to the 25th anniversary bill.
Bluesfest Byron Bay is held over the Easter long weekend April 17-21 at its dedicated site, the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, north of Byron Bay. Single day tickets are on sale now.
Bluesfest 2014 first lineup
John Mayer
Dave Matthews Band
Erykah Badu
John Butler Trio
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Iron & Wine
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Devendra Banhart
Morcheeba
Gary Clark Jr
KT Tunstall
Allen Stone
Valerie June
Nikki Hill
