Bluesfest collapses — $23M hit
Australia’s Bluesfest collapsed weeks before opening, leaving fans and artists out of pocket for an estimated $23 million in ticket sales and prompting widespread backlash from performers and attendees [].
Members of Bluesfest’s operating companies resolved to wind up the business at a meeting on 12 March 2026 and formally appointed Jason Bettles of Worrells as liquidator. publishednotices.asic.gov.au Appointed liquidator Jason Bettles told ticket-holders they can lodge claims as unsecured creditors but warned refunds from the liquidation are unlikely, and advised card-paying patrons to seek chargebacks from their banks. noise11.com Bettles’ administration will file a detailed report — described in media briefings as about 510 pages — with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission outlining the company’s affairs and the list of ticket-holders. sbs.com.au Documents seen by reporters say the festival’s bank accounts held roughly $28,000 while around $5.7 million was listed as owing to payment platforms such as Stripe and PayPal. themusic.com.au The cancelled Easter event had been scheduled for April 2–5, 2026 and the first-wave lineup included Split Enz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Parkway Drive, Sublime and Counting Crows among more than 30 acts. billboard.com Organisers and founder Peter Noble cited rising production, logistics, insurance and international touring costs as the reasons for pulling the event, while Bluesfest’s own materials say the festival generated roughly $65 million in indirect tourism spending for Byron Bay in 2025 and about $130 million across the Northern Rivers region. au.rollingstone.com
