Having already announced its epic first round of acts a little over a week ago, with a mighty bill that includes Ben Harper, Santana, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Dropkick Murphys, Wilco and more, multi-award winning 5 day-long music festival, Bluesfest, has now unleashed the second of four touted lineup announcements to be made in the coming weeks.

Joining the impressive list of artists due to play for Easter 2013, is a list that contains what all the core fans of Bluesfest have been waiting for – the blues and roots acts themselves, featuring a fine blend of very talented up-and-comers, as well as a host of acclaimed, bona fide music legends.

Festival Director Peter Noble has enthused about the second list of acts saying, “they are what thousands of Bluesfest fans look forward to every year. This is a real Blues & Roots Artist announcement and what a great one it is. It’s very classy and I love it.”

Adding that “it is also fantastic to see the female artists at the forefront of this announcement,” namely JOAN ARMATRADING, MAVIS STAPLES, BETTYE LAVETTE, RUTHIE FOSTER, WANDA JACKSON, SHAWN COLVIN and the incredible all-female gospel group SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK.

Reggae superstar JIMMY CLIFF also joins the lineup in a Bluesfest debut, in the wake of the his brand new album, Rebirth. The recent subject of the film documentary Searching For Sugar Man, counter culture hero RODRIGUEZ, will also be gracing the beautiful Byron Shire punters with his presence.

Along with younger leading lights like ‘classic old soul’ MICHAEL KIWANUKA, returning after enrapturing audiences at Splendour In The Grass; and effervescent folk-multi-instrumentalist SETH LAKEMAN, who both join a pack that includes the BLIND BOYS OF ALABMA, ROBERT CRAY, TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE, ALLEN TOUISSANT, FRED WESLEY & THE JB’S, LUKA BLOOM, TONY JOE WHITE and THE DUKE ROBBILARD BAND

Having won back the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm grounds to hold their festival at the beautiful Byron Shire, to host at their traditional home next March 28-April 1st; the 2013 lineup announcement is the earliest in the history of Bluesfest, arriving much sooner than usual in order to roll out the proposed four-part lineup announcement.

Festival Director Peter Noble has already enthused of Bluesfest 2013: “This is our Year. We are delivering one of our absolute best artist lineups ever, and  [this] is only the beginning.”

The 24th Bluesfest will take place between Thursday 28th of March and Monday 1st of April 2013 at Bluesfest’s permanent home at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm just outside of Byron Bay.

Tickets are on sale now (in a variety of camping and pricing options) through www.bluesfest.com.au or by phoning the Bluesfest office on 02 6685 8310

24th Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest 2013 2nd Lineup Announcement

The Blues & Roots Release

JIMMY CLIFF
JOAN ARMATRADING
RODRIGUEZ
ROBERT CRAY
TROMBONE SHORTY &; ORLEANS AVENUE
THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
MAVIS STAPLES
ALLEN TOUSSAINT
WANDA JACKSON
FRED WESLEY & THE NEW JB’S
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
BETTYE LAVETTE
LUKA BLOOM
RUTHIE FOSTER
TONY JOE WHITE
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
THE DUKE ROBILLARD BAND
SHAWN COLVIN
SETH LAKEMAN

They join the first round of acts:
BEN HARPER
SANTANA
IGGY & THE STOOGES
STEVE MILLER BAND
CHRIS ISAAK
WILCO
BONNIE RAITT
DROPKICK MURPHYS
GLEN HANSARD WITH THE FRAMES
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND
NEWTON FAULKNER
WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE
FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS
GRACE POTTER
PLAYING FOR CHANGE
BEN CAPLAN
+ MORE To Be Announced

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