Bluefest has announced three additions to the Byron Bay Bluesfest stage this Easter Long Weekend.
From hometown heroes Parkway Drive returning, to one of the most influential voices in soul music in Erykah Badu, to the living legacy of Bob Marley’s music with The Wailers, Festival Director Peter Noble says that this announcement “is something truly special”.
Parkway Drive, originally formed in Byron Bay will be making their festival debut while five-time Grammy-winner Erykah Badu is returning to Australia for the first time in 14 years. Badu will take to the Bluesfest stage on Good Friday, playing back-to-back with Earth, Wind & Fire on the same stage.
The band behind Bob Marley returns to Bluesfest for a special three-night residency, Wailers will be performing three completely different live sets across the weekend, celebrating Legend, Natural Mystic and Rastaman Vibration. Led by bandleader Aston Barrett Jr., son of the late Aston “Family Man” Barrett, the legendary bandleader of Bob Marley & The Wailers, this is Marley’s music played properly. Authentic, heartfelt and powerful, carried forward by those trained directly by the band that created it. This is not a tribute. This is the living legacy.
These newly announced artists join the already announced lineup that included Split Enz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sublime, The Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, Counting Crows, The Pogues, and many more, with more still to come.
Tickets for the festival are available at: BLUESFEST
The Wailers have also announced their 50 Years of Positive Vibrations tour which has 3 dates apart from Bluesfest added:
MELBOURNE – Wed 1 April – 170 Russell
SYDNEY – Thu 2 April – Metro Theatre
BYRON BAY – Fri 3 April – Byron Bay Bluesfest
BYRON BAY – Sat 4 April – Byron Bay Bluesfest
BYRON BAY – Sun 5 April – Byron Bay Bluesfest
Peter Noble OAM, Festival Director of Byron Bay Bluesfest and Australian presenter for The Wailers for almost four decades, said: “When Bob Marley knew his time on this planet was coming to an end, he asked his bandleader Family Man Barrett to make him a solemn promise – that his music would continue to be played live for as long as possible. That responsibility was carried by Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, the legendary bandleader of Bob Marley & The Wailers, a founding member, songwriter and producer on many of their recordings. Family Man honoured that promise for decades, right up until his passing in 2024.
“What Family Man also did, and what makes this moment so important, was train a new generation of musicians to carry that legacy forward – including his son, Aston Barrett Jr., now the bandleader of The Wailers.
“This is not a cheap facsimile of Bob Marley’s music. This is genuine, heartfelt and real. It is Bob Marley’s music played properly, taught by members of The Wailers themselves and passed on to a new generation who deeply care about both the music and its message.
This tour carries the spirit, power and purpose of Bob Marley into the future. It honours the past while keeping the message alive – and it is absolutely not to be missed.”
First released in 1976, Rastaman Vibration was a defining moment in global music, carrying reggae’s message of resistance, spirituality and hope onto the world stage. Nearly five decades on, its songs remain as urgent and resonant as ever. This special anniversary tour highlights select cuts from Rastaman Vibration, including “Positive Vibration,” “Roots, Rock, Reggae,” and “War,” alongside the timeless anthems that continue to unite generations through music.
Today, The Wailers carry this legacy forward under the leadership of Aston Barrett Jr., son of legendary bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett. With deep respect for the past and a clear vision for the future, Barrett Jr. leads the band with authenticity, purpose and heart. Joined by Mitchell Brunings, whose soulful vocals and commanding stage presence have captivated audiences worldwide, The Wailers deliver performances that embody the true spirit of reggae – uplifting, conscious and deeply human.
In a unique crossover into film, Aston Barrett Jr. recently portrayed his father in the 2024 biopic Bob Marley: One Love, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir. His performance brought rare authenticity to the screen, grounded in lived experience and a profound personal connection to the music and its legacy.
Alongside honouring the past, The Wailers remain creatively vital in the present. Their recent albums One World and Evolution – both Grammy-nominated – reaffirm the band’s ongoing relevance and artistic power. Evolution, produced by Grammy Award-winner Emilio Estefan Jr. on Crescent Moon Records, blends classic roots reggae with contemporary global influences, with songs like “Love Should Be Free” resonating worldwide for their positive and socially conscious message.
Australian audiences can expect a soul-stirring live experience, weaving together the revolutionary spirit of Rastaman Vibration, the band’s iconic catalogue and select modern highlights – delivered with the same musicianship, authenticity and heart that made The Wailers a cornerstone of global music.
50 Years of Positive Vibrations is more than a tour – it’s a celebration of music with meaning, a living connection between reggae’s golden era and its enduring power to inspire unity, resilience and hope.
PRE-SALE STARTS: Tuesday, 20th January 11AM AEDT
GENERAL ON SALE STARTS: Thursday 22nd January, 11AM AEDT
SIGN UP NOW TO ACCESS THE EXCLUSIVE PRE-SALE https://www.bluesfesttours.com.au/presale