Blues fans to see red when Split Enz headline festival

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Blues fans to see red when Split Enz headline festival

Robyn Wuth

Updated

November 10 2025 - 7:01am , first published

7:00am

Robyn Wuth

Updated

November 10 2025 - 7:01am , first published

7:00am

NZ band Split Enz will headline Bluesfest as they reunite to mark their 50th anniversary. Photo: Glenn Hunt/AAP PHOTOS

Music fans will be happy that history sometimes does repeat - when legendary Kiwi band Split Enz reunites to headline the resurrected Byron Bay Bluesfest.

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Best known for hits including I Got You, I See Red, History Never Repeats, Message to My Girl and Six Months in A Leaky Boat, the progressive/art rock pioneers will perform their first Australian show in almost 20 years at the four-day Easter music festival in northern NSW.

Led by original members Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Noel Crombie, and Eddie Rayner, the group has reformed to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

More than 109,000 people made the trek to Byron Bay for what had been billed as the “last-ever” Bluesfest in 2025 - the third-largest crowd in the event’s history, according to organisers.

Director Peter Noble says the support of patrons and artists has kept Bluesfest alive. (Jason O’BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS)

Split Enz top the roll call of 35 artists in the 2026 festival’s first line-up announcement, which also includes Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Earth, Wind and Fire, blues treasure Buddy Guy, The Pogues, The Black Crows, Counting Crows and Sublime.

Bluesfest’s return comes after festival director Peter Noble previously declared 2025 would be the event’s last hurrah.

Mr Noble said the support of patrons and artists since the announcement that 2025 might be the final year had kept the dream alive.

“It’s a clarion call for me. People want this event. People want it to continue,” he said.

$Bigger venues, new undercover areas and deck chairs will \"improve the festival experience\" in 2026. (Jason O'BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS)$

Bigger venues, new undercover areas and deck chairs will “improve the festival experience” in 2026. (Jason O’BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS)

Mr Noble said “major improvements” were being made to the “festival experience” after patrons criticised the 2025 event as being “oversold”.

“Our main stage will have a bigger venue footprint, new seating zones, and undercover areas for campers and deck chairs - both indoor and outdoor,” he said in a statement.

“We’re adding more buses to more areas, responding directly to what our audience has asked for.”

Bluesfest plays Byron Bay Events Farm from April 2-5.

Australian Associated Press