By Dennis Atkins
As Brisbane blues music fans gather at the Goodna Royal Mail this weekend for our regular jam afternoon, it’s likely that many will discuss the most significant story for our community in 2026.
The recent collapse of the Byron Bay Bluesfest company, just over two weeks ago, is not only about the 36th event—scheduled to be headlined by Buddy Guy and Split Enz—not going ahead.
This marks the end of the festival, and unless a wealthy benefactor comes to the rescue, there seems to be no way to revive it. Music festivals of Bluesfest’s scale were already considered high-risk before March 13.
Given the recent developments, it is evident that no one is willing to venture into this troublesome situation. Bluesfest owner Peter Noble established a financial structure for the event that was always precarious. Respected financial journalist Michael Sainsbury noted in the online publication Crikey that Bluesfest had received a total of $3.4 million in taxpayer subsidies since 2021.
In addition to this previously undisclosed financial support, Noble’s company developed a unique relationship with the ticketing company Moshtix, outsourcing the collection of ticket sales to the promoter.
According to industry insiders reported by Crikey, this arrangement allowed Bluesfest to use ticket sale proceeds for operational costs, while relieving Moshtix of any liability if things went wrong—which they ultimately did.
The complexity of the Bluesfest situation became apparent as Brisbane financial firm Worrells, the liquidator appointed to oversee the winding-up of Bluesfest Enterprises Pty Ltd, examined the records that Noble submitted to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Initially, reports indicated a debt of $5.17 million to creditors, but additional scrutiny revealed that Bluesfest actually owed only $5.9 million in ticket sales debts.
The relationship between Noble’s now-bankrupt company and Moshtix likely contributed to this confusion, as there were three distinct figures related to the ticket sales debt.
Local payment platforms Stripe and PayPal were listed as creditors by the administrator, with debts of $3.9 million and $1.7 million, respectively, suggesting that total ticket sales amounted to $5.6 million.
PayPal has acted swiftly, establishing a fund to repay ticket holders, although it was unclear earlier this past week whether everyone would receive a refund.
It appears that the arrangement set up by Moshtix with Noble absolved the ticketing company of liability and, on the surface, provided Noble access to funds necessary for his company’s daily operations.
There’s no evidence suggesting that Noble or anyone associated with Bluesfest Enterprises engaged in wrongdoing, but this context adds to the problematic narrative that emerged after March 12, when Noble submitted his Report on Company Activities and Property to ASIC.
Confusing advice issued both before and after Byron Bay Bluesfest Enterprises filed for bankruptcy was reported by Sainsbury in Crikey.
Initially, Bluesfest stated on its website that tickets were sold “by Bluesfest Enterprises Pty Ltd on behalf of Bluesfest Byron Bay Pty Ltd, which is responsible for the event” (noting the subtle difference in the company titles).
The website further informed ticket buyers that the company reserved the right to “cancel or postpone” the event, but if this occurred “in advance,” there would be a “full refund”.
However, the day after Noble submitted his documents to ASIC, the administrator Worrells emailed all ticketholders, informing them that “it seems unlikely that you will be refunded from the liquidation any money,” but they would be notified if that changed.
The risks facing both ticketholders and the feasibility of major events under the structure that Moshtix established for Bluesfest—and that might be replicated in other ticketing arrangements—were outlined by veteran Perth promoter Paul Sloan in comments to Crikey.
“At the core of this is the practice of major ticketing companies allowing promoters full and direct access to funds before events, which is central to the risk and frequency of these hugely damaging festival cancellation events occurring,” Sloan said.
“Customer funds should absolutely be held safely in trust until events are delivered. It seems absurd that in an industry that at any given time is handling hundreds of millions of dollars in customer presale ticket funds, whoever controls that money can do essentially whatever they want with it.”
The underlying issue here is an oligopoly in Australian entertainment ticketing. Moshtix, which managed Bluesfest tickets, is owned by Live Nation Entertainment, a global ticketing and concert-promoting giant that also owns Ticketmaster, thus forming part of the Australian ticketing duopoly comprising TEG/Ticketek-Ticketmaster.
The high cost of concert and music event tickets in Australia, coupled with relatively low tax burdens for global companies, has been highlighted in recent media reports and parliamentary inquiries. However, these discussions have yet to lead to any meaningful change or reform.
A major concern at the center of the refund controversy following Bluesfest’s administration was articulated by Sloan in comments to Crikey.
He stated, “At the core of this issue is the practice of major ticketing companies allowing promoters full and direct access to funds before events occur. This practice significantly contributes to the risk and frequency of damaging festival cancellations.”
Sloan emphasized that “customer funds should absolutely be held safely in trust until events are delivered. It is astonishing that in an industry holding hundreds of millions of dollars in customer presale ticket funds, those managing that money can essentially do whatever they want with it.”
In addition to the ticketing debacle, Bluesfest’s collapse has left many touring acts in a difficult position, with numerous suppliers of goods and services facing financial losses from items they had produced and ordered but now remain unsold.
Weeks before Bluesfest suddenly declared bankruptcy, booked acts were increasingly anxious about the event’s future. According to music industry sources in Sydney, both smaller Australian acts and larger headliners like the Pogues from Dublin received little to no communication when they inquired about the usual touring deposits intended to cover upfront costs.
For a local act, this deposit might be around $10,000, while an international act could expect five to ten times that amount.
“Noble, who manages not only the festival but also most of the side Bluesfest tours, seeks fully landed touring acts,” explained an industry insider. This means that a big act, like Earth, Wind & Fire, would need to invest significantly—often into six figures—just to perform in Australia.
The lack of answers from Bluesfest caused considerable anxiety across the music industry.
Since the festival’s closure, the future for many touring acts is uncertain. Some have canceled their tours, some are pushing forward, and others have not yet made a decision.
The American band Counting Crows has opted to continue with its national tour, adding a Brisbane date in mid-March. This addition compensates for the fact that Brisbane usually misses out on Bluesfest tours because Noble prohibits performances close to his festival.
Frontman Adam Duritz noted that losing Bluesfest from their tour schedule would negatively impact the band’s finances and make other international acts reconsider touring in Australia.
“That could be devastating for many, especially since Bluesfest is often the highest-paying gig on the tour,” Duritz commented. He added that the challenges of touring have been compounded by the pandemic, rising costs, and living pressures, which make acts hesitant to come to Australia.
“Believe me, there’s no one on earth who doesn’t want to come—Australia’s beautiful, and the people are great,” he said.
The impact of Bluesfest’s collapse is not limited to international acts; many small businesses along New South Wales’ north coast are also suffering.
The Uniform Print Lab in Tweed Heads filled an order for 250 tea towels, 500 tote bags, 1,000 badges and stickers, 5,000 stubby coolers, and 300 hats, incurring costs of $90,000.
According to Noble, throughout the history of Bluesfest, 2,355 local and international acts have performed for over two million fans, contributing to local employment.
(Acknowledgment: the title of this article is a slice of dialogue adapted from No Country for Old Men, a classic novel by Cormac McCarthy made into a Coen Brothers film starring Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones)