Byron Bay Bluesfest
The Ins and Outs of Attending Australia's Best Blues/Rock Concert
Bluesfest in Byron Bay is the ultimate holiday. It combines amazing music with a dreamy location. This article explains how to prepare for it and what to expect.
Bluesfest is an impressive 5-day concert that provides powerful rock and blues music near one of the nicest beaches in Australia, Byron Bay. It’s a perfect holiday for someone who enjoys a nice sun tan along with music that rocks.
When packing for Bluesfest, it is essential to prepare for rain. It is quite common in Byron for the weather to change from sunny and dry to cool and wet and back again within an hour. Any person traveling to the area should bring several cardigans, towels, goulashes or shoes you can wear in the mud, an umbrella and a poncho along with swimsuits and casual clothes. When going out, the local ladies often wear sun dresses, shorts and tank tops. During Bluesfest it is also quite likely many women will wear headscarves for an added hippy look. The men typically wear their swimsuits along with a T-shirt. During the evenings it is most common to wear jeans and a casual shirt to match. Any visitor should also be prepared to meet many people with dreadlocks as it is extremely popular in Byron Bay.
There are several ways to collect your tickets to the concert. In order to avoid long lines, it is best to have those at Bluesfest send an electronic ticket (which is an option when ordering on-line). From there a Bluesfest attendee simply prints out the ticket (one per day or a 3 or 5 day pass), stands in a short cue when arriving at the gate and receives the merited wrist band. The entire process takes about 5 minutes.
After entering the gate, an attendee will receive a program including all of the bands as well as when and where they are playing. There are several massive tents over the gated area and each one contains a stage and continuous music acts throughout the day and night. Depending on what band visitors want to see, they will find themselves at the same tent the entire concert or moving around quite a bit. The number of people that are at the concert at any given time is entirely based on what times the most popular artists are playing. If a well-known artist like John Mayer is going to play at 8:00, an attendee needs to move into that tent by 5:00 in order to get a spot close to the front. It is also wise for those who become tired of standing to bring fold-out chairs. They are allowed and can be quite useful.
The atmosphere around the concert is invigorating. There is constantly chatter and excitement oozing out from the crowds. This year a large Ferris wheel was placed in the middle for those who wanted to take a break from the music and experience a quick ride. Beyond the wheel, there are at least 20 small tents that offer great food at value prices. There is a large selection of Thai food as well as pizza, fish and chips, tacos, burritos and even sushi. Bluesfest also offers a limited selection of alcohol. An attendee will need to buy beer, wine or hard liquor tickets. Then he or she can go to one of two bars in the concert to buy the actual refreshment. The liquor drinks only include the type of drinks sold in cans, but considering this is a concert the selection is reasonable.
Overall the concert is an unforgettable experience. But if one prepares, it can be the concert of a lifetime.
