Bluesfest Wins Gold For Sixth Time At NSW Tourism Awards

The NSW Tourism Awards celebrate and acknowledge tourism businesses that achieve remarkable success throughout the year, so it's a no-brainer that Bluesfest has won Gold in the category for Major Festivals And Events six times. 

Bluesfest won the award in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2022. The mega event received two silver awards in the same category in 2012 and 2014. After winning Gold consecutively three times, Bluesfest was inducted into the NSW Tourism Hall Of Fame in 2017.

Festival Director Peter Noble OAM made an emotional speech upon receiving the honour. "We have won this award before; however, this time is different and very special," he began.

Live music was hit first by COVID-19 government restrictions and took the longest to recover. As all event organisers understand, it's been a tough road clawing back the industry after two years of shutdowns. Noble and Bluesfest were certainly not immune to the struggles. 

"Everyone remembers what happened in 2020 in the world. Not everyone remembers what happened the day before our festival in 2021: we were closed by a Public Health Order," he continued.

"People were in the campgrounds; the artists were in the area; everybody was set up. Stall holders, stages, everything. That broke our hearts.

"The next year, 2022, we experienced flash flooding on our site on 28 February 2022. Only six weeks out of the event. Four weeks later, it happened again. The Bluesfest team dug deep to make the event to happen, and that's why when we win this NSW Tourism Award for Best Major Festival or Event, it is so special.

"I dedicate this award to our team. We wouldn't have had an event without you.

"This is an award for the greatest feat I've ever seen a Bluesfest team do. And I honour them for that."

In other Bluesfest award news, the event has received a US Pollstar Awards nomination for Best International Festival. Bluesfest is against formidable overseas festivals, such as Glastonbury, Primavera Sound Spain, Lollapalooza Brazil, and BST Hyde Park London.

This is the tenth time Bluesfest has been nominated for Best International Festival. Last year, the event was a nominee for Best Festival Of The Decade but ultimately lost out to Coachella. 

This week, Bluesfest announced that it's heading to Perth in 2023, following an announcement that it will expand to Melbourne for the first time ever.