One of Australia’s largest music festivals, Blues on Broadbeach, returns from 16-19 May 2024 with an electrifying first line-up set to transform the Gold Coast into a rhythm and blues mecca for four days. Blues-rock genre benders Melissa Etheridge (USA), Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton (USA), Ana Popovic (USA), fiery bluesman Eric Bibb (USA), and returning favourite Lloyd Spiegel headline the festival’s explosive first drop.
Following a phenomenal 2023 program, Blues on Broadbeach 2024, proudly produced by Experience Gold Coast, will lift the bar even higher featuring strong female guitar heroes, international heavy hitters and much-loved homegrown talent.
“We have truly embraced some heavy hitting blues rock acts for the 2024 first line-up including some of the world’s best female blues guitarists,” said Festival Director Mark Duckworth. “We had so much fun putting together this year’s line-up, and can’t wait to see Melissa Etheridge and Ana Popovic set the Blues on Broadbeach stage alight. Add in Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton performing their Death Wish Blues Tour and multi-Grammy Award winning bluesman Eric Bibb and we’ve got an unmissable four days of live music, and that’s just the first four names on the poster!”
If shredding, fine song craftmanship and searing performance is your thing… this dynamic first line-up will tick all the boxes. Twelve Bar Society is also back for Blues on Broadbeach 2024. Now in its third year, this exclusive membership club presents blues lovers the chance to connect even deeper with the festival and the artists they love. 2024 Twelve Bar Society members will have the chance to hear from internationally renowned guitarist and vocalist – Ana Popovic and Grammy nominated singer songwriter – Eric Bibb, as part of the club’s In Conversation sessions. If the up close and personal experiences with Tommy Emmanuel and Marcus Scott and The Bo-Keys in 2023 are anything to go by, these are sessions that shouldn’t be missed. Plus members will receive an exclusive invite to the 2024 secret show, get access to the VIP bar, limited-edition merchandise and more.
“Blues on Broadbeach just gets better every year and by the looks of this first line-up 2024 is going to be four days of live music you won’t want to miss,” said Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. “Come May, you’ll find me enjoying a scotch beachside in Broadbeach listening to some of the best rhythm and blues you are ever likely to hear!”
Melissa Etheridge is one of blues rock music’s great female icons and is much loved by Australian audiences. The two-time Grammy winner is known for her smoky vocals, confessional lyrics and searing performances. Melissa’s rock icon status is cemented with her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; one of many accolades including multiple platinum albums, an Academy Award, and an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee.
Melissa Etheridge said, “I am thrilled to announce that I’m now joining the Blues on Broadbeach line-up, and sharing the stage with some amazing international, Australian and New Zealand artists. This is my only Queensland show, and I am excited to be playing this iconic blues festival. I’ll be bringing my full live show down under, for the first time in 5 years, and I’m looking forward to seeing all my Australian fans in 2024!”
Melissa will rock the Blues on Broadbeach stage for the first time in 2024 alongside her ‘I’m Not Broken’ tour. Recognised many times over for her skill with a six-string, Melissa’s performance is sure to strike a chord with blues lovers.
Dynamic US duo Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton form collaboration ‘Death Wish Blues’, creating genre-defying blues-rock and taking to the Blues on Broadbeach stage for the first time. Death Wish Blues is born from a shared passion for pushing the limits of blues music, melding Samantha & Jesse’s eclectic sensibilities into a Grammy-nominated album reflecting their long-time mission of opening the blues genre to entirely new audiences. Samantha Fish has made her name as a multi-award-winning festival headliner who captivates crowds with explosive yet elegant guitar work. She is known for her chart-topping blues albums, electric live performance and distinctive genre-bending style. Jesse Dayton has an extraordinary background including working with the likes of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, working with Rob Zombie on the soundtracks for his iconic horror films, and a series of acclaimed solo albums. Separately these two are incredible artists; together, they are nothing short of thrilling.
Another standout in blues-rock, Ana Popovic joins the ranks of powerful femmes rocking Broadbeach in 2024. This award-winning, hard-touring, guitar slinging Los Angeles local via Serbia blends smoking electric funk and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and a tight blues groove with soulful, feminine vocals. Called “one helluva guitar player” by Bruce Springsteen, Ana is no stranger to telling it straight while bending the lines between sizzling blues and crunchy rock-and-roll riffs. Her incredible stage presence makes her a must-see artist in any line-up.
Returning to Australia in 2024 is revered bluesman Eric Bibb, who was recently nominated for his third Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. With an illustrious career spanning five decades and over 40 albums, New York-born Bibb is one of the world’s most prolific blues troubadours. From having received three Grammy nominations to multiple Blues Foundation ‘Artist of the Year’ and ‘Album of the Year’ awards, there’s no question why he is known and respected globally as a fiery singer-songwriter and one of the leading bluesmen of our time. Eric’s most recent album, Ridin’ sits in the Top 10 of multiple blues and roots charts, has over three million Spotify streams and been lauded by critics as his “late life classic” and “a fervent gospel-backed blues manifesto”. The past twelve months alone has seen his entire catalogue clock up 15 million streams.
Joining Eric Bibb on the bill is Australian guitar legend Lloyd Spiegel. Lloyd Spiegel has been touring for 30 of his 40 years, racking up fourteen Australian Blues Awards. He has one of the most interesting stories in music, having grown up on stage with the founding fathers of modern Blues. He’s a firm festival favourite, never failing to delight fans. The current show features Lisa Baird on trombone and long-time collaborator Tim Burnham on drums. Combined with Spiegel’s guitar wizardry, powerful vocal performance and knack for storytelling, this act delivers a truly unique entertainment experience that reinvents the blues and dispels the associated cliches.
Rounding out the epic first lineup are some familiar names and favourites, plus some exciting newcomers including Hat Fitz & Cara, Shaun Kirk, Checkerboard Lounge, Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones, NZ-based muso Li’l Chuck the One Man Skiffle Machine, The Mezcaltones, Don Hopkins, C.J. Lee, Rod Paine & The Fulltime Lovers, The Band Ham, Rory Ellis & Christian Marsh, Slips and the F.W.’S, and Kerbside Collection… and that’s just to start!
Now in its 23rd year, and an annual pilgrimage for many, Blues on Broadbeach invites 2024 festivalgoers to celebrate their love of the blues on the Gold Coast over an unforgettable four-day festival experience.
Mark 16-19 May in your calendar and start planning your musical feast.
Blues on Broadbeach is produced by Experience Gold Coast and supported by the Queensland Government, via Tourism and Events Queensland, and is a feature on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
