WITH OVER 65 INCREDIBLE ARTISTS AND 14 STAGES, BLUES ON BROABEACH IS SET TO ROCK LIKE NEVER BEFORE

The Gold Coast in Queensland Australia will be transformed into a rhythm and blues mecca come 16-19 May when Blues on Broadbeach presents one of its strongest lineups to date, with more than 65 international, national and local acts, set to perform across 14 indoor and outdoor stages.

The full program for Blues on Broadbeach 2024 is now live, and it is four days of epic live music and more, that you won’t want to miss.

More than 20 new acts have been added to the already massive 2024 bill that includes US headliners Melissa Etheridge, Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton, Ana Popović, Jon Cleary, Hi Rhythm Section with Boo Mitchell and the fiery Eric Bibb, all true titans of the contemporary blues world.

“Australia is a very special place for the Absolute Monster Gentlemen and we can’t wait to return and bring some New Orleans funk to Blues on Broadbeach. We’ve been through the area before, but this is our first appearance at the festival and we intend to deliver soulful, funky rhythm & blues - real music played real good, and a whole lot of fun. Did I mention funky? See you on the Gold Coast!"

Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen will headline the Victoria Park Stage Sunday 19 May, kicking off at 7.30pm. Melissa Etheridge headlines the Kurrawa Park Stage 7.45pm Saturday 18 May, while Ana Popović will be over at the Victoria Park Stage from 6.45pm that night. Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton headline the Kurrawa Park Stage on Friday 17 May kicking off at 8.45pm, Eric Bibb plays the Victoria Park Stage that night from 6.30pm and the Kurrawa Park Stage from 12.45pm Saturday 18 May, with Hi Rhythm Section with Boo Mitchell hitting that stage at 7pm.

Always committed to bringing you the best in international and national acts, Blues on Broadbeach also strives to support local artists. Now in its 23rd year the festival, proudly produced by Experience Gold Coast, has long been an exciting launching pad for many great local acts giving artists the chance to share the bill with many of their own musical heroes. Among the local talent performing this year is Gold Coast favourite Karl S Williams, who will be opening for Melissa Etheridge on the Saturday night.

“As an independent artist making blues music on the Gold Coast, I feel very fortunate that we have this amazing festival - Blues on Broadbeach - that is so supportive of local artists. They have provided a platform for myself and others to perform before thousands of music lovers and also to share the bill with some of the greats of this genre. It’s hard to overstate how invaluable it has been for my career as an artist to play this festival which is so widely loved and respected. Now I am overawed to be not only asked back, but given the main stage before Melissa Etheridge, who surely stands among the greatest of the aforementioned greats! This is an immense honour and a privilege for which I am endlessly grateful.”- Karl S Williams

Among the newly announced national and local acts on the 2024 lineup are Balmain born and bred blues and roots musician Mitch Grainger and Brisbane singer, songwriter and guitarist Dana Gehrman.

Mitch Grainger was a true child prodigy who started gigging around Sydney when he was just 13 and over the next three decades, he has worked with everyone from Easybeats guitar maestro Harry Vanda to AC/DC’s rhythm machine Malcolm Young, Alex Lloyd to Rick Price. Grainger moved to LA in 2011, which has now propelled him into a rising sensation in the global blues-rock arena. At Blues on Broadbeach 2024 Grainger will be showcasing his 2023 double album, Plug It In and Plug It In Acoustic.

Like so many, Brisbane singer and guitarist Dana Gehrman has always been enamoured of the classic West Coast music of the ‘70s, and for her second album, Down In Hollywood, she decided to take the band off on a nostalgic journey into the roots of Americana-rock. The critics obviously decided it was a great idea – Rhythms magazine voted Down In Hollywood #8 out of Australia’s Top 10 favourite roots/soul/Americana albums of 2023.

Crowd favourite and Blues sensation 8 Ball Aitken will be hosting his own All-Star Blues Jam with some of his favourite musical friends set to join him in tearing up Federation Park stage on Sunday evening.

Blues on Broadbeach is set to be bigger and better than ever in 2024 with the very first Kurrawa Park Sunday Ticket, offering an additional festival experience exclusive to ticketholders on top of the regular free programming. This year’s lineup will see New Zealand electronic-reggae-soul pioneers Fat Freddy’s Drop perform their only Australian show this year, alongside local world music innovators Tijuana Cartel and eclectic creatives BOOMCHILD. Tickets to this exclusive show are available from Oztix.

For those of you who were hoping to sign up for a session or two of the Twelve Bar Society in 2024, the exclusive membership is totally sold out again. This year’s members will be enjoying ‘In Conversation with’ sessions with master storyteller Eric Bibb and rising star Ana Popović plus a ‘Secret Show’ on Thursday 16 May.

You can see the full 2024 Program and start planning your four-day musical feast via the official Blues on Broadbeach 2024 Festival App.

With just over a month to go until blues and rhythm returns to the Gold Coast, it is time to book your festival and holiday experience.