THE CENTRAL HELIX OF BYRON COSMIC MELODRAMA SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 39 #46 • April 23, 2025 • www.echo.net.au
Byron to get entertainment precinct
‘We’ve had the highest attendance of any Australian festival since pre-Covid at ǧǦǯǼǦǦǦ żĕşżōĕ Ȑ ƐIJĕ ƐIJĶſĎȑ biggest event we’ve done in the history of the festival… ĪĕƆƐĶưëōƆȝëſĕ ćëĈŊǾț
Captain’s pic for blues
– Bluesfest Director Peter Noble
Punters such as these well-dressed sailors enjoyed glorious weather and music at Bluesfest, held at Tyagarah over the weekend. With big crowds enjoying local, national and international acts, Bluesfest Director Peter Noble says the festival will return for 2026. More pics on page 22. Photo Eve Jeffery
Crystal Wilkes
W
hen I received a pass to Bluesfest 2025 in exchange for writing this review, it seemed like a great idea. Even better, my 13-year-old daughter would write it. It would be a youthful perspective, with teen insights and young heartfelt observation. But as it turns out, the highlight for her was a new merch shirt, a $40 handful of fried food, and seeing a wild koala in a tree as we entered the festival. So the baton has passed to me
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rugs, friends dancing like no one was livestreaming them, and a soundtrack of soul, funk, roots, and blues drifting amidst a tasty breeze of local food stalls.
for a musical perspective. Although many braved the full four days of the festival, Sunday was our day. The last day of the ‘last Blues Festival’. To be honest we nearly didn’t make it. When I heard that parking and bus services were completely sold out, and that some festivalgoers had found themselves stranded, it all seemed a bit too hard. But to my surprise, and perhaps luck, we drove straight in and found a parking spot with no problem. Families sprawled out on picnic
We made our way through the sea of camping chair gatekeepers into the Mojo tent for Kasey Chambers. I’d seen her perform at the Women in Music Awards last year, and was absolutely blown away, so I was keen to hear more. But the highlight for me on this night was RY X. Dreamy, haunting,
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and utterly hypnotic, his voice floated over the crowd like smoke. Completely captivating. The night ended for us perfectly with CW Stoneking’s signature oldworld blues swagger. Followed by an easy, quick drive home. Although many people are confused, or miffed, about being sold ‘the last Blues Festival’ who cares, as long as it continues? I hope that the NSW state government sees fit to award grants to local homegrown festivals like our Bluesfest, in preference to other multinational conglomerate interests.
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Byron Bay’s CBD will become the first NSW regional area to establish a trial Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) to ‘promote and preserve its nightlife’, says the NSW Labor government. Minister for Music and the Nighttime Economy, John Graham, said in a media release, ‘Byron’s famous pubs, performance spaces and restaurants will be future-proofed as a nightlife precinct’. He says, ‘Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) allow councils to change trading hours and sound rules within a designated area to allow shops, businesses and local hospitality and entertainment operators to thrive, and protect them against neighbour complaints’. ‘The Byron Bay precinct – bounded by beachfront Bay Street, Jonson Street and the rail corridor, with Middleton and Browning Streets – will protect the famous vibrancy of the town centre as the area experiences cost and real estate pressures.
Includes Northern, Beachy and Rails ‘Within the precinct are timehonoured live music venues, the Backroom at the Great Northern Hotel, the Beach Hotel and The Rails. ‘The Backroom has hosted The White Stripes, PJ Harvey and Paul Kelly, while Nirvana and Midnight Oil have played the Beach Hotel in the past, and The Whitlams and The Cruel Sea have played at The Rails’. Mr Graham said, ‘Enmore Road ▶ Continued on page 3
Byron’s arts and industry precinct full of surprises ▶ p24
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