Bluesfest Eyeing Second Asian City

In the wake of its biggest event yet, Bluesfest in Byron Bay, Australia, is looking at further expansion into Asia.

The event is already held in Singapore in partnership with Edward Chia and Danny Loong of Timbre Music Group – including Timbre Rock & Roots using some acts from the Australian event – and drew 10,000 in its second year last month.

Bluesfest co-founder Peter Noble told Pollstar he and Timbre are looking at Taiwan, Korea or Shanghai as the next site.

“Malaysia is a non-contender because it is too close to Singapore,” Noble says.

Updated figures show that the Australian event last month, which expanded to a one-off six-day run and included Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elvis Costello, Ben Harper and ZZ Top on the bill, drew 120,097 people and grossed more than A$12 million.

Early estimates are that it generated $40 million into the New South Wales economy.