The Wailers & The Pogues Confirm Australia Tours After Bluesfest Cancellation

Reggae legends The Wailers and Celtic punk pioneers The Pogues both confirmed Saturday they will proceed with their planned Australian tours despite the recent collapse of the Bluesfest music festival.

The announcements follow similar commitments from Sublime and Counting Crows, who also indicated they would fulfill their Australian concert dates despite the festival’s cancellation on March 13. Bluesfest’s demise has raised concerns about financial repercussions for international artists who had relied on upfront festival fees.

The Wailers, now fronted by Aston Barrett Jr., son of the band’s original bassist Aston “Familyman” Barrett and vocalist Mitchell Brunings, have reshaped their tour into a series of intimate East Coast performances. The band will play Gosford, Sydney, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, and Brunswick Heads over the Easter weekend. A previously scheduled show in Melbourne has been removed from the itinerary, and the tour is now presented by Noisy Group.

The 2026 tour coincides with the 50th anniversary of The Wailers’ landmark album, Rastaman Vibration, released in 1976. The album marked a commercial breakthrough for reggae music in the United States, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart and featuring the single “Roots, Rock, Reggae.”

The Pogues will also continue with their Australian and New Zealand tour, adding a new show in Brisbane at Fortitude Music Hall on April 2. Tickets for the Brisbane performance will go on sale Monday, March 23, at 10 a.m. AEST via Ticketmaster.

The Pogues’ tour celebrates the 40th anniversary of their acclaimed 1985 album, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash. The current lineup includes original members James Fearnley, Jem Finer, and Spider Stacy, alongside Daragh Lynch, Iona Zajac, John Francis Flynn, and Lisa O’Neill.

The cancellations at Bluesfest, which was scheduled for April 2–5 at Byron Events Farm, have prompted concerns about financial fallout for participating artists. Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz recently cautioned that many acts may not have received advance payments for their performances, potentially jeopardizing their entire Australian tours.

A liquidator has been appointed to manage the financial affairs of Bluesfest following its collapse, which organizers attributed to rising costs and declining ticket sales.