Key Takeaways
- The Wailers and The Pogues are continuing their Australian tours despite the cancellation of Bluesfest 2026.
- The Wailers will perform intimate shows on the East Coast during Easter weekend.
- The Pogues added a new Brisbane show to their tour schedule, celebrating the 40th anniversary of their album.
- Concerns remain about the financial impact of Bluesfest’s cancellation on international touring acts.
Two more acts from the cancelled Bluesfest 2026 lineup have confirmed they are pressing ahead with their Australian tours.
The Wailers and The Pogues both announced updated plans on Saturday (March 21), joining Sublime and Counting Crows in reassuring fans that their runs would continue despite the Easter festival’s collapse.
The Wailers have announced a new string of intimate East Coast dates, now presented by Noisy Group, with shows in Gosford, Sydney, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Brunswick Heads running through Easter weekend. A previously announced Melbourne date has been removed from the itinerary.
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The band’s 2026 tour marks the 50th anniversary of Rastaman Vibration — Bob Marley’s landmark 1976 album that represented the commercial breakthrough of reggae in the United States. Rastaman Vibration peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, making it the first Bob Marley release to reach the top 10, and spawned “Roots, Rock, Reggae” — the only Marley single to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
The Wailers are led by Aston Barrett Jr., son of legendary bassist Aston “Familyman” Barrett, alongside vocalist Mitchell Brunings.
The Pogues have also confirmed their Australian and New Zealand tour is going ahead as planned, adding a new Brisbane show at Fortitude Music Hall on April 2.
Tickets for the new date go on sale Monday, March 23 at 10 a.m. AEST via Ticketmaster. The Celtic punk band’s tour marks the 40th anniversary of Rum, Sodomy & the Lash, their celebrated 1985 second album. Original members James Fearnley, Jem Finer and Spider Stacy are performing alongside a lineup that includes Daragh Lynch, Iona Zajac, John Francis Flynn and Lisa O’Neill.
The confirmations come amid broader concern about the financial fallout of Bluesfest‘s collapse for international touring acts. Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz warned this week that many acts on the bill had likely not received upfront payment for their festival appearances, and that without the anchor fee, some would be forced to cancel their entire Australian runs.
Bluesfest, which had been scheduled for April 2–5 at Byron Events Farm, was cancelled on March 13 citing rising costs and soft ticket demand, with a liquidator appointed to manage financial matters.
