Australia Covid: Byron Bay Bluesfest is cancelled for a third time

Byron Bay Bluesfest is CANCELLED for a third time after a Covid-infected Sydney man brought the virus to the NSW coastal town

By Mary Mrad For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:31 BST, 18 August 2021 | Updated: 01:44 BST, 18 August 2021

Byron Bay Bluesfest has been cancelled after a man who had travelled from Sydney tested positive to Covid-19, sending the NSW coastal town into lockdown.

The popular annual music festival has been rescheduled for the third time, six weeks out from its planned start date of October 1.

The event will now be held from April 15 to April 18, and will be headlined by Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Jimmy Barnes.

Cancelled: Byron Bay’s Bluesfest is CANCELLED for a third time after a Covid-infected Sydney man brought the virus to the town. Pictured Kendrick Lamar performing at Bluesfest in 2016

Festival director Peter Noble told The Australian on Tuesday: ‘I’ve accepted some weeks ago that Bluesfest wouldn’t be occurring in October.’

‘The reason I keep rescheduling it is because we have to find a way back. Every time we reschedule, you know what happens? We get a stronger event.’

Bluesfest was initially due to be held in April after last year’s event had to be cancelled due to the risk of Covid outbreaks.

However, the event was rescheduled for October after New South Wales recorded one coronavirus case.

Delayed: The popular annual music festival has been rescheduled for the third time, six weeks out from its planned start date of October 1. Pictured Joss Stone at Bluesfest in 2014

Last week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian took the drastic step of shutting down the entire Northern Rivers region over fears a Covid-positive man from Sydney may have spread the virus throughout the community.

The Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Lismore, and Ballina Shire were placed into a snap lockdown on Monday night after the man visited Byron Bay with two of his children. 

The man responsible for the snap lockdown is now in hospital but reportedly refuses to assist contact tracers because he ‘doesn’t believe’ the pandemic is real.

New date: The event will now be held from April 15 to April 18 and will be headlined by Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Jimmy Barnes (pictured)

He reportedly claimed he was legally inspecting a property in the northern NSW town – but police allege he did not have a ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave Sydney. 

Health authorities are trying desperately to uncover where the conspiracy theorist travelled in the area so they can alert anyone who may have been put at risk.

But so far they have not been able to ascertain where the ‘uncooperative’ man has been despite repeated interviews, with no information appearing on any mandatory QR code check-ins – which he had refused to use.

Lockdown: Last week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian took the drastic step of shutting down the entire Northern Rivers region over fears a Covid-positive man from Sydney may have spread the virus throughout the community 

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