Get groovin'.
A brand new single-day blues festival is set to reverberate the soulful tunes of blues throughout Victoria.
Making its debut in 2024, the Matsumura Blues Festival will take place at the iconic Prince Bandroom in St Kilda on June 1, 2024 and will extend to Mildura along the riverfront at Powerhouse Place on June 8 and 9, coinciding with the King’s Birthday long weekend.
Matsumura Blues Festival Prince Bandroom Lineup
- Okinawa Americana
- 19-Twenty
- Minnie Marks
- Doggerel
- Windsavers
- Dalicados
- Phil Para Band
- George Kamikawa & Noriko Tadano
- Okinawan drumming dancers: Eisa Champ Roo
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Established by a not-for-profit music association, the festival aims to celebrate the diversity of blues music, blending traditional blues with sounds from other cultures. The event promises a carefully curated musical program featuring a lineup of exceptional artists, with a special focus on Okinawan and Japanese musicians.
The highlight of the festival is the international headline act, Okinawa Americana, hailing from Japan. This unique ensemble seamlessly blends blues with the traditional and ancient Okinawan style of music, enriched further by captivating taiko drumming.
Australian groovers 19-Twenty are also set to headline. The “blue-billy-grass-rockin’-roots band” has been a mainstay on the local festival circuit and are known for riling up the crowd with a raucous good time, which they’re sure to do again at the Ballroom.
Multi-instrumental maestro and singer-songwriter Minnie Marks is also set to perform, bringing her intricate tunes to the stage. After fidning her footing while touring through Australia and Europe, her live performance is not to be missed.
Indigenous artist Tony J Hunt will open the festival at both locations with a mesmerizing didgeridoo performance following the acknowledgment of country. Tony will also collaborate with several artists in the lineup, adding an indigenous touch to the festival’s musical journey.
With an incredibly diverse lineup, two stellal locations and enthusiastic fans, the inagural Matsumura Blues Festival promises to be a joyful day fo musis and community spirit.
To grab your tickets, head here.
