While the likes of Santana, Buddy Guy, Neil Finn and The Doobie Brothers are names to be boasted on the Bluesfest line-up, it is the female talent heading to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm that have truly won over music fans. Names such as Patti Smith (performing her debut 1975 LP, Horses), Mary J Blige, Courtney Barnett, Kasey Chambers and Rickie Lee Jones are just a few confirmed.

"I personally think it's the greatest line-up we've ever had of women talent," Bluesfest Director Peter Noble says. "I don't think there's ever been a festival in Australia that's ever done anything near it.

"I'm just loving the fact that we've got great artists like Gallant selling out shows... I managed to see Billy Bragg and Joe Henry recently in Glasgow at Celtic Connections, sold out concert there and went, like, 'Wow, the audience is going to love this.'"

As far as locking in Patti Smith for Bluesfest 2017 goes, Noble says it's simply a triumph for the festival. "It's great for us to be able to book the most desirable artists in the world, to still be an independent company, to not be owned by any multinational or even to be desiring that, currently, and to be booking the type of acts that any company would like to have.

"These are [Smith's] final shows in Australia, according to her. And she personally wanted Courtney Barnett to be on and Courtney wasn't due to do any shows in Australia this year."

"[Patti Smith] personally wanted Courtney Barnett to be on and Courtney wasn't due to do any shows in Australia this year."

Noble claims that from what he was told, Barnett granted Smith's request to appear at Bluesfest as the US godmother of punk has long been an idol of hers. "It's one of those things that happens every now and again where you get a match made in heaven."

While Bluesfest has been an immense success on the Australian festival circuit for many years now, it is also an event that is recognised globally. The festival, established in 1990, has been nominated seven times at the prestigious Pollstar Awards, while the last five years running has seen it feature in the International Music Festival Of The Year category. Though they are yet to pull out a win, again missing out this year to Glastonbury Festival, Noble says just to be included is an honour.

"We got beaten by Glastonbury again, but the point is that Glastonbury sells out in a minute and has 170,000-person capacity," he explains. "The other events we were up against have 70, 80, 90-000-person capacities. We're a 25,000. We're still getting nominated every year as well as for Best Music Event. For me... it's a pretty special feeling."

One of the reasons Bluesfest has continued to evolve and attract fans is no doubt the diverse acts it continues to take on. While this year's line-up also includes revered rapper Nas, many people were curious to see fellow hip hop heavyweight Kendrick Lamar on the 2016 bill, given its expected focus of blues, jazz and rock. The move was a brilliant one though, as Lamar performed to a packed-out crowd on the first night of the four-day festival.

"I'm not afraid to go out and do that," Noble said of recruiting Lamar last year. "We are a creative music festival. If you want to be on Bluesfest, be that. It doesn't matter how old you are, how young you are, we'll take people from different areas of music. If you want to hear great music and discover artists, as well as incredible artists in their field, that's who we are.

"We are a creative music festival. If you want to be on Bluesfest, be that."

"We don't rely on a presents from a major radio station with large listenerships. It's almost like we are the real definition of an independent music festival. And we like that."

The 2017 Bluesfest hasn't come without hiccups, though. Two juggernaut headliner acts in Neil Young and Barry Gibb both abruptly cancelled within weeks of each other late last year. While Gibb cited a change in "international commitments" as the reason behind his cancellation, Young is still yet to publicly comment on why he pulled out - and Noble says he is yet to be given a reason either. "Everybody knows Neil Young cancelled. Nobody knows why he cancelled, because he didn't go out and talk to his fans and tell them why he made that decision," he says.

Though the 2017 Bluesfest is just around the corner, work is already underway for the 2018 spectacle, and Noble says he has already put in offers to a bunch of acts. One band fans could perhaps keep an eye on for 2018 is the returning Midnight Oil. Noble teases that frontman Peter Garrett promised the band would play Bluesfest as their first gig back. "You never can trust a politician," Noble laughs.

Touching on the iconic Aussie band's return, Noble says, "Good on them. Australia needs artists who represent what great music is about. Using the arts for what it is - a vehicle for change.

"A lot of people want to use the arts as some sort of ego gratification or things that are not about being creative. When you see something like Midnight Oil coming back, I think it's just a great shot in the arm for the Australian music industry that one of our great bands is happening again.

"I want them at Bluesfest, I really do. I've been talking to them for years about it... I'm sure we'll talk about next year, we don't have much room left [for this year]."