BluesfestFor the first time in 18 years, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, the longtime site of Bluesfest Byron Bay, is for sale.
In a new report by Real Commercial, it’s been confirmed that the 291-acre site has hit the market. Expressions of interest are now open and close on Thursday, 8 October.
Commenting on the location’s connectivity to the M1, North Coast Commercial Real Estate’s Chris Harley said, “Access to both ramps straight at the front door is extremely rare.
“A property of this size, with its level of infrastructure and connectivity to the M1, all within a 15-minute drive of Byron Bay is rarely traded.”
While the Tyagarah Tea Farm is massive and could be used in a multitude of ways, Harley added that the site could be the next home for other event organisers looking to host major entertainment in Byron Bay.
“There’s a lot of infrastructure there that could suit other uses,” he said. “These types of properties tend to bring out buyers for things that you might not think of on a day-to-day basis. It could be commercial activity, events, private use, or a combination of those.”
Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm became the final home for Bluesfest after it relocated there in 2010.
Back in March, it was announced that this year’s Bluesfest had been cancelled just three weeks before its scheduled start date. Along with that news, it was reported that two entities attached to the beloved festival, Bluesfest Byron Bay Pty Ltd and Bluesfest Enterprises Pty Ltd, had entered liquidation.
Worrells’ Jason Bettles was appointed as liquidator to manage all of Bluesfest’s financial matters, including their obligations to vendors and partners.
Festival operators said the cancellation of Bluesfest 2026 arrived after “extensive consideration of the current operating environment for major live music events,” with specific mention of “rising production, logistics, insurance and touring costs, combined with softer ticket demand and international uncertainties” as to why it is “impossible to proceed with the festival in 2026.”
Bluesfest Founder Peter Noble added, “For more than three decades, Bluesfest has brought extraordinary artists and audiences together in Byron Bay while also driving significant tourism and economic activity for the Northern Rivers and New South Wales.
“This makes the decision incredibly difficult. After careful consideration, we concluded we could not proceed in a way that would meet the standard our audiences, artists and partners expect.”
In June, the ABC reported that Bluesfest’s debts exceeded $10 million, with $7.4 million owed to unsecured creditors. In a statutory report, Bettles noted that the two entities mentioned above “may have” operated while insolvent.
As a result, it was reported that ticketholders and suppliers who had committed to the 2026 edition of the festival would only receive 11 cents on the dollar following its collapse.
