By Robyn Wuth
Music fans rejoice: the pioneering Kiwi band Split Enz will take centre stage as the iconic Byron Bay Bluesfest is resurrected for Easter 2026. Known globally for hits including I Got You, I See Red, History Never Repeats, Message to My Girl and Six Months in a Leaky Boat, Split Enz will perform their first Australian show in almost 20 years at the four-day festival in northern New South Wales.
Led by original members Tim Finn ( 73) and Neil Finn (67), along with Noel Crombie ( 70) and Eddie Rayner (73), the group has re-formed to celebrate its 50-year anniversary. The band originally formed in Auckland in 1972, and their bold fusion of art-rock theatrics and pop hooks helped to define a generation.
The announcement sees Split Enz topping the roll call of 35 major artists for the 2026 Bluesfest lineup – alongside Rock & Roll Hall of Famers like Earth, Wind & Fire, blues legend Buddy Guy, The Pogues, The Black Crows, Counting Crows and the reggae-punk act Sublime.
This revival is especially remarkable given that more than 109,000 people attended the third-largest crowd in Bluesfest history in 2025 – a year originally billed as the event’s final hurrah. Festival director Peter Noble said the overwhelming public and artist support has kept the dream alive. “It’s a clarion call for me. People want this event. People want it to continue,” he said.
In response to past criticism that the 2025 edition was oversold, upgrades for 2026 are already promising – with a larger main stage footprint, new seating zones, undercover areas for campers and deck chairs, and expanded bus services. “We’re adding more buses to more areas, responding directly to what our audience has asked for,” Noble confirmed.
For Split Enz fans, the comeback represents more than nostalgia. It celebrates resilience, creativity and unity. The band’s original theatricalism – designed by Crombie – evolved into massive pop hits in the early 1980s when Neil joined in 1977 and helped steer the group to worldwide acclaim.
The festival’s return offers the perfect platform: a backdrop of Byron Bay’s iconic coastal landscape and a four-day format from 2–5 April 2026 at the Events Farm promises music, culture and community in full swing.
As 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the band’s formation, fans and newcomers alike will witness a unique chapter in the Split Enz story – one that honours their New Zealand roots while embracing their trans-Tasman legacy.
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