The Austin Blues Festival is a recurring event celebrating the rich heritage of the blues genre in the city. This year, the festival is back and bigger than ever, with a lineup to rival the previous years, with performances celebrating the greats of Blues to the contemporary legends. This edition, presented by Antone’s Nightclub and Waterloo Greenway, will also celebrate the iconic venue’s 50th anniversary.
Austin Blues Festival Highlights
- The Austin Blues Festival, a roaring tribute to Antone’s Nightclub, is coming back on April 26 and 27 at the Moody Amphitheater.
- The event will feature a lineup of iconic Blues Artists as well as Allstar performances.
- This will be a present-day revival of the festival whose last edition was in 2001 when Antone Clifford himself ran Antone’s Nightclub.
Event Lineup: Who’s Playing The Festival
The lineup this year will include Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Mavis Staples. (Source: Antone’s Nightclub)
This year, we will feature an all-star lineup at the Moody Amphitheater, led by headliners Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and North Mississippi Allstars. The event will also include all-star jam sessions on both days by Ian Moore, Kam Franklin & Friends, and Jimmie Vaughan, Gary Clark Jr. & Friends.
Mavis Staples, Grammy award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame inductee, will also perform. Other star performers include Elizabeth King, Jackie Venson, and Jalen Ngonda.
Ticketing and Attendance
The event has ticketing across two individual days as well as a 2-day ticket. The pricing for the two-day ticket is as mentioned below:
- Upper Lawn GA: $115
- Lower Lawn GA: $160
- Reserved Seating (Plus All Lawn Access): 185
- VIP Hill: $500
The one-day ticket pricing is as outlined below:
- Upper Lawn GA: $65
- Lower Lawn GA: $95
- Reserved Seating (Plus All Lawn Access): $110
- VIP Hill: $320
The Upper Lawn ticket includes general admission and access to the unreserved lawn. The Lower Lawn ticket includes direct access to the front of the stage as well as Upper Lawn access. Reserved Seating tickets offer access to the reserved stadium seating, along with access to the upper and lower lawns.
The VIP hill package comes with a range of perks like:
- Reserved adirondack seating
- Access to a dedicated bar
- Access to both upper and lower lawns
- Access to a Private Lounge and rooftop terrace
- Free Parking
Please note that at the time of writing this article, all VIP Hill category tickets are sold out.
History of the Austin Blues Festival
Antone’s Nightclub was founded in 1975 by Antone Clifford, the namesake of the venue. However, the Austin Blues Festival didn’t start until 1999 and ran until 2001. The festival is being brought back to the present day by the new co-owners, Will Bridges and Zach Ernst.
The third annual Austin Blues Festival, celebrating 50 years of Antone’s record store, will be held during the weekend of April 26 – 27, 2025, at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park in Austin. Tickets in all categories, except VIP Hill, are available on the official website for the festival.
