Winter Blues Festival Unveils a Stacked Second Announcement for 2026

Australia's longest-running and best-loved blues gathering is heading back to the banks of the Murray. The Winter Blues Festival returns to Echuca–Moama from 23 to 26 July 2026 for four days of blues and roots. As ever, it's completely free to attend.

Each winter the festival turns the twin river towns into a music-filled escape: venues heaving, streets buzzing and live music spilling across the riverfront from morning until late. With no ticket price in the way, audiences can wander in and discover incredible artists from all over the country, a genuinely rare thing for an event of this size. It's warm, vibrant and just a little bit magical, even in the depths of winter.

Now organisers have lifted the lid on their second artist announcement for 2026, and it's stacked with legends and newcomers from right across Australia.

Leading the charge is Victorian roots icon Jeff Lang, teaming up with Backsliders' Dom Turner for a brand-new trio project. They're joined by exciting new discoveries like 14-year-old guitar prodigy LilG, alongside long-time Echuca favourites including The McNaMarr Project, Phil Para and Jimi Hocking's Blues Machine, with plenty more where that came from.

Second Artist Announcement

The latest artists confirmed for Winter Blues Festival 2026 (in alphabetical order) are: Amin & Lachlan Duo, Anna Scionti, Bek Jensen, Brett Wood, Charlie Bedford, Corey Legge & The Legacy, Greg Nunan & The General Jacksons, Jeff Lang & Dom Turner, Jimi Hocking's Blues Machine, LilG, Michael Vdelli and the Art of Dysfunction, Nick Charles, Pete Campbell & The Lazy Dog, Phil Coyne and The Wayward Aces, Phil Para, Rory Phillips, Salt & Steel, The McNaMarr Project, White Lightning, and Yarn & The Boogieman.

Building on the First Announcement

These names join an already-huge first announcement, adding fresh momentum to what's shaping up as one of the biggest and most dynamic Winter Blues Festivals yet. Already confirmed are: 19 Twenty, Cam Walter Blues, Cass Eager, Eddy and the Exciters, Elly Poletti, Frank Sultana Blues Band, Geoff Achison and The Souldiggers, The Honey Badgers, Jack and The Axes, Jesse Redwing, Jesse Valach & The Testaments, Kathleen Halloran, Liza Ohlback & The Mercy Train, Nathan Cavaleri, Oscar LaDell, Otis Namrell Band, Ray Beadle, Sam Buckley Band, Sammy Owen Blues Band, and Sweet Felicia and The Honeytones. More artists, venue details and program announcements are still to come.

A Festival That Lifts the Whole Town

Built on a genuinely unique, venue-based model and led by a passionate community committee, Winter Blues is woven through Echuca–Moama's much-loved pubs, clubs, cafés, wharves and public spaces, so the whole town shares in the energy of the weekend. It drives strong winter visitation, supports local accommodation, hospitality and retail, and creates paid opportunities for Australian artists, crew and event workers, reinforcing the region's reputation as a vibrant live music destination.

Alongside the Riverboats Festival, Winter Blues is helping cement Echuca as one of Australia's truly great festival towns. That impact was recognised recently when the event was named Murray River Council's 2025 Community Event of the Year, acknowledging its knack for turning a quiet winter weekend into a major regional celebration that draws thousands and delivers real cultural and economic benefit to the region.

The Details

When: Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 July 2026.

Where: Echuca–Moama, on the Murray River.

Entry: Free.

More info: winterblues.com.au

Four days, one river town and a whole lot of blues, and not a ticket price in sight.