The Blues Train will stage its first Off-Track Blues Sessions at Queenscliff Town Hall during its winter break, with 19-Twenty leading a line-up that also features Phil Coyne & The Wayward Aces and Anna Scionti.
by Paul Cashmere
The Blues Train is expanding beyond its signature railway experience with the launch of Off-Track Blues Sessions, a new indoor concert series set to debut at Queenscliff Town Hall on Saturday, 8 August 2026. The inaugural event will be headlined by Australian blues and roots act 19-Twenty, supported by Melbourne’s Phil Coyne & The Wayward Aces and singer-songwriter Anna Scionti.
The event will take place while The Blues Train pauses operations during its annual winter break, giving audiences an opportunity to experience the organisation’s programming in a traditional concert setting rather than aboard its heritage train on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.
Promoter Daniel Kay said the new event extends The Blues Train’s presence beyond its seasonal schedule while maintaining a focus on live Australian blues music.
“We’re thrilled to bring the blues off the tracks and into the Queenscliff Town Hall while The Blues Train has its winter break,” Kay said. “19-Twenty are one of the most electrifying live acts touring Australia right now and this will be a great chance to see them in an intimate venue.”
Headliners 19-Twenty have established themselves as a regular presence on the Australian festival circuit, performing at events including Byron Bay Bluesfest, Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and Blues on Broadbeach, alongside appearances at more than 70 festivals around the country. The band has built its live reputation through extensive touring across Australia.
Phil Coyne & The Wayward Aces bring a contemporary Australian blues sound led by harmonica player Phil Coyne, alongside guitarist Morgan Klose, bassist Dale “Gloveboy” Lindrea and drummer Will Harris. The group’s releases, including Sound & Fury and Live At MBAS, have earned international chart attention.
Completing the line-up is Melbourne musician Anna Scionti, whose performances incorporate cigar box guitar, resonator guitar, lap steel and six-string guitar. Scionti was named the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society’s Blues Performer of the Year in the Solo/Duo category in 2023 before representing the organisation at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in early 2024. She released her third studio album, Sparrow And The Fox, later that year.
The Blues Train has become one of Australia’s longest running live music attractions, presenting multiple blues and roots performances aboard a moving heritage train travelling through the Bellarine Peninsula. Operating seasonally from October through June, each journey features four different artists performing across separate train carriages as audiences move between performances.
In recent years the organisation has broadened its programming through The Blues Train Presents, introducing themed events including Rockabilly and Country & Western train experiences. Off-Track Blues Sessions represents the latest extension of that concept, taking live music into a conventional venue while retaining the organisation’s emphasis on Australian artists.
Event Details
Saturday, 8 August 2026, Queenscliff Town Hall
Doors: 3.15pm
Show: 4.00pm
General Admission (Seated): $99 per person
Bar and merchandise available on site. No BYO. Patrons under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
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