Memphis Blues Week

Robert Finley will tour Australia for the first time in May 2026, marking a major chapter in a career that has grown across decades of hard work, steady reinvention and spiritual fire. The run is presented by Love Police, who have long championed artists who build their craft on soul, truth and lived experience. Finley, now 71, steps into Australia with the force of his new album Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya, his fourth for Easy Eye Sound and a work that stands as his most personal statement.

Three time GRAMMY Award winner Fantastic Negrito will make his long awaited return to Australia in March 2026, bringing a run of headline dates and festival shows that promise powerful performances and bold storytelling. The tour will see the American artist share songs from across his remarkable career, including his 2024 album Son Of A Broken Man.

At 86, Mavis Staples is still proving that the power of song can change the world. The soul, gospel and civil rights icon will release her new album Sad And Beautiful World on 7 November 2025, an extraordinary project that spans seven decades of the American songbook while showcasing her timeless voice and message of unity.

PepperCreek Revival return with their deeply moving second single Remember, out today (28 October), taken from their forthcoming sophomore album due in February 2026. The song, written by Kelly Auty, Nicholas Carrafa, Max McIntosh and Warwick Thomas, captures the bittersweet essence of memory - the way love and loss intertwine and linger long after time has passed.

Slash, the iconic Guns N' Roses guitarist turned blues revivalist, has dropped his searing new single Crossroads (Live), taken from his upcoming album and concert film Live At The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, out Friday 7 November via earMUSIC. The track captures Slash's Blues Ball band in full flight, delivering a raw, soulful and unapologetically loud take on Robert Johnson's legendary Delta blues classic.

Bellarine Estate has thrown its hat into the festival ring with 100 Acres Festival, a one-day celebration of blues, wine and coastal hospitality set for Saturday April 18, 2026. The new event will take over the estate's rolling vineyards and pastures from midday until 6pm, and it will be led by US blues elder statesman Eric Bibb performing with his full band.

Ike Turner Jr, the son of legendary duo Tina Turner and Ike Turner, has died at the age of 67 in Los Angeles following kidney failure. His death was confirmed by his cousin, Jacqueline Bullock, who said the musician had been in declining health for some time and suffered from serious heart issues and a recent stroke.