Blues and BBQ festival fires up: Early bird passes sell out, fan favourites 19-Twenty returns with new album & NZ tour

Festival headliner trio 19-Twenty wowed the crowd in 2023. Photo: Allan Kilgour

The New Zealand Blues & BBQ Festival is already making noise, with early bird two-day passes selling out before the deadline, proving there’s a hearty appetite for this epic three-day celebration of incredible blues music and mouthwatering food, returning to Rotorua this 28-30 November. 

Adding fuel to the fire, festival organisers are thrilled to confirm the return of high-voltage Australian blues-rock trio 19-Twenty as the 2025 Saturday night headliner. Following their electrifying performance in 2023, which had the crowd buzzing with energy and begging for more, 19-Twenty are back – and bringing a brand-new album with them. 

But that’s not all. Their upcoming new album, Call It What You Want, will be introduced to Kiwi fans ahead of the festival during their “Just Don’t Tour” tour this July, which will see the band playing four North Island shows in Rotorua (17 July), New Plymouth (18 July), Mt Maunganui (19 July), and Auckland (20 July). This is the first time the band has toured an album across Aotearoa. It will be a rare treat for blues lovers to experience the new material up close before the trio returns to bring the house down at Rotorua’s lakeside Village Green in November. 

“Rotorua was one of our absolute favourite stops in 2023 – the energy, the crowd, the vibe, it was next level,” says Kane Dennelly, lead vocalist and guitarist for 19-Twenty. 

“We’re stoked to be coming back not once but twice this year. First in July to share our new album, then again in November to headline a festival that truly feels like home to us.” 

The BOP Blues Club, organisers of the festival in conjunction with Black Label Barbecue, are equally excited for what’s to come. 

“We can’t wait to open this year’s festival and share our incredible headliner and fantastic lineup of very talented bands playing on two stages across three days,” says Terence Oldham, president of the BOP Blues Club Inc. “The fact that our early bird tickets sold out before the deadline is a true indication that people are looking for quality entertainment and we’re ready to show them an awesome time.

“It’s especially exciting to include the Youth Band Competition again this year, too. Watching the next generation of blues talent take the stage, and being one of the judges, is a real highlight every year.”

With the buzz building, first release two-day passes are now officially on sale – but only for a limited time or until sold out. This November, the Rotorua Village Green is where this soul-shaking, smoke-filled weekend of live blues, juicy barbecue, and good times is going down. 

Tickets are available at bluesandbbq.co.nz. 

Festival dates

28-30 November 2025
Village Green, Rotorua, NZ

About New Zealand Blues & BBQ Festival

New Zealand Blues & BBQ Festival is a vibrant three-day event held in Rotorua to celebrate the rich tapestry of blues music and the art of barbecue. Organised by Rotorua’s BOP Blues Club Inc. and Black Label Barbecue, the festival has become a cornerstone of the city’s cultural calendar, annually drawing music enthusiasts and food lovers from across New Zealand and beyond during the last weekend of November.

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