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\n\tThe cancellation of Bluesfest 2026<\/a> is already sending shockwaves through the touring ecosystem, with Counting Crows<\/a> frontman Adam Duritz warning that many acts on the festival\u2019s bill may cancel their entire Australian runs \u2014 and that the fallout could discourage international artists from returning to the country in the future.<\/p>\n \n\tDuritz, whose band are currently touring Australia in support of their latest album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!<\/em>, confirmed that Counting Crows would not be cancelling their own shows \u2014 three of which are sold out \u2014 but painted a stark picture of the financial reality facing many of their peers on the bill.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat\u2019s going to be devastating for a lot of people\u2019s bottom line because you set up a tent pole like Bluesfest, where for a lot of people, it\u2019s probably the highest paying gig on the tour,\u201d Duritz told News.com.au. \u201cAnd then it just goes, especially when it goes in this way.\u201d He added that most acts had likely not received upfront payment for their Bluesfest performances and that insurance is unlikely to cover the shortfall following the festival\u2019s liquidation.<\/p>\n \n\tThe structural economics of Australian touring, Duritz explained, make it nearly impossible to profit even under ideal conditions. Without the anchor of a major festival fee, the math gets worse. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere\u2019s all these bands coming, and if you\u2019re Buddy Guy or you\u2019re The Wailers or you are The Black Crowes, none of those bands are making a gazillion dollars right now touring,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd you plan a trip to Australia; you\u2019re going to be barely breaking even or losing some money\u2026 it spreads out to the other promoters who have got all these gigs planned.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDespite his own band\u2019s commitment to their dates, Duritz said he believes others on the cancelled lineup will pull the plug. He also cautioned that the incident would linger in the minds of international artists weighing future Australian runs. \u201cBelieve me, there\u2019s no one on earth who doesn\u2019t want to come to Australia every year; it\u2019s f\u2014ing beautiful, people are great,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s so expensive to tour here. You don\u2019t have buses here because it\u2019s too big, so all the travel is flights. We\u2019re a rock band, and we want to play in Australia, but it\u2019s a struggle not to lose money.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tButter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!<\/em>, released May 9, 2025 via BMG, is the band\u2019s first full-length studio album since 2014\u2019s Somewhere Under Wonderland<\/em> and their eighth overall. Counting Crows released six albums that reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 during their peak run, including Recovering the Satellites<\/em>, which debuted at No. 1 in 1996. <\/p>\n \n\tBluesfest 2026 was cancelled on March 13 after organizers cited rising costs and soft ticket demand, with a liquidator appointed to manage financial matters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n