Global blues journeyman Somerset Barnard will be returning from his European base for the first time in 6 years to perform his raw and real style of music and showcase a new album at the Agnes Blues, Roots, & Rock Festival in February 2026.
Somerset Barnard’s style is best described as an enticing blend of Delta Blues crossed with the Tex-Mex-Aussie-roots of a reckless globetrotter. He was touring through Australia and the USA before deciding to throw everything away and travel the world.
Somerset can now be found playing anywhere in the world, from the streets of a Senegalese village, to the stage of an International Festival. His musical adventures have even led him to play a part in a Bollywood Movie and work as a Sherpa in the Himalayas.
For the past 5 years, Somerset has been based in Vienna, Austria. His first album ‘The Atlas Moth’ released in February 2016 blends a variety of influences from his four years of travelling.
Somerset’s subsequent album ‘Trains & Churches’ was recorded in January 2018 with some of Austria’s music greats, including Ernst Molden, Marlene Lacherstorfer und Ivo Thomann, all in analog at the Cselley Mühle in Burgenland, Austria. The band then got together in the same studio in July 2020 to record Somerset’s diverse album ‘The Stranger‘, later to be followed by a book of the same name.
2025 is proving to be an exciting year already for Somerset Barnard, with the upcoming release of his new album ‘Contradictions’ which has a different sound to his previous studio projects. Rather than screaming to the heavens this time around, ‘Contradictions’ paints a lyrical picture of the idiosyncrasies of human existence, taking you on a journey through the backstreets of Vienna, through India and a night of busking on Brisbane streets.
Get ready for the raw passion and energy of global blues journeyman Somerset Barnard as he lights up the Marquee Stage at #AgnesBluesFest on Sunday morning, 22 February 2026. You’ll be spellbound as he takes you on an epic journey with his mesmerising music and tales of world travel.
#AgnesBluesFest 2026 Pre-NYE discount tickets are now on sale for $169pp, until 31 December 2025, with prices rising to full RRP $189pp from 1 January 2026. Get your tickets now at great value via www.agnesbluesandroots.com.au/tickets
Rocking out since 2008, the Agnes Blues, Roots & Rock Festival is a 3 Day Annual Event held in the Great Barrier Reef’s Sensational Deep South. We’re turning it up to ELEVEN in 2026! Follow @AgnesBluesFest on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).
Each and every year the #AgnesBluesFest is not only focused on delivering a fantastic live show for ticket holders, it also ensures a positive impact on the local community and environment. In 2026, profits will go directly to local community groups, including the Agnes Water SES, Discovery Coast Environment Group, local Lions Club and the annual community event established in 1992, the 1770 Festival, held every May.
