Ten years of making the case that blues isn't dead — it just moved to Long Beach and brought a horn section.
The New Blues Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary on August 29-30, 2026 at Shoreline Aquatic Park in Long Beach. Two days of live blues and roots music on multiple stages, right on the water. The lineup leans into what the festival has always championed: the artists carrying the blues tradition forward, not just preserving it. Kids under 12 attend free. Food vendors, a beer garden, and the kind of crowd that knows when to clap during a guitar solo.
Shoreline Aquatic Park, 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802. Tickets at newbluesfestival.com.
You either know someone who needs this or you are someone who needs this. Either way, two days by the water with music that doesn't apologize for having feelings.