Music fans will be hoping it's a case of fourth time lucky when the Bluesfest music festival kicks off in Byron Bay on Thursday.
The award-winning event was cancelled at short notice due to coronavirus concerns in the lead up to its traditional Easter timeslot in 2020 and 2021.
Plans to stage the festival last October were also scuttled by the pandemic.
Things were looking grim once again when the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales was hammered by back-to-back floods in February and March, but the site between Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads escaped the worst of the deluge.
With dancing now permitted and acts such as Midnight Oil and Crowded House headlining the festival, thousands of fans will be hoping it's been worth the wait.
Tickets still available, but forget about the car park
Festival director Peter Noble said it was "the return of music on a major level".
He said crowds had bounced back to near pre-COVID levels of about 25,000 people per day.
While there are still festival tickets available, Mr Noble said passes for the site's car parks were almost gone.
"We have to warn people if you're coming — we've still got tickets — but the car parks are almost sold out so please buy them now or come by public transport," he said.
The five-day festival will employ approximately 1,200 workers, will host 350 stalls and involve about 400 volunteers.
"So many people are saying 'this is the first time I've had a job in two years'," Mr Noble said.
While the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a spattering of showers, Mr Noble said it was simply a "gumboots year" and the muddy site wouldn't put a damper on the festival spirit.
"For so many in our industry — the guys who go out there and need to work every weekend and every week to make a living — this is the return," he said.
Mr Noble said there would be flood fundraisers at the festival, as well as a 'special surprise' involving Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg.
Punters clung on to pre-COVID tickets
Warren Anderson from Ballarat bought tickets in 2020 before the festival was cancelled.
"Last year I … got nearly to Tamworth and turned around and went home again. This year I'm going to camp here," Mr Anderson said.
James Cash arrived from Melbourne and is spending five days at the festival after purchasing tickets two years ago.
"I don't think there's an Australian that's not frustrated with the past few years. COVID's been challenging for everyone … there's been a lot of lockdowns," he said.
"You look at events like this which are really important for Australia [and] they've had to delay things. There's been a lot of people unemployed.
"But I think every person that is here, it's about the spirit of the place and making sure we're enjoying live music again … and making sure everyone's having a really good time".
