IT'S often hard to choose which stage you'll spend your time at during Bluesfest, exclusive performers an easy way to refine your choices. This year amongst the stellar line up are seven, very special exclusive festival performances:

Buddy Guy: King of the blues, 80 year old iconic blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy has been a pivotal force in music history. Inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2014, Buddy has received seven Grammy Awards, 34 Blues Music Awards (the most any artist has received) , a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, the Billboard magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, and the Presidential National Medal of Arts. Rolling Stone rank him at # 23 in its '100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time'. Guy plays the Crossroads stage on Saturday at 9pm and on Sunday at 5.30pm.

Mavis Staples: One of the greatest gospel, soul and blues singers of all time, Mavis Staples is returning to Blues for four exclusive performances. Staples' career spans over 6 decades, she recently toured with Bob Dylan on his U.S. Summer tour and released her latest album, Livin' on a High Note in 2016. Staples plays the Jambalaya stage tonight at 6pm and on Monday at 8.30pm.

Beth Hart: Vocal powerhouse Beth Hart gained a reputation as an audience favourite at Bluesfest in 2014 and 2015, she returns this year for several festival exclusive performances. The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter has been riding a creative tidal wave, firing out acclaimed albums, hooking up with the biggest names in music and rocking the house with her unique 'burnt-honey' voice. Hart plays the Crossroads stage on Saturday at 7.30pm and the Mojo stage on Monday at 6.30pm.

Jimmy Buffett: Born in Mississippi and raised in Alabama, Singer/songwriter/author Jimmy Buffett is the legendary composer of such classic songs as Margaritaville, Come Monday and Cheeseburger In Paradise. He has clocked up two Grammy nominations, several Country Music Association awards and was the recipient of one of the nation's highest song writing honours when he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Buffett plays the Crossroads stage on Friday at 6.45pm.

Devon Allman Band: Allman did not come on the music scene riding the coattails of a famous parent, he has toiled long and hard to establish his own musical identity, separate from his legendary dad, Gregg Allman. Allman returns to Bluesfest on the back of his critically acclaimed new album Ride or Die, a rocking, soulful, rootsy recording that debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues charts. Allman will once again bring his first rate guitar skills and powerful vocals to Delta stage at the festival. Allman plays the Juke Joint today at 3pm and Monday at 9pm; and the Delta stage on Saturday at 10.30pm and Sunday at 4.30pm.

The Suffers: In 2016, The Suffers have been said to have redefined the sound of Gulf Coast Soul and say they are as much influenced by classic rock and roll, country, Latin and Southern hip hop as they are the Stax/Volt or Muscle Shoals era. Established in 2011, The Suffers' line up was curated by bassist Adam Castaneda and vocalist/keyboardist Pat Kelly, who brought on trumpet player Jon Durbin, trombonist Michael Razo, guitarist Kevin Bernier, percussionist Jose 'Chapy' Luna, and drummer/vocalist Nick Zamora. Jazz saxophonist Cory Wilson and guitarist/vocalist Alex Zamora filled out the rhythm section, while front woman Kam Franklin heads the talented group with her soaring vocals. The Suffers play the Jambalaya stage on Sunday at 4.30pm and the Mojo stage on Monday at 2pm.

Nas: Nas, an acclaimed rapper, producer and gifted poet wrote his first verse at age seven. Two decades on, he remains an incendiary, outspoken and brutally candid rapper on his recently released Life is Good, his tenth album and sixth of which to debut at the top of the Billboard 200. Nas plays the Crossroads stage tonight at 11pm.