US three-time Grammy award-winners the Zac Brown Band will join some of international music’s biggest names on Easter Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and 5.

Among the other first artists to be announced include Michael Franti and Spearhead, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Mavis Staples, Benny Walker, Dallas Frasca and Dale Winters.

Earlybird tickets go on sale today through Ticketek for the Big Sky Blues and Roots festival, now in its third year.

Event publicist Rina Ferris said the change of name gave the event a unique identity that more accurately reflected the spirit and location of a festival taking place on the expansive landscape, under the big sky of the Riverina Plains.

In its first two years, the Easter long weekend event has played host to iconic musicians from the US, UK and Australia including Santana, John Mayer, Elvis Costello, Status Quo, The Doobie Brothers, Jason Mraz, Chris Isaak and Russell Morris.

Organisers have secured the Zac Brown Band for next year whose three platinum-selling albums, Uncaged, You Get What You Give and The Foundation have together sold more than six million copies.

More than 8000 music lovers flocked to the Deniliquin Ute Muster site for last year’s festival.

The site, five kilometres from Deniliquin, is best known for the muster, the biggest event of its type in the world.

Earlybird tickets will be on sale until October 23.

Visit denibluesfestival.com for ticket, camp- ing and festival information.

Further acts are expected to be released next month.