As a Victorian-based girl with a pretty strong pop music bias, attending WOMADelaide was always going to be an interesting experience. I’d never been to South Australia before, and I’ve never attended anything quite like this. Known for its global music programming, sprawling site and a deeply loyal crowd, WOMADelaide has built quite a reputation- but would someone like me actually enjoy it?
Across the four days inside the lush surrounds of Adelaide’s Botanic Park, I wandered, listened, chatted, wrote and tried to soak up as much of the experience as I could. What I discovered was a festival that was beautifully run and so creatively fulfilling, even if it’s probably not one I’ll rush back to every year.
Day one was all about finding my feet. Music kicked off around 6pm as the crowd trickled in. Walking through the gates, I was warmly greeted by the sounds of Turkish folk band Derya Yıldırım & Grup ŞimŞek which set the perfect tone.
My main mission that evening was simple: figure out the lay of the land. WOMADelaide is huge. The eight stages are spread across a massive area of parkland, and it quickly became clear that navigating it requires a bit of planning.
I found my way to the Academy Stage, which would end up becoming one of my favourite corners of the festival. I caught sets from Bella Brinkworth and Broken Waves, both gentle performances that allowed me to escape from the overwhelm. By the time I headed home, I had a much better sense of what the next few days might look like.
Day two was dedicated almost entirely to the Academy Stage. Designed to spotlight local, South Australian artists, I found value in sitting there and taking it all in.
Taking a quick break, I headed to Stage 7 to see Any Young Mechanic, a moment that was a real highlight for me. A classic folk sound complete with strings and breathtaking melodies, combined with the gorgeous backdrop of the late afternoon sun and an impressively large bat colony chattering and flying about, this was a goosebumps moment for sure.
Then it was back to the Academy Stage, although I did slip away to catch moments of sets from Yothu Yindi and Baarka, but the reality of the festival’s size quickly became clear. Trying to move between stages meant committing to long walks through thick crowds, but I’d already decided my focus for the day was discovering local talent.
I spent some time chatting with Academy Stage talent, which proved invaluable, giving me insight into the Adelaide music scene, something I’d never been exposed to before.
By Sunday morning, I was really starting to feel the physical toll of the festival. WOMADelaide is not a casual stroll. It’s days of walking, music, crowds and stimulation- and by this point, my legs were really reminding me of that.
I kicked things off by attending the Information Wars talk- the most thought-provoking moment of the weekend. With a panel of renowned authors and journalists discussing misinformation and media literacy in politics, it was a lot to take in but extremely worthwhile.
By this stage, I was fully leaning into the WOMADelaide vibe. Flowing skirt, natural hair, wandering aimlessly between stages. I even briefly considered taking my shoes off to really commit… but I wasn’t quite there yet. During my travels, I came across The Lazy Eyes, who had drawn one of the most energetic crowds I’d seen all weekend, and were definitely right up my alley.
That evening, I beelined to the Foundation Stage to catch Baker Boy, whose set I knew would be a highlight. The crowd was tightly packed, and there was an explosion of energy from the moment he hit the stage.
By now, the scale of WOMADelaide was catching up with me. More walking, more music, more overstimulation. It’s an incredible experience, but sometimes you really can have too much of a good thing. Creatively fulfilled but completely exhausted, I decided to call it a day there.
Entering the grounds on Monday, the last day of WOMADelaide, there was a noticeable shift in atmosphere, a satisfied tiredness that seemed to be affecting everyone from the crowd to volunteers and staff. I found a shaded patch of grass with a view of the main stage and sat down to write this piece.
At this point, I’d already seen most of the artists on my list, so I let the day unfold naturally and followed my feet. Inevitably, I drifted back to the Academy Stage once again. There was just something about that space that kept pulling me back. Maybe it was the varying genres, or the infectious excitement of local bands playing to festival crowds, or maybe it was simply that it was tucked away from the chaos of larger sites.
As the festival drew to an end, I found myself reflecting heavily- was WOMAD for me? I wasn’t quite sure. The setting was stunning, the markets had so much to offer, food options were diverse, and the entire site was kept clean, including the toilets, which is unheard of at a Melbourne festival. Everyone I encountered was respectful, relaxed and just happy to be there.
Coming from Melbourne, I didn’t expect to be surprised by the strength of Adelaide’s live music scene, but I was happy to be proven wrong here, and I found so much value in the connection that WOMADelaide gave me. I met budding artists, fellow writers and kind strangers, as well as experienced some truly grounding moments.
If I’m being honest, though, the music itself just wasn’t fully aligned with my personal taste, and at times, the sheer size of the grounds just felt like too much. Will I go back again next year? Probably not. But I absolutely recommend that everyone experiences it at least once, because if, like me, it’s not entirely your scene, festivals like WOMADelaide have a way of giving you something you might not realise you needed.
This feature has been published as part of The Music Writer’s Lab initiative, supported by Music Australia, WOMADelaide and the VMDO. For more information, visit www.themusicwriterslab.com.
Photos from John Goodridge
