In 2026, the multicultural festival was an antidote to big tech’s flat pitch. Kankawa Nagarra is turning 80 in June. She says you’re invited to her birthday party, if you can get yourself to Fitzroy Crossing. At WOMADelaide on the weekend, I listened to the Walmatjarri, Gooniyandi and Bunuba Elder yarn with Darren Hanlon under…
In a world of so much division, WOMAD gave me hope. 4 days of embracing nature and culture gave me and other attendees an opportunity to switch off from the never-ending bad news erupting from our screens. I found an incredible sense of community was fostered at WOMAD, and connections between the patrons, the earth,…
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-…
Many feel that 2026 has already been a difficult year, with global tensions on the rise. This affected even WOMADelaide with some acts not able to attend this year due to travel disruptions and other issues. However, a feeling of hope and resilience was front and foremost for this year’s event. Celebrating cultural diversity, honouring…
The fact that women are such a big part of the WOMADelaide Festival is no accident. With women on the management team, and as decision makers, artists and presenters, made celebrating International Women’s Day such a natural and beautiful thing. The mood of the day was one of nurturing and celebrating the beauty inside whilst…
It was a glorious autumn day in Adelaide’s Botanic Park for the second day of WOMADelaide, the world’s music, arts and dance festival. Families have set up picnic rugs, whilst roving performers, Born in a Taxi pranced around as zebras and kids exercised their creativity in Studio Ruby Chew‘s pop-up wonderland. The event hosts a…
Despite some last-minute changes with artist travel plans disrupted by the sudden unrest in the Middle East, the show must go on. Inside the Botanic Gardens, it was like a sanctuary, fruit bats overhead and seven stages all playing a variety of world music. Day one of WOMADelaide 2026 kicked off in fine style. As…
The WOMADelaide music and dance festival kept the energy flowing on a hot Sunday evening in the Adelaide parklands. As the day drew to an end, there was simultaneously the driving London dance beats of DJ Paulette and the soothing and mesmerising synthesiser sounds from Nils Frahm at opposite sides of the park. Earlier in…
The warm weather hung around for the second day of WOMADelaide, nestled within the Adelaide Parklands. As the bats had their own dance party over stage 7, on the main stages the music was primed to make you move. Goran Bregović & His Wedding & Funeral Band bought Balkan joy to the stage. Dressed in…
Set in Adelaide’s leafy botanic gardens, WOMADelaide has a legacy stretching back over 30 years. Bringing the best of world music, arts and dance over the Adelaide Cup long weekend, it is a destination for the faithful. From local bands such as Dojo Rise and Meena De Silva to the incredible voice and stage presence…
Born in Saint Elizabeth, to singers Lorna Bennett (Breakfast in Bed) and calypso singer Mike Ollivierre, Protoje blends hip hop, soul and jazz into the sounds of his native reggae and dancehall. Over the past twenty years he has released mixtapes, seven studio albums and a host of collaborations with artists such as Jorja Smith,…
Ahead of his visit to Australia for a series of shows including WOMADelaide, we chatted to Goran Bregović about his joyful approach to music making. Starting life as a rock star in the Balkans, before becoming involved in music scores, he has recently assembled a band called Goran Bregović and His Wedding and Funeral Band. I…
Singer/songwriter Meena De Silva has been selected for this year’s Northern Sound System Academy program. Her debut album “Paid My Dues,” released in 2021, and her recent single “Love You Right with You,” are influenced by artists such as Rihanna and Beyonce. She shares her plans for future projects, including an EP and a piano…
WOMADelaide is the World’s Festival and 25 new artists from around the world have been added to the list of 48 acts already announced for 2025. From the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir to the Saigon Soul Revival from Vietnam, the team have scoured the globe to bring a diverse array of artists for the…
English iconic multi-instrumentalist PJ Harvey returns to Australia to play the Sydney Opera House forecourt plus Golden Plains festival, WOMADelaide, and solo shows in Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. PJ Harvey last toured Australia in 2017 to critical acclaim, thrilling her fans with songs from her classic albums. Supporting her solo shows will be legendary Australian guitarist…
The first announcement of artists to play WOMADelaide 2025 includes the iconic British artist PJ Harvey. Her visit to Australia will be the first in eight years. For the last two years she has been touring with her band across the UK and Europe to outstanding reviews. Her performances have included tracks from her tenth…
Adelaide endured one of its famous 40C heatwaves over the Adelaide Cup long weekend. In this climate, events can be cancelled, postponed or modified. To their credit, the WOMADelaide organisers made the World’s festival as comfortable as could be. The bats that have recently taken up residence in the Frome Road copse of trees were…
Slowmango are a six piece band from SA that are having their debut Womadelaide appearance this weekend. We sat down to learn a little more about the band. How would you describe your music? Is it something that can be categorised? Slowmango’s music is a melting pot of global influences, incorporating rhythms and melodies from…
Soul artist Erin Buku releases her new single and video “Ley Lines”, a mesmerising lo-fi soul and trip-hop track, emanating emotional eloquence and atmospheric depth. Let’s jump straight in and talk about your new song, “Ley Lines.” How did it come about, and what was the inspiration behind writing it? I’ve always been really into…
WOMADelaide has been a part of Adelaide’s DNA for over thirty years. Founded by Peter Gabriel in 1992, it draws people together to celebrate world music and the joy of life. It’s recent home has been among the trees in the glorious Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla adjacent to the Adelaide Zoo. Over the years it has grown…
WOMADelaide has today announced the first 28 artists for the 2024 festival, from 8 to 11 March – featuring Ziggy Marley (Jamaica), The Budos Band (USA), Arooj Aftab (USA/Pakistan), Gilberto Gil (Brazil) and DakhaBrakha (Ukraine). Ziggy Marley, son of iconic reggae singer Bob Marley, is set to perform in Adelaide for the first time since 2012. With a career spanning 40 years and 8 Grammys…
You’ve got to wing it with WOMAD – how this writer learned to fly. As the saying goes, first impressions are very important – WOMADelaide’s impression was everything. With over 700 performers, WOMADelaide 2023 kicked off on Friday 10 March in the surroundings of Adelaide’s flourishing Botanic Park / Tainmuntilla. The four-day festival was an…
The holiday Monday closed day four of WOMADelaide to a smaller crowd, which made traversing the site much easier than the previous three sold-out days. Not to say that there was any less energy or talent on display. Mdou Moctar took to the Foundation stage early in the afternoon. Hailing from a desert village in…
The mood of a multi-day festival seems to evolve over the course of the event. The first day is normally frantic as everyone is excited and trying to find their bearings. Second day is more sombre as heat and exhaustion start to take their toll. “How will we last all four days?” But the third…
Warm weather in the high 20’s and a capacity crowd in the tree-covered Botanic Park meant that many people were searching for rest in the shade. But that didn’t slow the energy of the performers. Whether it was the melodious sounds of Pandit Ronu Majumdar & Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh over at stage 7 or the…
After a couple of smaller WOMAD festivals during the COVID pandemic, this year, WOMADelaide is back at full steam and the sold out crowd appreciated it. The mood in the air was one of jubilation and celebration. There is just so much to see and do that it is impossible to see it all. Decisions…
WOMADelaide is just around the corner, kicking off in Adelaide on the 10th of March. As well as an incredible lineup of musicians and dancers, a key feature of the festival is the Planet Talks program. Planet Talks is a forum that runs over three days, featuring some of the brightest thinkers exploring the issues…
The international tours are back and there are some incredible acts touring Australia in February. We’ve picked five of our favourites bands and artists that are performing. Ed Sheeran Hundreds of thousands of tickets have been sold to Ed Sheeran’s upcoming stadium + – = ÷ x Tour – (pronounced ‘The Mathematics Tour’). It’s going to be…
The weather slowly warmed up over the Adelaide Cup long weekend, making Sunday a perfect day at Womadelaide. Rugs marked meeting spots under the trees. Lines formed at the free water stations. Some visitors discovered artist workshops and Planet Talks. Kids had plenty of zones and activities to keep them busy. The lifting of some…
With such and incredible range of music on offer at Womadelaide, it can be easy to forget that there is much more available. HEXADECA music-making playground and roving performers entertain the families. There’s Eddie Betts story time in the KidsZone. Yoga from Human.Kind studios for the early risers. The Taste the World sessions have moved into…
