Thirty-five years after first bringing the world to Adelaide, WOMADelaide is showing no signs of slowing down. The festival returns to Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla from 5 to 8 March 2027, with Angine de Poitrine, Underworld, Leon Bridges, Madness, Tinariwen and Fatoumata Diawara among the artists heading to South Australia.
Set beneath the trees of Adelaide’s Botanic Park, WOMADelaide has spent more than three decades introducing Australian audiences to music, art and dance from across the globe. Its 35th anniversary edition continues that tradition, bringing together established names, emerging artists and some intriguing musical combinations.
British electronic pioneers Underworld are among the major drawcards. Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have spent decades pushing dance music forward, with tracks including Born Slippy .NUXX, Cowgirl and Two Months Off becoming fixtures of club culture. Their arrival promises a very different atmosphere beneath the park’s towering trees.
American soul singer Leon Bridges brings his distinctive blend of vintage soul and contemporary R&B, while British ska favourites Madness arrive with more than four decades of hits behind them. Mali’s Tinariwen will bring their hypnotic desert blues, and Grammy-nominated Fatoumata Diawara adds another powerful voice from West Africa.
For those looking for something less familiar, Canadian duo Angine de Poitrine are hard to ignore. Their masked, polka-dot appearance is matched by an unusual collision of microtonal math rock and psychedelic experimentation. Turkish-Dutch outfit Altın Gün offer their own take on Anatolian psychedelic rock, while Ukraine’s DakhaBrakha return with their striking fusion of traditional folk and contemporary sounds.
Australian artists also feature prominently. Christine Anu returns to WOMADelaide three decades after her earlier festival appearances, while rapper and producer Trials, one half of A.B. Original, brings his solo project to the program.
Elsewhere, Jamaican reggae artist Hempress Sativa, South African collective BCUC, Spanish vocalist Maria Arnal and American DJ Kenny Dope underline the festival’s broad musical reach. From Indian rap collective Wild Wild Women to Thai psychedelic ensemble Khun Narin, there’s plenty here for audiences willing to venture beyond the familiar.
Music is only part of the program. South Korea’s Ambiguous Dance Company will present Body Concert, while British artist Luke Jerram’s seven-metre installation Helios will bring a glowing replica of the sun to the park. The festival’s Taste the World, KidZone and Planet Talks programs also return.
WOMADelaide has never been about sticking to one genre or chasing the biggest names. Its appeal lies in the unexpected discoveries made while wandering between stages, often stumbling across an artist you’ve never heard of and leaving with a new favourite.
Thirty-five years on, that spirit of discovery remains at the heart of the festival.
WOMADelaide takes place from Friday 5 to Monday 8 March 2027 at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla, Adelaide. Tickets are on sale now, with more artists to be announced.
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