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WOMADelaide
Festival logo
Genre	Performing arts festival
Frequency	Annually
Location(s)	Botanic Park, Adelaide, Australia
Coordinates	34°54′52.49″S 138°36′38.70″E / 34.9145806°S 138.6107500°E / -34.9145806; 138.6107500
Years active	13 March 1992 (1992-03-13) – present
Inaugurated	13 March 1992; 33 years ago (1992-03-13)
Founders	Peter Gabriel, Thomas Brooman
Most recent	8-11 March 2025
Next event	March 2026
Attendance	110,000 (2023 - total across the 4 day event, daily capacity is 30,000)
Organised by	WOMADelaide Foundation
Website	www.womadelaide.com.au

WOMADelaide is an annual four-day festival of music, arts and dance in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia. One of many WOMAD festivals held around the world, it is an event that presents a diverse selection of music from artists around the world, as well as side events like talks and discussions.

The event is hosted by the WOMAD festivals organisation, which aims "to excite, to create, to inform and to highlight awareness of the worth and potential of a multicultural society".^[1] The festival encourages people to experience the music of cultures other than their own as a way of developing global understanding,^[2] and aims to entertain all age groups and people from all backgrounds.^[3] WOMADelaide has won the Helpmann Award for "Best Contemporary Music Festival" in 2008^[4] and 2016,^[5] the Australian Event Awards "Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event" in 2015,^[6] and the Fowlers Live / SA Music Awards "Best Live Music Event" for five years in a row, 2012 - 2016.^[7]

WOMADelaide draws its performing artists from all over the world. A specific emphasis is placed on traditional music and performances of various cultures although some more contemporary, popular acts are included. The festival runs from 6pm to 1am on Friday, from 12noon until 1am on Saturday and from 12noon-12midnight on Sunday. In 2010, WOMADelaide was extended to include Monday from 12noon - 12midnight, making the festival four days in length. Artists also lead workshops demonstrating and/or discussing aspects of their performances on smaller stages. There are also artists who do "roving" performances through the park and installation pieces, such as La Compagnie Carabosse, who set up large fire installations at the 2005 festival.

WOMADelaide is held in Botanic Park, which is situated north-east of central Adelaide, between the Adelaide Zoo and Adelaide Botanic Garden. The 34-hectare (84-acre) park is fenced off for the duration of the festival. The main stages are set up around a backstage compound with Stage 1 in the middle and Stages 2 and 3 on either side, all facing out from the backstage area. There are an additional four smaller stages (Zoo Stage, Moreton Bay Stage and two in Speakers Corner). There are also visual arts exhibitions, a KidZone, a Global Village market area with over 100 food, crafts and display stalls, as well as several bars. All front-of-stage areas, the KidZone and the food and drink area are designated smoke-free.^{[citation needed]}

WOMADelaide has worked closely with Zero Waste SA in waste minimisation. After the 2005 festival, some six tonnes of compost from WOMADelaide waste were returned to the Adelaide Botanic Garden, in an effort to preserve the delicate ecosystem in which the event is located. In 2007, WOMADelaide joined forces with Greening Australia, Australia’s largest environmental organisation, to remove the global warming impact of the event. The carbon generated through artists’ travel, and the festival site lighting and power was offset through the re-vegetation of native bushland in SA, which also helped to restore native habitat for rare and endangered species, and to reduce the effects of salinity.^{[citation needed]}

WOMADelaide was first run in 1992 as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts from an invitation by Rob Brookman to the UK WOMAD organisation to run an event in Adelaide after seeing the success of other WOMADs in Europe. It was due to be held in Long Gully Oval, Belair National Park on a single stage but got moved to Botanic Park at a late stage and after flyers had been printed due to bush fire threats. Three-day passes were priced at $98 / $80 (concession), with one person under 15 admitted free on each adult ticket. Full day-and-night tickets cost $60 / $45 or individual "sessions" from $25.

From 1993 the festival officially moved to Botanic Park, after the threat of bush fires in 1992, and ran every two years (in odd-numbered years) so as to not conflict with subsequent editions of the Adelaide Festival. Three-day passes were priced at $98 / $80 (concession), with one person under 15 admitted free on each adult ticket. Full day-and-night tickets cost $60 / $45. 1993 also saw the first time festival founder Peter Gabriel appeared in Australia. Peak audience attendance in 1993 was 33,000.

1995 audience attendance: 55,000. Stage 4 added, as well as The Virtual Artists’ internet tent - at the time, a "futuristic component" of the program with the now-familiar Netscape and CUCME (early video conferencing software) launching that week. The Discovery Channel made a documentary on WOMADelaide's super fast 10MB connection. A one-off CD compilation of artists playing this year was also released.^{[8][needs independent confirmation]}

From 1996 the management and production of WOMADelaide was taken on by the Adelaide-based company, Arts Projects Australia.^[9] There was also a small event, the one-off "WOMAD Indian Pacific" train trip from Perth to Pimba across the Nullabor on a chartered Indian Pacific train featuring performances on board the carriages and culminated in a finale concert at Spud’s Roadhouse at Pimba, 480km north of Adelaide. The lineup consisted of: Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter with Dave Steel (Australia), Francis Bebey (Cameroon), Mara! (Australia), Paul Kelly (Australia), Purna Das Baul and the Bauls of Bengal (India), Remmy Ongala (Tanzania), Shu-De (Tuva) and The Well Oiled Sisters (Scotland).

1997 peak audience attendance across the weekend: 60,000. A sibling event, WOMAD Pacific, in New Zealand, also founded in Auckland^[10] the weekend after WOMADelaide, also bi-annually.

1998 saw another one-off event "WOMAD in the Vales",^[11][12] held at McLaren Vale Oval on Sunday 15 March to celebrate the end of Robyn Archer’s 1998 Adelaide Festival of Arts. Lineup: The Barkers (Australia), Geoffrey Oryema (Uganda), My Friend the Chocolate Cake (Australia), Pa Jobarteh (Gambia), The Sabri Brothers (Pakistan), Shooglenifty (Scotland), Southern Pipes and Drums (Australia), Tiddas (Australia) and Yulduz Usmanova (Uzbekistan)

1999 introduced Stage 5 (formerly the Workshop Stage), Angus Watt's flags in collaboration with Anangu Pitjantjatjara Inma artists have since become a mainstay (previously seen (and still present) at Glastonbury Festival and the UK WOMAD sites,^[13])^[14] KidZone, off-site school ba sed workshops and finally, the WoZone nightclub at nearby Adelaide Uni Bar. The WoZone ran on Friday and Saturday from midnight till 5am, after curfew finished at Botanic Park. Three different rooms for live acts, DJs and chilling out with projections and ambient music. Plus also a CD compilation of festival highlights for the Australian and New Zealand events started this year, as opposed to just being a one-off in 1995.^[15][16]

In 2001 to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Volunteers, 18 volunteers operated the first information booth, stage 5 changed locations. Papa Wemba replaced late cancellation Femi Kuti.^[17]

2002 saw another one-off small scale event, The WOMAD Warm-Up; three concerts and three workshops held in September at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Lineup: Chartwell Dutiro (Zimbabwe), Sally Nyolo (Cameroon), Trio Mocotó (Brazil), Ruby Hunter (Australia), Seckou Keita (Senegal), Mara and Llew Kiek (Australia) and Ben Baddoo (Ghana).

In 2003, WOMADelaide became an annual festival, following a decision made by the Rann government to financially support the event until at least 2009.^[18] That year, WOMADelaide Foundation Limited was also established as a not-for-profit organisation.^[19] The Foundation presented subsequent festivals and special projects for remote Indigenous arts communities.^[3] The festival also moved to February and March to avoid the summer heat. 2003 also introduced the remedial therapy/relaxation area "The Sanctuary" (later known as "The Healing Village"). The sibling WOMAD Pacific became WOMAD New Zealand and also became an annual event and moved to its permanent setting in Brooklands Park, New Plymouth, Taranaki. Weekend passes were $158 per adult, $135 for groups of 10+, $114 for concessions with each adult able to bring a child under 12 for free or $52 for each additional child. Saturday and Sunday day and night passes were $92, $78, $66 and each additional child $38. Friday/Sunday night passes: $62, $52, $45 and $32 for each additional child and finally Sunday night passes: $79, $68, $55 and $32 for each additional child. WoZone tickets were $20 on the door or $10 with a festival ticket stub.

2004 was the year Taste The World was introduced. An innovation that also went to subsequent New Zealand and UK festivals. Also the WOMADelaide Parade began this year. The last WoZone, prices for this were only $5 on the door.

Changes in 2005 included Stage 4 renamed The Zoo Stage, Stage 5 renamed The Moreton Stage and Stage 6 renamed The Dell. Festival official carbon neutral for the first time plus on-site ATMs introduced.

The 2006 event saw Speakers Corner introduced as well as the Parachilna Garden Cafe, the on-site restaurant run in partnership with Andrew Fielke from the Prairie Hotel in the Flinders Ranges. Also, Talvin Singh had the honour of being the first DJ in Botanic Park when he played on Stage 3. Tickets were priced at $172 for the weekend, discounted Friends of the Adelaide Festival or groups of 10+: $149 or concessions at $125. Three days passes were priced at $220 for the weekend, discounted Friends of the Adelaide Festival or groups of 10+: $184 or concessions at $165 (all of which saved $50 rather than individual day tickets). Friday tickets: $75, $68 or $60. Saturday/Sunday: $98, $85, $73.

2007 a cinema and pharmacy were added plus DJs closing the festival each night in Speakers Corner. New workshops for visual arts at the Park Arts and Functions Complex.

In 2008 a one-off Eco Village joined the site.

In 2009 the first WOMADelaide Forest was planted, in partnership with Greening Australia in South East Australia. KidZone now has a stage and track matting pathways were also added to combat both dry and wet conditions.

In 2010, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, WOMADelaide extended to four days. Due to overwhelming popularity, the festival has continued at this length.^[20] That year, WOMADelaide was produced and presented by the WOMADelaide Foundation, was managed by Arts Projects Australia and WOMAD Ltd, and was presented in association with the Government of South Australia.^[21]

In 2015 the South Australian Tourism Commission (an agency of the Government of South Australia) replaced the Government of South Australia as the event's new principal partner. As of 2017, the South Australian Tourism Commission remains the event's principal partner.

In 2017, WOMADelaide became a smoke-free event, with provision for smoking in three designated areas.^[22] In addition to a festival highlights CD, a DVD was also released this year as a one-off.

The last annual festival highlights CD was released in 2020.^[23]

In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WOMADelaide was held in King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina instead of its usual location at Botanic Park, so that the venue could comply with the COVID-19 restrictions.^[24][25] The format was changed to a series of seated concerts on a single stage, opening with Archie Roach and closing with Midnight Oil and First Nations collaborators on their Makarrata Live project.^[26] This was also the first year of WOMADelaide x NSS Academy, a collaboration with the youth music centre Northern Sound System, which was established to provide training and development program for emerging Aboriginal South Australians and multicultural artists. The program identified 10 artists in its first year or operation, with musical duo MRLN x RKM selected to support Vika and Linda and Midnight Oil at WOMAD.^[27][28]

In 2022 the festival returned to Botanic Park for the festival's 30th celebrations.^[29]

In 2023 Australia re-opened and artists and audiences from all over the world returned and the event sold out its first three days (Friday-Sunday)^[30] for the first time, and was nearly sold out for its final day on the public holiday Monday.

A day only event (with full weekend tickets also available, no camping on site), WOMADelaide has grown steadily in audience size from 30,000 in 1993 to over 90,000 over the four day events annually since 2014. "About 95,000" people attended in 2015.^[31] All prior attendance records were broken in 2016 when over 95,000 people attended over the course of the weekend.^[32]

In 2008 WOMADelaide won the FasterLouder Festival Award for best Sound and Production.^[33] WOMADelaide also received the 2008 Helpmann Award for Best Contemporary Music Festival.^[34]

The National Live Music Awards are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.

The South Australian Music Awards (previously known as the Fowler's Live Music Awards) are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary music industry. They commenced in 2012.^[38] WOMADelaide won five awards.

• WOMADelaide line-ups

• Official website