WOMADelaide 2026 March 6-9, Botanic Park / Tainmuntilla, South Australia
This year’s long weekend of music, art, and dance was blessed with Idyllic weather in the verdant setting. Traditional and contemporary music styles provided something for everyone. Dotted between seven main stages with roving performers, international flavors at food stalls, kids zone, Planet Talks and craft market to complete the micro-world experience. With increasing global sorrow and strife, all embraced the chance to celebrate our common humanity. Treasured respite in times of trouble.
International concert and workshops spanned continents. From the USA: Fantastic Negrito, Annie & The Caldwells, Iron & Wine and Arrested Development.
From Mississippi, Annie & The Caldwells invoked devotion to their music and to the Lord. Daughter Deborah’s break-up lament ‘Wrong’ featured among songs from their latest record Can’t Lose my (Soul). The audience joined in for call-and response Gospel refrains. The backing band of the men in the family completed the outfit. Along with the four women, they proved that the family who plays together, stays together – in tune musically and spiritually.
Representing Jamaica, Grace Jones headlined and delivered beyond expectations. In fact, her voice is as strong and distinctive as ever, her costume changes eye-popping and her sassy and self-mocking patter hilarious. Her hits remain timeless. The band were first class. All in attendance of the great lady were seduced and entranced by her spectacular set on Saturday night.
South American rhythms further sparked the party vibe with female trio La Perla (Colombia) combining percussive fire with lively vocals. They drew from Cumbia, Brazilian, and Fandango influences.
The Foundation (main) stage hosted Roberto Fonseca (Cuba) who recreated old Havana with the bandleader’s dazzling piano chops and a killer band of brass, upright bass and rhythm section. Classically Cuban with tight contemporary jazz flair. Tracks from most recent album La Gran Diversión again inspired a frenzy of movement across the park at their second set.
Alcides Nieto (Brazil/Australia) layered regional Afro/Brazilian sounds with guitar, violin and infectious tempos. Surprising fusions of musical inspiration abounded.
Five-piece Orange Blossom (France) tie Arabic influences together with modern electronica. A big hit with audiences.
Nusantara Beat (The Netherlands) likewise broke the genre mould, combining Indonesian folk music with pop/rock potency in a seamless cocktail. The Australian Art Orchestra with Kojoe & Hikaru Tanaka proved the attraction of ‘mixing it up’ in a special collaboration.
Beoga provided an invigorating Irish craic with traditional instrumentation and the exquisitely emotive vocals of Niamh Dunne. Ethereal woodwind with looped electronica made for an ideal wind-down when solo artist Yuka Okazaki (Japan/France) took to the Moreton Bay stage.
An invigorating visit to Greece saw traditional folk taken to a new space. Xylourides feature descendants of George Xylouris and Psarantonis, keeping the Hellenic flame afire. Bouncing and beaming singer and former DJ Jovanotti enjoyed a rapturous welcome from Italian ex-pat fans in the crowd.
The female a cappella quartet of Sweden’s Åkervinda combined their divine voices on folk tunes and imagery from long ago.
Sometimes the impact of a performance is as much a result of shared stories as the music itself. Daughters of Donbas (Ukraine/Canada) performed Songs of Stolen Children. Singer, advocate and war correspondent, Marichka told heartbreaking tales with tiny glimpses of sweetness and hope. Accompanied by stirring strings, the audience were moved to attentive reverence and empathy. Also from Ukraine, Ganna stood before a deck, looping keys and rhythmic effects. It looked like we were in for a rave event but her strident, soaring vocals wound her language and heritage sounds into something much more.
Beloved Australian Indigenous rock group Yothu Yindi have been festival favorites over decades. Hits including ‘Djapana’ and ‘Treaty’ were sung in English and ‘language’ (As Indigenous Aussies refer to their many ancient tongues and dialects.) The band’s name is a Yolngu Matha kinship phrase from North-East Arnhem Land, translating to “child and mother”. It’s appropriate that with the departure and passing of some original members, their descendants are now part of the group.
Indigenous Australian blues singer-guitarist Kankawa Nagarra is in her 80th year. Although she’s been making music all her life, her public profile has elevated significantly in recent years. She laughed telling stories of her first experience of western music. Her love of Buddy Holly. An uncle building her first guitar out of a tea chest, nails, and copper wire. Her deep blues vocals seem made for Hill Country, Chicago and Delta styles. Kind of Jessie Mae Hemphill meets Howlin’ Wolf. Her backing trio of drums, guitar, and bass were polished while allowing Kankawa’s star to shine brightest. A gifted storyteller, educator, and entertainer in equal measure.
The Polynesian harmonies and dancers with Samoan Australian Bobby Alu are the stuff of connection for festival audiences. Bright, breezy and refreshing.
Vivacious PNG-born singer KAIIT is another return artist for the event. Hearing her voice from far across the park, it was a signal to locate the right stage and get stage-side asap.
Marlon Williams (Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) delivered stripped-back alt-folk and country compositions on acoustic and electric guitars. He incorporates his ancestral tongue, as on latest album Te Whare Tīwekaweka. He was joined by a Māori choir Ngā Mātai Pūrua, a sizable Kapa Haka group.
Now Jamaica-based, Australia’s darling of dub-style reggae, Nattali Rize (ex-Blue King Brown) peppers her set of dancefloor bangers with rebellious and righteous messages. She recently collaborated with I Threes singer Judy Mowatt in Jamaica.
From start to finish, Obongjayar (Nigeria/UK) brought a riotous eruption of funky Afropop with rap and writhing athleticism.
The Zawose Queens (Tanzania), Pendo (daughter of the late Dr. Hukwe) and her niece Leah, are pioneers of their heritage in taking the on-stage lead as females. Vocal harmonies, ululation, thumb pianos, ngoma drums and ilimba were played with huge smiles and well-honed execution.
Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy (Ghana) bring West African highlife rhythms, dance, and instrumentation alive mining the roots of the Frafra. Wonderful sonically and visually.
Maintaining the upbeat party mood, Grammy-winner Fantastic Negrito, in his second inclusion on a WOMADelaide line-up, brought unbridled joy to the celebration with longtime collaborator Brian Simmons (keys) and a tight band. His early blues-infused hits, (and a cover or two) and songs from 2024’s Son of a Broken Man radiated warmth and energy.
Iconic singer, songwriter, and activist Oumou Sangaré (Mali) looked every bit the queen of the night. Known as the Songbird of Wassoulou, her voice took us to her homeland with her glorious, trademark soulful vocals. Beginning with a somewhat inscrutable presence, she showed true delight as the set evolved, engaging with band members and enchanting her audience.
From India, husband and wife duo Balaganesan & Bageswari are accomplished nadaswaram players in the Carnatic classical tradition. Their combined expertise on the double-reed wind instrument had a seated crowd transfixed. Sri P. Balaganesan trained under the renowned Vidwan MPN Ponnusamy Pillai in Madurai. Smt P. Bageswari began her training with her father and guru, Shri PVN Devaraj of Chennai. Thavil Vidwan Purushothaman on the thavil (a barrel-shaped percussion instrument from Tamil Nadu) accompanied the pair to weave complex rhythms carried through the balmy night air.
Alfio Antico & Go Dugong, Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou, Bhutan Balladeers, Stan’s Café Theatre Company, and DJ Sama’ Abdulhadi were all last-minute cancellations due to flight chaos or visa issues. Let’s hope that WOMADelaide 2027 sees a safer, better world.
Author: Chris Lambie
