WOMADelaide: Sanctuary for musical discovery
WOMADelaide 2026 hosted standout performances including Grace Jones [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/mar/10/womadelaide-2026-review-grace-jones]. Despite global travel turmoil affecting 120 artists, the festival maintained its reputation as a sanctuary for musical discovery and community [https://theage.com.au/culture/music/amid-the-global-chaos-womadelaide-is-a-sanctuary-of-shared-discovery-and-belonging-20260309-p5o8s2.html]. What other artists had standout performances?
WOMADelaide, short for World of Music, Arts and Dance Adelaide, was co-founded in 1982 by musician Peter Gabriel. Gabriel believed that music was a universal language that could unite people, proving the "stupidity of racism". The Adelaide Festival approached the WOMAD organization in the UK to bring the event to South Australia. The first WOMADelaide was held in 1992 as part of the Adelaide Festival. Due to its success, it became an independent, biennial event in 1993. It transitioned to an annual festival in 2004 and expanded to a four-day event in 2010. The 2026 festival included over 700 artists from more than 30 countries. Some of the artists announced for the 2026 lineup included Åkervinda, Arrested Development, Ashkan Shafiei, Australian Art Orchestra, Baker Boy, and Yothu Yindi. Other artists include Ganavya, Jalen Ngonda, Roberto Fonseca and Orange Blossom. WOMADelaide 2023 had a total economic impact of $35.1 million for South Australia. Over half the audience were visitors to Adelaide, spending an average of $2,729. The event created direct employment for 303 people.
