Discover Your New Favourite Thing at WOMAD – The World’s Festival
There is no festival quite like WOMADelaide. Read on and discover why there is something for everyone at this celebration of world music, art and culture.
Words Ella Bruce // Image supplied
This feature was created as part of The Music Writer’s Lab 2026.
The beauty of WOMAD lies in the abundance of opportunities to discover something new that you would not normally get the chance to experience. With over 600 acts from across the world, the 4-day festival celebrates culture, music, food, dance and art with passion in a way you’ve never seen before.
A lot of patrons are dedicated WOMAD warriors who attend every year without looking at the lineup. The general consensus from everyone was that they just love the atmosphere and the ease of stumbling across something that they would normally never listen to, but enjoying it entirely, nonetheless.
While hopelessly trying to find Stage 7, I began chatting to two women who were helping to direct me. They told me that they buy tickets to WOMAD every year and never quite know what they’re going to see. One of them told me that attending WOMAD ignited her love for Cuban music, which has stuck with her ever since. They both expressed how open-mindedness is key to enjoying different acts they discover, and part of the excitement comes from not knowing what to expect.
As a first timer at WOMAD, it took me a beat to embrace the large scale of the festival. Across eight stages and various installations, there is so much to see. But I found that going with the flow was the best way to discover new things, some of which I absolutely fell in love with.
The first thing I watched as I entered on Friday afternoon was Osadía, two eccentric “hair art” performers from Barcelona, who would pick people at random from the audience to partake. They would then create huge, colourful, elaborate hair-art on the chosen participant. These designs were very easily spottable during the festival and left a lasting impression, with some of the creations standing like 10 cm tall sculptures on top of the person’s head.
Something that left a lasting impression on me was stumbling across the five-piece folk band Beoga. Travelling from Ireland to play their first ever WOMAD amongst the trees on stage 3, Beoga created an unforgettable atmosphere and had an adoring crowd.
I was personally moved by their sound, the harmony of the instruments, and the weep of the violin which especially played at my heartstrings. Apart from having a particularly emotional reaction, the energy was just pure fun. The audience united in dancing and singing along, while clapping and chanting echoed from the depths of the crowd. To our surprise, they needed a volunteer from the crowd to, after much anticipation, play the cowbell. Shout out to Linda, you did great. Might have to quit your day job!
On Sunday, I happened to be at stage 3 again, this time to witness Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, which was a beautiful way to end this big weekend of music. The high-energy set was performed by the eight-piece band from northern Ghana, in colourful traditional outfits, blending African gospel with modern synthesisers and brass instruments. They looked like they were having as much fun on stage as the audience was, living up to their name by radiating pure joy with their music and presence.
Another way WOMAD makes discovering new artists accessible to festival-goers is the Academy Stage, showcasing upcoming artists from South Australia. This year we were treated to a variety of different performances with a lineup that covered genres from indie rock to jazz, R&B to folk and some beautiful acoustic sets.
Located next to the main entrance of the market and just across from the Coopers Bar, the Academy Stage is in a prime spot. So many times I was completely enthralled by a performance on stage that when I looked behind me, I was surprised to see that the audience had doubled or even tripled since the beginning of the set. The location of the stage made it impossible for the mass amounts of people walking past not to be enticed to stay and listen to an artist that they may have never heard of before, but suddenly they could not keep their eyes off.
To open the Academy stage on night one, we were blessed with the beautiful sound of Bella Brinkworth and her acoustic guitar. The solo artist has such a strong stage presence for a one-woman show and intimately serenades the crowd with her sweet voice and melancholic songs.
Bella shared how grateful she was to play WOMAD, which to her is “such an amazing community.” She also reflected on how it’s “good to play all sorts of gigs,” and she was stoked to play in “such a beautiful place.” She had the crowd captivated and mentioned that the Academy stage was perfect because “the people that walk past are sometimes the ones you can convert to becoming a fan.”
As someone who can find it hard to unearth new music, WOMAD allowed me to discover so many new things that I have now become completely obsessed with. For that reason, I will be attending next year without a doubt. Though it is a pricey commitment to go to something where you might not know half of the lineup, I cannot recommend it highly enough for lovers of music, art and culture. WOMAD is also supported by hundreds of volunteers, so if you are eager to go but can’t afford the price, there are lots of opportunities to visit and explore in exchange for some volunteer work.
