WOMADelaide’s 2026 program has widened again, with another 20 artists confirmed for the four-day festival in Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla next March. The latest announcement draws together artists from across the world, including an exclusive Australian performance by Arrested Development, the first hip-hop act to win Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. Malian vocalist and activist Oumou Sangaré joins the list, along with Italian pop favourite Jovanotti, who will open the festival.
The additions include a mix of established names and fresh discoveries. BADBADNOTGOOD, the Canadian jazz-fusion group with a reputation for genre-bending collaborations, will perform alongside blues-funk trio MY BABY from the Netherlands and New Zealand. Annie & The Caldwells, the American gospel family band whose recent album found a fan in Sir Elton John, are also on the bill, as is Nusantara Beat, a six-piece Amsterdam group whose sound draws on their Indonesian heritage. They sit alongside Fantastic Negrito from the USA, KAIIT, Mama Kin Spender and Brazilian Australian artist Alcides Neto.
They join the already announced Yothu Yindi, Obongjayar, First Nations gospel singer Kankawa Nagarra, Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s Rosas danst Rosas, Baker Boy, Troy Cassar-Daley with a string quartet, DJ Jyoty, and the all-female Moroccan ensemble Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou.
Among the international performers are Thiruvannamalai Nadaswaram Balaganesan and Thiruvannamalai Nadaswaram P. Bageswari Balaganesan from India. The husband-and-wife duo are dedicated nadaswaram players, having trained from childhood under respected teachers in Madurai and Chennai. They serve as Asthana Vidwans at Sri Ramanasramam ashram and will be accompanied in Adelaide by Thavil Vidwan Purushothaman on the Tamil Nadu thavil. Bageswari is known for her work encouraging young girls to learn the nadaswaram, keeping the tradition alive for the next generation.
Altogether, WOMADelaide 2026 will bring more than 600 artists in 69 groups from 38 countries. It continues one of South Australia’s strongest cultural partnerships, with government support for the festival extended through to 2029.
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said: “There are now another 20 reasons to lock in your March long weekend plans and discover the magic of WOMADelaide. With more than 600 artists coming from 38 countries, there will be something for everyone to enjoy as this impressive lineup transforms our glorious Botanic Park into a cultural oasis. We know about 40 per cent of ticket sales typically come from interstate festival goers, which not only helps to boost trade for our tourism businesses but cements South Australia as a leading events and festival destination.”
Festival Director Ian Scobie said: “We are delighted to announce these amazing artists joining us in the finishing touches to our lineup, to grace the WOMADelaide stages over the March long weekend. Whether you’re already a fan or getting to know these artists for the first time, WOMADelaide 2026 is ready for you.”
WOMAD founder Peter Gabriel said: “It’s brilliant to have an audience that cares so much about what WOMAD is, could be, and stands for. In a world in which many bad actors seem to be achieving power by fanning the flames of hatred, racism and division, a meeting place for all the world’s cultures and dreams, built on mutual respect, seems all the more precious.”
Tickets, the full program and festival details are available at womadelaide.com.au.
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