For over 30 years, WOMADelaide has been unequivocally one of the most eclectic celebrations of culture in Australia. Showcasing a rich assortment of music, arts and dance from across the globe–unearthing new talent and programming some of the world’s most admired and accomplished musicians– year after year, audiences flock to Botanic Park to discover, dance, and immerse themselves in the ‘world’s festival.’ Returning to Australia for the first time in eight years, legendary multi-instrumentalist and two-time winner of the Mercury Music Prize, PJ Harvey (UK) brings her live show and full-band experience–performing songs from the Grammy-nominated tenth studio album I Inside the Old Year Dying and her remarkable back-catalogue for the festival’s opening night.
WOMADelaide Festival Director, Ian Scobie AM, said, ‘WOMADelaide is when Adelaide throws its arms around the world to welcome, share, discover and celebrate music, arts and dance and today’s announcement of 47 groups from 28 countries demonstrates why it truly is the world’s festival.’
’Minister for Tourism South Australia, Zoe Bettison said, ‘True to WOMADelaide’s roots, this impressive line-up showcases the best of music, dance, art, and thinking from every corner of the world. We know for more than 30 years WOMADelaide has attracted music lovers and festival goers from across the state, country, and world to the heart of our city –and with this diverse line-up, 2025 will be no different. This is exactly why the State Government has committed to supporting WOMADelaide for the next five years, to help ensure the festival continues to bring world-class acts, attract visitors, and fill hotel rooms. Now is the time to start locking in your March long-weekend plans in South Australia, to discover why Adelaide is the nation’s only UNESCO City of Music.”
No-one is better known for defining the space between classical and electronic music than the acclaimed pianist, composer, producer, and celebrated performer, Berlin-based Nils Frahm (Germany). Since his breakthrough album Felt in 2011, the exceptional instrumentalist has become renowned for his unconventional approach to the age-old instrument, the piano, garnering him international acclaim for his live shows and albums.
Born in Mozambique and raised in Lisbon’s Mouraria district, Mariza (Portugal) is a global superstar and one of the most acclaimed Fado singers of our time. With a career spanning over 20 years, 30 platinum albums, and countless accolades, Mariza has performed around the world, and has shared stages with musical legends such as Sting, Gilberto Gil, Lenny Kravitz, Cesária Évora, and Tito Paris.
Known for his dynamic fusion of Balkan folk, rock, and classical influences, Goran Bregović& His Wedding & Funeral Band (Serbia) has forged a unique sound that is both universal and unmistakably his own with iconic anthems such as Bella Ciao, Kalashnikovand In the Death Car. Musician, producer and composer, Nitin Sawhney CBE (UK) is a formidable talent across many genres–from his own brand of British electronica and fusion, to composing for orchestras and film, and artists such as Paul McCartney, Sting and Akram Khan–he returns after being unable to travel to the 2024 festival.
A pioneering voice in the renaissance of British jazz, Shabaka (UK) transcends conventional notions of genre and draws from a vast palette of cultural influences, which has seen him become one of the most celebrated jazz musicians of the decade. Releasing his first solo album Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace in 2024, Shabaka’s wide-ranging career has also seen him lead influential bands Sons of Kemet, The Comet is Coming, and Shabaka and the Ancestors.
After performing at the 2016 festival to huge acclaim, 47SOUL (Palestine/Jordan) return with their message of equality for the world. Melding hip-hop, electronica and R&B with the sounds of Dabke (the traditional music from the Levantine region), they’ve created their own music genre ‘Shamstep’, a sound for the people of the Sham region (Palestine, Jordan,Lebanonand Syria).
Queen Omega (Trinidad & Tobago) isof the biggest female stars on the international dancehall-reggae scene. Since the 1990s, she has been blazing a trail for other women artists through her powerful performances and conscious messages.
Having wowed audiences at Adelaide Festival’s popular Red Square club in 1996, from the village of Ota, the exceptional taiko drum ensemble and masters of this ancient traditional percussion art form, O.TA.I.KO ZA MYOJIN (Japan) return. Intertwining the haunting sounds of a single zither with two distinct voices, Duo Ruut (Estonia) craft a minimalist yet imaginative musical tapestry. Their contemporary songwriting is deeply influenced by diverse cultural beliefs, reflecting an emotive journey that resonates and captivates audiences worldwide.
Founded in the mid-1950s by visionary Sun Ra in Chicago, Sun Ra Arkestra (USA) stands as a force in the realms of synthesiser innovation and free jazz, with a mission to spread positive vibrations and elevate the universe through music.
While Durand Jones & The Indications (USA) –loved for their joyous and energetic performances, dual lead singers, and thoughtful songwriting–push beyond the boundaries of funk and soul and reach for inspiration in vintage disco vibes.
Sydney-based artist Ngaiire (PNG/Aus) –from the Eastern Highlands and New Ireland provinces of Papua New Guinea –premieres her new project PAIA, a spectacular live performance and visual experience. Known for her captivating fusion of electronic neo-soul, gospel, and pop, she has shared stages with artists like Sufjan Stevens, Alicia Keys and Flume.
A storyteller who brings an evocative and expressive voice to Australia’s blues and roots scene, 2024 multi-ARIA award nominee Emily Wurramara (Aus), a Warnindhilyagwa woman from Groote Eylandt, sings in both English and Anindilyakwa language. While the Arnhem-Land-based eight-piece funk band –led by the shy-but-extravagant, blind, keytar-wielding Yolngu Elder –Andrew Gurruwiwi Band(Aus) serves up high-energy infectious grooves.
Since forming on Invasion Day in 2022, First Nations trio 3% (Aus) –made up of hip-hop MCs Dallas Woods, Nooky, and Angus Field – released their debut album KILL THE DEAD this year, which impressively has been nominated for four ARIA awards. ‘We’re not just 3%–we’re 100% black magic,’ they say.
An Australian premiere and coup for the festival, Yoann Bourgeois Art Company (France) brings The unreachable suspension point, a captivating work comprising a revolving staircase, trampoline and dancers exploring weightlessness and the spiralling themes of life. Breaking down the barriers between dance, theatre, music, visual installation ,and audio-visual art, Bourgeois has worked on film projects with artists such as Coldplay, Harry Styles, FKA twigs and Pink.
Australian leading performing arts company, Bangarra Dance Theatre (Aus) –a company of dancers, storytellers and fire makers–presents its first main stage cross-cultural collaboration, The Light Inside. The breathtaking performance work, created by Māori choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson and Bangarra alumna Deborah Brown, explores cultural forces that bind us together, across oceans and the First Peoples of the Oceania region.
Elsewhere in Botanic Park, WOMADelaide 2025 will see the return of the WoMarkets–a shaded hub of more than 40 retail stalls, in the tradition of a marketplace where different cultures share their wares – along Plane Tree Drive.
Also returning is The Studio, a theatre space created within the Adelaide Botanic High Gym, where a range of performances have been presented since 2022. This year the festival welcomes Adelaide’s own Restless Dance Theatre in Seeing Through Darkness and actor/ theatre-maker Dorcy Rugamba’s musical reading Hewa Rwanda: Letter to the Absent.
The festival will again host a plethora of taste-tempting international food stalls; the tranquil fine-dining experience of The Sanctuary Restaurant at Adelaide Zoo; the three-day conversational forum Planet Talks and KidZone–where adventure meets education for young festival goers.
Grammy-winning singer, actor and activist Yemi Alade (Nigeria) resonates with audiences worldwide. Seamlessly merging Afropop, dancehall, Amapiano, rumba, Afrobeat, reggae, and R’n’B, Alade’s dynamic discography and spectacular live shows have seen her win two MTV African Music awards, two nominations for the BET awards, and become the first African woman to be nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards.
into a musical family, Protoje & The Indiggnation (Jamaica) blends hip hop, soul and jazz into the sounds of his native reggae and dancehall. A key figure in the ‘reggae revival’ movement, he gained mainstream recognition with Who Knows featuring Chronixx released in 2015. With a career-spanning seven albums, collaborations with artists like Jorja Smith and Alicia Keys, and two Grammy nominations–he continues to shape the sound of modern reggae.
Pioneers of jazz-informed hip hop, Digable Planets (USA) continue to captivate audiences over 30 years after their debut. Bursting onto the scene in 1993 and known for Grammy-winning hits like Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) they will perform their seminal release Blowout Comb, alongside a selection of their most iconic tracks.
Also on the line- up is contemporary folk singer-songwriter Bess Atwell (UK) and Nana Benz du Togo (Togo), whose ceremonial electro-voodoo-soul sound fuses hand-made instruments with electronic beats and powerful female voices.
While Inuk artist Elisapie (Canada) – from a remote village in Nunavik, Quebec –has a powerful connection to her homeland, with its harsh environmental beauty and indigenous Inuktitut language shaping her music.
Electrifying London duo O. (UK) – baritone saxophonist Joe Henwood and drummer Tash Keary –deliver a fierce blend of jazz, metal and breakbeats.
Peruvian-born, Berlin-based DJ Sofia Kourtesis (Peru), mixes Latin American vibrancy with Berlin’s club energy. Kourtesis has performed at major international festivals including Glastonbury and Primavera, and earned accolades from the likes of Pitchfork, The Guardian, and The New York Times.
Sydney/Eorabased artist DEVAURA (NZ/Aus) is arising force in the Australian music scene whose music explores themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, reflecting her resilience as a queer, first-generation immigrant.
Owelu Dreamhouse(Aus), a new ten-piece outfit created by Nkechi Anele and Nic Ryan-Glenie from Saskwatch, combines psychedelic soul with West African musical traditions. The internationally acclaimed Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir (Aus) blends baroque choral arrangements with ancient sacred songs in Western Arrarnta and Pitjantjatjara languages.
And in celebration of the 50th year of Papua New Guinea’s Independence, The Australian Art Orchestra’s (AAO) Artistic Director Aaron Choulai has created a stunning choral concert, Ane Ta Abia, in collaboration with the 12-piece Tatana Village Choir.
The annual WOMADelaide x Northern Sound System Academy music development program unearths Adelaide’s newest and brightest emerging stars, with artists Bousta and Meena De Silva selected from the recent Academy Showcase set to perform at the 2025 festival. Bousta, a proud Eastern Arrernte man who shares his time between Alice Springs/Mparntweand Adelaide/Tarntanya, is an exciting hip-hop MC who raps in English and Arrernte. De Silva, a Sri Lankan-Australian pop/R&B artist, melds her classical training with modern influencesand soulful vocals.
French street theatre pioneers ilotopie (France), return to Adelaide for the first time since appearing at the 1992 Adelaide Festival in the Around the Park program with Les Gens de Couleur (Coloured People). This surreal, interactive performance transforms brightly painted performers into living sculptures, captivating audiences with poetic and thought-provoking encounters.
Dear Stranger, from the mind of acclaimed actor Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Aus), turns letter-writing into an adventure, creating a joyful exchange of anonymous stories and unexpected human connections between strangers.
Sanctuary Restaurant returns in 2025, offering a refined dining experience inspired by Australia’s native ingredients and botanical richness.With views across Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla guests can enjoy shared plates featuring locally-sourced ingredients and bold native flavours led by Executive Chef Jamie Musgrave, Restaurant Botanic.
WOMADelaide is proudly supported by the State Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission. Tickets and more information can be found atwomadelaide.com.au
First Announcement of Artists :•3% (Aus)•47SOUL (Palestine/Jordan)•Ana Carla Maza (Cuba)•Andrew Gurruwiwi Band (Aus)•Bala Desejo (Brazil)•Bangarra Dance Theatre –The Light Inside(Aus)•Bonny Light Horseman (USA)•Chris Kamu’ana Rohoimae -Pacific Break winner (Solomon Islands)•Cie Paris Benares -Chamôh (Camel)(France)•Delgres (France)•DJ Paulette (UK)•Dream Engine –Heliosphere(UK)•Duo Ruut (Estonia)•Durand Jones & The Indications (USA)•Ela Minus (Colombia)•Eleanor Jawurlngali –(Aus)•Elsy Wameyo (Kenya)•Emily Wurramara –(Aus)•Etran de l’Aïr(Niger)•Goran Bregović& His Wedding & Funeral Band (Serbia)•Hewa Rwanda (Rwanda/Senegal)•John Grant (USA)•The Joy (South Africa)•Khruangbin (USA)•Lindigo (Réunion)•The Lofty Mountain Band (Aus)•Majnun (Senegal)•The Mande Spirit (Aus)•Mariza(Portugal)•Miss Kanina (Aus)•Ngaiire (PNG/Aus)•Nils Frahm (Germany)•Nitin Sawhney (UK)•Norsicaa (UK/Aus)•O.TA.I.KO ZA MYOJIN (Japan)•PJ Harvey (UK)•Queen Omega (Trinidad & Tobago)•Restless Dance Theatre –Seeing Through Darkness(Aus)•Satish Vyas & U Rajesh (India)•Shabaka (UK)•Silent Observers (Aus)•Sun Ra Arkestra (USA)•Talisk (Scotland)•Trio da Kali (Mali)•UPK Allstars(Aus)•Wrong Way Up (South Sudan/Aus)•Yoann Bourgeois Art Company -The unreachable suspension point(France)
Second Announcement of Artists :•Amaru Tribe (Aus) •Ane Ta Abia by Aaron Choulai, Australian Art Orchestra and Tatana Village Choir (Aus/PNG)•Bess Atwell (UK)•Bousta (Aus) •Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir (Aus) •The Cloud Maker (Aus/NZ)•Dear Strangerby Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Aus) •DEVAURA (NZ/Aus) •Digable Planets (USA)•Dojo Rise (Aus) •Dustyn (Aus) •Elisapie (Canada)•ilotopie – Les Gens de Couleur(France) •Kara Manansala (Aus)•Meena De Silva (Sri Lanka/Aus) •Ms Chipeta (Aus) •Nana Benz du Togo (Togo)•O. (UK)•Owelu Dreamhouse (Aus) •Protoje& The Indiggnation(Jamaica)•Saigon Soul Revival (Vietnam)•Sauljaljui (Taiwan)•Sofia Kourtesis (Peru)•TEK TEK Ensemble (Aus) •Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
7-10 March 2025
Botanic Park/ Tainmuntilla
, Nils Frahm (Germany), Mariza (Portugal), Goran Bregović & His Wedding & Funeral Band (Serbia), CieYoann Bourgeois (France) and Bangarra Dance Theatre (Aus) joining Khruangbin (USA), the Queen of Afropop, Yemi Alade (Nigeria), Grammy-nominated reggae/dance hall star Protoje & The Indiggnation (Jamaica), and legendary 90s hip-hop trio Digable Planets (USA).){kind=link}