WOMADelaide is preparing to celebrate 35 years of bringing the sounds of the world to Australia, and its first line-up announcement for 2027 is every bit as adventurous as you would hope. UNDERWORLD, ANGINE DE POITRINE and FATOUMATA DIAWARA lead an eclectic collection of international artists heading to Adelaide next March, alongside previously announced names including LEON BRIDGES, MADNESS and TINARIWEN.
Returning to Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla from 5th – 8th March 2027, WOMADelaide will once again transform the South Australian capital into a meeting point for music, art, dance and cultures from across the globe. The anniversary edition promises four days of discovery, with artists spanning electronic music, psychedelic rock, soul, reggae, hip-hop, traditional folk and contemporary world music.
For a festival that has spent more than three decades introducing Australian audiences to sounds they might never otherwise encounter, this first announcement feels particularly fitting. There are familiar international names, long-awaited returns, fascinating newcomers and performers whose music refuses to fit neatly into any one category.
UNDERWORLD, ANGINE DE POITRINE AND FATOUMATA DIAWARA LEAD THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Few electronic acts have left a mark quite like UNDERWORLD. The British duo helped define the sound of 1990s rave culture, with Born Slippy .NUXX becoming an enduring dance anthem after its appearance in the film Trainspotting. Their ability to combine hypnotic rhythms, driving electronics and euphoric live performances has kept them relevant across generations, making their appearance one of the standout bookings for WOMADelaide 2027.
Taking a very different route to international attention are Canadian duo ANGINE DE POITRINE, whose bizarre visual identity and adventurous approach to instrumental music have made them one of the most talked-about acts in the contemporary alternative scene. Their elaborate papier-mâché masks, polka-dot costumes and elongated noses are immediately recognisable, but it is their intricate, rhythmically complex math-rock that makes them more than just an internet curiosity. Their Australian debut should be one of the festival’s most unusual and memorable performances.
FATOUMATA DIAWARA brings another distinctive voice to the programme. The Grammy-nominated Malian singer, guitarist and songwriter has built an international reputation by combining West African musical traditions with contemporary sounds, creating music that is both deeply rooted and outward-looking. Her collaborations have included Damon Albarn, Oumou Sangaré and Disclosure, reflecting a musical curiosity that makes her a natural fit for WOMADelaide.
Together, the three acts capture the festival’s spirit beautifully: established innovators alongside artists pushing music in unexpected directions.
GLOBAL SOUNDS, FROM ANATOLIAN PSYCH-ROCK TO AFRICAN SOUL
The international breadth of the 2027 line-up is where WOMADelaide really comes into its own. Altın Gün, the Dutch-Turkish group, have helped introduce a new generation to the psychedelic folk-rock sounds of 1970s Anatolia, blending Turkish musical traditions with fuzzed-up guitars, irresistible grooves and vintage-inspired arrangements.
South African seven-piece BCUC promise something altogether more explosive, bringing their Afro-psychedelic sound and powerful live energy to Adelaide. Jamaica’s Hempress Sativa will add roots reggae and dub, while Claudio Rabe brings high-voltage trance-rock influenced by Madagascar and Réunion.
India’s Wild Wild Women also stand out as a particularly significant booking. Recognised as the country’s first all-female rap group, they bring a fresh perspective to a genre that continues to develop new voices and audiences around the world. Meanwhile, Thailand’s Khun Narin will introduce festivalgoers to their hypnotic, multi-generational take on psychedelic trance music.
Elsewhere, Bhutan Balladeers will make their WOMADelaide debut as the first Bhutanese group to perform at the festival. Puerto Rico’s El Laberinto del Coco will bring the energy of a Latin big band, while The Haar offer contemporary interpretations of traditional Irish and Anglo-Irish folk music.
Spanish artist Maria Arnal adds another contemporary dimension, drawing on experimental electronics and innovative vocal techniques. American duo Haute & Freddy, appearing in Australia for the first time, promise theatrical, maximalist pop with a playful edge.
For anyone who enjoys leaving a festival with a list of new discoveries, this is the kind of programme that makes WOMADelaide special.
LEGENDARY RETURNS AND A CELEBRATION OF MUSICAL HISTORY
The 35th anniversary is also an opportunity to welcome back artists whose relationships with WOMADelaide stretch back years, and in some cases decades.
Ukrainian group DakhaBrakha return following their first Australian appearance at WOMADelaide in 2011. Their striking fusion of Ukrainian folk traditions, contemporary rhythms and theatrical performance has since taken them to major international stages, including Glastonbury. Their music combines haunting vocal harmonies with a powerful sense of cultural identity, making their return particularly timely.
Australian singer Christine Anu is another major returning name. One of the country’s most recognisable voices, she first appeared at WOMADelaide in 1995 and returned in 1997. Her presence offers a connection to the festival’s earlier years, while her enduring catalogue continues to resonate with audiences across generations. Perhaps the most poignant return belongs to Indian violin virtuoso Dr. L. Subramaniam, who performed at the very first WOMADelaide in 1992. With a career spanning more than five decades, he remains one of the most respected musicians in his field. His appearance brings the anniversary full circle, connecting the festival’s origins with the international musical community it has cultivated ever since.
The line-up also features Trials, the Australian rapper and producer known as one half of A.B. Original, presenting his new solo project. It is another example of how WOMADelaide balances established musical figures with artists continuing to explore new creative territory.
MORE THAN MUSIC: ART, DANCE AND EXPERIENCES AROUND THE PARK
WOMADelaide has always offered more than a conventional festival line-up, and the 2027 programme continues that tradition. South Korea’s Ambiguous Dance Company will present Body Concert, a performance that treats movement, rhythm and the human body with the energy and structure of a live music show.
British artist Luke Jerram’s Helios will also illuminate the park after dark. The spectacular installation features a seven-metre-diameter replica of the Sun, offering a striking visual centrepiece away from the main stages. French performance group Les Goulus return with three of their absurdist interactive shows: The Horsemen, Equicoaches and Cupids. The festival’s much-loved Taste the World programme will once again give artists the opportunity to share food, recipes and stories from home, while KidZone offers activities for younger visitors.
The Planet Talks will also return, bringing discussions around environmental and global issues into the festival experience. These elements underline why WOMADelaide has endured: it encourages audiences not simply to watch performances, but to explore different cultures, ideas and ways of seeing the world.
WOMADelaide 2027: Dates and Tickets
WOMADelaide returns to Adelaide’s Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla from Friday, 5th March, to Monday, 8th March 2027. The first line-up includes UNDERWORLD, ANGINE DE POITRINE, FATOUMATA DIAWARA, LEON BRIDGES, MADNESS, TINARIWEN, DAKHABRAKHA, CHRISTINE ANU, ALTIN GÜN, BCUC, HEMPRESS SATIVA, WILD WILD WOMEN and many more.
Thirty-five years after its beginnings in 1992, WOMADelaide remains a festival built around curiosity and discovery. Its 2027 programme brings together internationally recognised artists, cultural traditions and contemporary innovators in a way few major events can match.
With Underworld bringing the rave anthems, Angine de Poitrine promising something wonderfully unconventional and artists from across the world adding their own stories and sounds, the first announcement sets up a compelling anniversary celebration. And with more names still to come, there is every reason to expect WOMADelaide 2027 to be another memorable journey around the world’s music, without ever leaving Adelaide.
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