WOMADelaide has expanded its 2026 program with the addition of 20 new artists, reinforcing its long reputation as one of Australia’s most adventurous global music gatherings. The festival returns to Botanic Park, Tainmuntilla across the March long weekend, 6 to 9 March 2026, with a lineup that blends iconic names with vital new voices.
This new announcement confirms exclusive Australian performances from Arrested Development, the groundbreaking Atlanta collective who redefined hip-hop in the early 1990s with socially conscious storytelling. Their debut album 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of… delivered a new direction for the genre and earned them Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, a historic moment for hip-hop.
The revered Malian vocalist and activist Oumou Sangaré will also appear exclusively in Australia, bringing her distinct blend of Wassoulou tradition and contemporary expression. Sangaré’s influence stretches across African music, global pop and social advocacy, with her work championing women’s rights throughout her career.
Italian superstar Jovanotti is confirmed to headline the festival’s opening night. Jovanotti’s career spans more than three decades, shaped by a fusion of pop, funk and global rhythms that helped position him as one of Italy’s most influential modern artists.
The latest announcement also brings Canadian jazz-fusion innovators BADBADNOTGOOD, Dutch-New Zealand blues-funk trio My Baby, and American gospel family ensemble Annie & The Caldwells. Amsterdam’s psychedelic six-piece Nusantara Beat will make their debut, bringing a modern interpretation of Indonesian heritage music.
They join Fantastic Negrito, the Grammy-winning American blues guitarist whose work merges Delta grit with contemporary edge, and a wide roster of Australian favourites. The 2026 bill features KAIIT, Mama Kin Spender and newcomer Alcides Neto, who represents a growing wave of Brazilian Australian artists.
Festival director Ian Scobie says the expanded lineup captures the spirit of exploration that defines WOMADelaide. Scobie notes that 2026 offers discovery at every step, adding that audiences can arrive as long-time fans or first-time listeners, with the festival ready to welcome both.
The newly announced artists sit alongside previously revealed acts including Yothu Yindi, Obongjayar, Kankawa Nagarra, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s Rosas Danst Rosas, Baker Boy, Troy Cassar-Daley with string quartet, DJ Jyoty and the Moroccan ensemble Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou.
WOMAD founder Peter Gabriel emphasises the importance of cultural connection in the modern world. Gabriel states that the festival remains a space where creativity and respect unite audiences and artists, making its global gathering more valuable today than ever.
The 2026 festival will present more than 600 artists from 69 groups representing 38 countries, forming one of the largest editions in its history. WOMADelaide continues to be a destination for audiences seeking a wide-ranging encounter with music, dance and cultural expression.
Full A-Z Lineup
Åkervinda (Sweden)
Alcides Neto (Brazil/AUS)
Alfio Antico & Go Dugong (Italy)
Alogte Oho & His Sounds Of Joy (Ghana)
Annahstasia (USA)
Annie & The Caldwells (USA)
Any Young Mechanic (AUS)
Arrested Development (USA)
Ashkan Shafiei (Iran/AUS)
Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou (Morocco)
Australian Art Orchestra with Kojoe & Hikaru Tanaka – Raw Denshi (Japan/AUS)
BADBADNOTGOOD (Canada)
Baker Boy (AUS)
Balaganesan & Bageswari (India)
BARKAA (AUS)
Beoga (Ireland)
Bhutan Balladeers (Bhutan)
Blinky Bill (Kenya)
Bobby Alu (Samoa/AUS)
Born In A Taxi – Higher Order, Illuminati, Please Wait Here, Sleep Keepers & Zebras (AUS)
BVT (Philippines/AUS)
Chloe Loftus Dance – The Air Between Us (NZ/Belgium)
Cie Hors Surface – Le poids des Nuages & HOME, Damien Droin (France)
Crazy P (DJ set) (UK)
Daughters Of Donbas (Ukraine/Canada)
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek (Germany)
Džambo Aguševi Orchestra (Macedonia)
Fantastic Negrito (USA)
Ganavya (India/USA)
GANNA (Ukraine)
Georgia Knight (AUS)
Iron & Wine (USA)
Jalen Ngonda (USA/UK)
Jovanotti (Italy)
Jyoty (UK)
KAIIT (PNG/AUS)
Kankawa Nagarra (AUS)
La Perla (Colombia)
The Lazy Eyes (AUS)
Lewis Major Projects – Triptych REDUX (AUS)
MĀ (NZ)
Mama Kin Spender (AUS)
Mantis (Vanuatu)
Marlon Williams (NZ)
Maryam Rahmani (Iran/AUS)
Meganesia (PNG/AUS/West Papua)
Megatronic (UK)
Mungo’s Hi Fi feat. Eva Lazarus (UK)
MY BABY (The Netherlands/NZ)
My Chérie (South Africa/AUS)
Nattali Rize (AUS/Jamaica)
The Necks (AUS)
Nusantara Beat (The Netherlands)
Obongjayar (Nigeria/UK)
Orange Blossom (France)
Osadía (Spain)
Oumou Sangaré (Mali)
Roberto Fonseca (Cuba)
Rosas – Rosas danst Rosas, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker (Belgium)
Sama’ Abdulhadi (Palestine)
SAN DRAGAN (Myanmar/China/AUS)
Stan’s Café – Of All The People In All The World & The Commentators (UK)
Troy Cassar-Daley (AUS)
Xylourides (Greece)
YASHA (Japan/AUS)
Yothu Yindi (AUS)
Yuka Okazaki (Japan/France)
The Zawose Queens (Tanzania)
Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange (AUS)
Tickets and information: womadelaide.com.au
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