WOMADelaide has wrapped the 2024 festival – welcoming the world to Adelaide with four days of music, arts and dance in Adelaide’s Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla over 8-11 March – while celebrating an extension of the festival’s longstanding partnership with the State Government to 2029.

‘WOMADelaide has well and truly cemented its home in South Australia, with another five years locked in – building on an incredible 32 years in our state,’ says Premier Peter Malinauskas.

‘We choose to invest in world leading arts events like WOMADelaide because they add to the richness of our community and deliver significant economic benefits.’

WOMADelaide 2024 saw 72 acts from 40+ countries and the site undertaking its most significant redesign since its establishment – which delivered more green space and shaded areas, along with the stunning innovation of the 160-metre-long, cultural retail hub, WoMarkets, together with revised staging locations and clearway access routes – ready for the next five years of welcoming the world to Adelaide.

While Adelaide’s heatwave encouraged crowds to arrive later in the day, attendances over the four days approached 98,000 – with more four-day passes purchased than ever before, and an increase in ticket-buyers taking up the pay-as-you-go service.

Festival artists brought messages of hope, peace and unity, stages saw reggae royalty Ziggy Marley finally arrive four years after his Covid delayed appearance in 2020, the voice of the Tunisian revolution Emel Mathlouthi, Pakistani singer, composer and producer Arooj Aftab, Brazilian Tropicália pioneer and politician Gilberto Gil, and Afrobeat sensation and activist Seun Kuti & Egypt 80.

Other highlights at this year’s event included opening the festival on International Women’s Day with Grammy winning singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, Angolan-Portuguese singer Pongo and Ukrainian ‘ethno chaos’ quartet DakhaBrakha; festival favourite Sampa the Great making a surprise appearance for both ‘Zamrock’ band WITCH and one of Africa’s best-known artists Angélique Kidjo who returned to the WOMADelaide Foundation Stage; ARIA award-winner, Jen Cloher joined by Māori cultural performance group T’HONI to perform the Kapa Haka; and rapturous crowds were captivated by Senegalese superstar Baaba Maal, British jazz wunderkind Yussef Dayes, and Swedish folk hero José González.  

Performing throughout the stunning surrounds of Botanic Park, South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, in collaboration with Adelaide’s Slingsby Theatre Company, delighted audiences of all ages as the family of three life-size elephant puppets explored the festival each day; STREB EXTREME ACTION’s breathtaking feats of athletic prowess in their signature mix of slam dancing, human flight and wild action sport; South Korean performance collective Elephant’s Laugh Muljil’s dreamlike aquatic performance installation, and acclaimed aerialists Gratte Ciel returned with RoZéO, entranced audiences amongst the tree tops on 10 metre sway poles.

Speaking to the extension of the State Government’s partnership with WOMADelaide, WOMAD’s Global Chief Operating Officer, Mike Large says: ‘WOMAD here in Adelaide is a jewel in WOMAD’s crown. 

‘Over the last 42 years we’ve presented WOMAD in over 35 countries, and on our global stage – currently spanning four continents and both hemispheres – it’s not only our longest partnership but also longest running festival in the same location anywhere, Adelaide’s stunning Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla.

‘WOMAD is the World’s Festival and brings the world to the world with an ever-changing program. It only stands the test of time because it evolves and responds to its audience and location and to do that it relies on the passion and dedication of its patrons and nowhere is that passion and dedication stronger than Adelaide.’

Quotes attributable to Premier Peter Malinauskas

WOMADelaide has well and truly cemented its home in South Australia, another five years locked in – building on an incredible 32 years in our state.

We choose to invest in world leading arts events like WOMADelaide because they add to the richness of our community, and deliver significant economic benefits.

WOMADelaide is a significant event for attracting interstate and international visitors, creating jobs, and injecting more than $35 million into our state’s economy in 2023 alone.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison

WOMADelaide is an icon on the calendar of our Mad March major events and a wonderful tourism drawcard for South Australia.

It is fitting we announce another five years of WOMADelaide today, as our state’s festivals in February have boosted hotel occupancy in Adelaide to a record high.

The best February on record for hotels across greater metropolitan Adelaide, as our state’s tourism industry reaps the benefits of the Mad March long weekend.

 I look forward to seeing WOMADelaide continue to bring music, dance, arts and ideas from around the world to our city’s parklands for another five years and reinforcing South Australia’s position as our nation’s only UNESCO City of Music.

Quotes attributable to WOMAD’s Global Chief Operating Officer, Mike Large

WOMAD here in Adelaide is a jewel in WOMAD’s crown. Over the last 42 years we’ve presented WOMAD in over 35 counties, and on our global stage – currently spanning four continents and both hemispheres – it’s not only our longest partnership but also longest running festival in the same location anywhere, Adelaide’s stunning Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla.

WOMAD is the World’s Festival and brings the world to the world with an ever-changing program of extraordinary, diverse and joyous experiences. It only stands the test of time because it evolves and responds to its audience and location and to do that it relies on the passion and dedication of its partners and nowhere is that passion and dedication stronger than Adelaide.