WOMADelaide has lifted the curtain on its second artist announcement for 2026, revealing a wave of global heavy-hitters and boundary-pushing performers set to transform Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla across the March long weekend. Running from 6–9 March, next year’s festival is gearing up to be one of its most adventurous programs yet, with another 20 artists now added to the already stacked lineup.
Leading the reveal is US hip-hop visionaries Arrested Development, returning for an exclusive Australian performance. As the first hip-hop group to ever win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, their socially conscious lyrics and unmistakable sound have inspired generations. They’re joined by Malian superstar Oumou Sangaré, one of Africa’s most influential vocalists and activists. Her presence alone signals a rare opportunity for Australian audiences, with her soaring voice and political storytelling known for moving crowds to total stillness.
Italian pop icon Jovanotti will make his WOMADelaide debut, headlining opening night with the kind of joyous, high-energy performance that has earned him a global following. It’s a coup for the festival and a sign of the international pull WOMADelaide continues to command.
The lineup dives even deeper with Canadian jazz-fusion innovators BADBADNOTGOOD; blues-funk trio MY BABY; American gospel family group Annie & The Caldwells, whose newest album earned praise from Sir Elton John; and Amsterdam’s Nusantara Beat, a psychedelic six-piece proudly channelling their Indonesian roots. Joining them are Fantastic Negrito, a soulful, gritty blues storyteller; festival favourites Kaiit and Mama Kin Spender; and rising Brazilian-Australian voice Alcides Neto.
As Double J puts it, “The real magic of WOMAD lies in discovery – many leave raving about artists and genres they never knew existed.” It’s that sense of revelation that sits at the heart of WOMADelaide’s identity, and this announcement leans right into it.
These new additions join a lineup already featuring icons and innovators including Yothu Yindi, Obongjayar, First Nations gospel singer Kankawa Nagarra, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s acclaimed Rosas danst Rosas, Baker Boy, Troy Cassar-Daley with a string quartet, DJ Jyoty and Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou. With more than 600 artists in 69 groups from 38 countries, WOMADelaide 2026 is shaping up as a four-day celebration unlike anything else in Australia.
Festival Director Ian Scobie says, “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 echoes the sentiment, saying, “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.”
With this second announcement setting the tone, 2026 is shaping up to be an unforgettable year in the park.
The full A-Z list of WOMADelaide artists, including those in the 27 November announcement (listed in bold), is:
- 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 more information can be found at: womadelaide.com.au
