WOMADelaide 2026 review: How a city found joy in a global music celebration
Marlon Williams was joined by Kapa Haka group Ngā Mātai Pūrua on the final night of WOMADelaide 2026. (WOMADelaide: Bri Hammond)
No matter who is playing, attending WOMADelaide tends to be an emotional experience.
It's a place to hear stories from cultures other than our own, and understand a world beyond what's immediately in front of us.
With the world the way it is right now — terrifying conflict in war zones, worrying conflict in comments sections, and endless anxieties like pandemics, AI, cost of living — there are plenty of reasons to be bummed out.
So, it feels significant that the dominant emotion around WOMADelaide this year was joy.
"Take that bullshit and turn it into good shit," American blues rocker Fantastic Negrito exclaims in a James Brown-inspired soul scorcher on the final evening of this year's festival.
It might as well be the anthem for the whole event.
Finding joy in everything
Joy does not need to be felt in isolation. So, while Barkaa's takeover of stage 3 on Saturday night is angry and uncompromising, it's also clear that this anger is born from love.
She wants the best for people like her, because she knows the psychological torment of hitting rock bottom.
Baker Boy's Sunday night WOMADelaide set was a hit with all ages. (WOMADelaide: Bri Hammond)
"It doesn't matter if you're on drugs, you're sacred," she appeals after sharing her experience with ice addiction. "You can fall down, but don't stay down there."
Baker Boy's dominant Sunday night set is equally intense if a little less profane. He's been a superstar from the moment we first heard him, but as he spits the aggressive bars of Thick Skin from a raised platform, clad in all-black, he seems more powerful and formidable than ever.
He's a hit with revellers of all ages. Young kids and grandparents dance and watch on in awe, grins a mile wide. The overall scale of his WOMAD show felt like Baker Boy's biggest moment yet.
It feels a long way from the hill country blues-inspired set from Kankawa Nagarra. The 79-year-old Gooniyandi and Walmatjarri elder is a long way from her home in the Kimberley, and appears to be loving every second, relishing the chance to tell her story of cultural rebellion that ended in her becoming the first — and only — blues woman from the Kimberley.
Kankawa Nagarra, the Kimberley's only blues woman, made plenty of new fans at WOMAD. (Double J: Dan Condon)
Northern Australian rock'n'roll royalty Yothu Yindi charge through a set of classics that feel especially anthemic on the festival's massive Foundation Stage.
When the band hits their stride it's clear that powerful works like Djapana, Maralitja, and the ageless Treaty, are still so affecting 30 years on, and will continue to have a life well into the future.
Nigerian singer Obongjayar keeps the fierce energy up in Baker Boy's wake. His dancing is aggressive, his powerful voice both brutal and beautiful.
Nigeria's Obongjayar delivered one of WOMADelaide's most intense and memorable shows. (WOMADelaide: Saige Prime)
His is a punk show, a jazz show, there's a little high life and a lot of soul. The music gets psychedelic, the dancing is athletic, and it's as cathartic as it is entertaining.
Headliner Grace Jones wants everyone to have a good time, her hula-hooping conclusion set to iconic track Slave To The Rhythm concluding an untouchable greatest hits set that no-one can look away from.
Mississippi family band Annie & the Caldwells give a funk-fuelled gospel sermon so compelling that surely even atheists are singing "I believe" by the end of the set. Matriarch Annie Caldwell is a force of nature, and her husband, two daughters, two sons and goddaughter family band sets the groove we cannot escape.
Blinky Bill brought a little bit of Kenya to Adelaide this weekend. (Double J: Dan Condon)
Along with Negrito, Kenya's Blinky Bill is one of a few artists to vocalise the value of countering the negativity of the world with joy through his set of reggae, R&B and hip hop-influenced work.
Stunning as Marlon Williams's set is, it hits a whole new gear when Kapa Haka group Ngā Mātai Pūrua emerge for the set's conclusion. The beauty of their group vocals and movement is powerful enough, the joyous smiles that accompany every move and every note make it all hit even harder.
Puerto Rico might be the centre of the music world right now, but Roberto Fonseca reminds us of the power of his homeland with an outstanding set of piano-driven Cuban jazz.
Papua New Guinea neo-soul star Kaiit was a highlight of WOMAD in 2026. (Double J: Dan Condon)
Backed by a three-piece horn section and DJ, Kaiit's world class vocals are every bit as smooth and intoxicating live as on record.
Nattali Rize's Australian return is as packed with energy as we've come to expect from her decades as a formidable frontwoman.
The sweet soul of Jalen Ngonda is a more subdued but equally affecting offering.
Alogte Oho & His Sounds Of Joy are an easy highlight of the festival, their showcase of Ghanaian sounds giving us the best sounding education of the weekend. They share their songs, dances, brilliant harmonies and equally dazzling outfits with generosity, the undulating musical journey easily delivering on the promise of the band's name.
Hip hop headliners Arrested Development bring big energy to close things out, showing not just the enduring value of their classic work from three decades ago, but the continuing quality of what they still bring to hip hop and music at large in 2026.
We are WOMADelaide
The artists offer us so much. The workers behind the scenes, and those who fund it, make it possible.
"When it began it was a bit of an experiment, we had three stages and it gradually grew," long-time festival director Ian Scobie told ABC News Breakfast last week.
But WOMAD's success is ultimately down to one group.
"I don't think any of us involved in those early days thought it would have this kind of longevity. It's only grown because of the audiences,"Scobie said.
With so much competition for our money and our attention, every single person who buys a ticket is choosing to invest in something meaningful.
It's also something fleeting and intangible, in a physical sense your ticket price only gets you a plastic wristband and two sore feet, but it also comes with a boatload of memories.
But it doesn't end with simply buying a ticket. Approaching the festival with an open mind, an open heart and, most importantly, open ears, ensures a great experience for you and those around you.
When we all buy into the spirit of the event, the openness and the joy, we're creating a space where every person, every story, every emotion is not just welcome but nurtured.
Practically perfect weather helped spirits soar at WOMAD this year.
It's not utopia, but joy is everywhere. Everyone is smiling, most of them are dancing. Some have sunstroke, some are drunk. If there's antisocial behaviour, it mustn't be too prevalent — the vibes just don't suggest there's much tension in the air this year.
The music might be the reason for this spirit, but the weather helps. Warm days and chilly evenings are a welcome respite from the brutal heat that has turned recent events into endurance tests.
Whatever it is that gave WOMADelaide its immaculate vibe in 2026 will hopefully linger in Botanic Park for many years to come.
"You want to change the world? Be nice to people," Fantastic Negrito said towards the end of his set.
It might not be that easy, but this year's WOMADelaide suggests there's worse places to start.