General
WOMADelaide is held in Botanic Park, between Hackney Rd and Frome Rd near the Adelaide CBD. The easiest way to get to the festival site is by walking, riding, or catching public transport from the CBD or surrounding areas.
View location on Google Maps HERE or our GETTING HERE page for further info.
Taking Your Bike
We offer bike parks to accommodate more than 700 bikes, located adjacent to both the Hackney and Frome Rd entrances.
Parking
Parking is very limited near the festival. There is no parking available on site and little in adjacent residential streets, so we recommend you park 'n' walk from the city (5-10 mins walk), or ride a bike, take the bus or share a cab with friends.
| Friday 8 March | 4:00pm - 12:30am |
| Saturday 9 March | 11:00am* - 1:00am |
| Sunday 10 March | 11:00am - Midnight |
| Monday 11 March | 11:00am - Midnight |
| Saturday & Sunday Night Passes |
Access from 5:30pm |
*Frome Rd Gate is open from 9am on 9 March to access Speakers' Corner and Frome Park areas ONLY
We ask that you do not leave ANY of your possessions in the park overnight, or try to "stake out" a spot for the four days. Anything left unattended overnight will be removed by security staff.
There is strictly no camping on site at WOMADelaide as the venue is part of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide.
Adelaide Caravan Park is the closest camping ground to the festival site and is within walking distance.
Many further accomodation options both in the Adelaide CBD and around South Australia can be found at www.southaustralia.com.
Fundraising is not permitted by anyone on site. If you would like your organisation to have a presence at WOMADelaide please apply for a Display Stall space via our APPLY page.
Absolutely no flyering is permitted inside the festival grounds or outside the entrances due to our obligation of care for Botanic Park and our zero waste-to-landfill targets. WOMADelaide's distribution of paper handouts is restricted to the official pocket-guide.
We love a happy snap and encourage you to share your good times with us on social media, however professional-grade still and video cameras will not be allowed on site.*
Why?
This is a requirement of our artists' performance contracts and is requested out of respect for their performance and intellectual property rights. In addition, the use of long-lens cameras can interfere with other patrons' enjoyment of the performances. Audio recording equipment is similarly prohibited.
*A professional-grade camera is considered to be any camera with a detachable lens.
Sorry, busking is not permitted at WOMADelaide. If you wish to apply to perform at WOMADelaide, please see information for artists on our APPLY page.
Please head to our APPLY page for all info on how to get involved with the festival.
At The Festival
St John's Ambulance and first aid can be found between the Foundation Stage and Stage 2.
Please remember to be sun-smart during WOMADelaide! TerryWhite Chemmart and Channel 9 will be supplying free sunscreen during the festival next to St John's.
WOMADelaide takes measures to minimise damage to Botanic Park and reduce dust. These measures include regular watering of the park and restricting traffic before and during the festival, ground protection mats for heavy vehicle access and high foot traffic areas, and mist stations when needed.
We strongly recommend patrons come prepared for managing their asthma. Asthma Australia provides some good resources on their website HERE.
Absolutely! Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult to WOMADelaide, and discounted Youth Passes are available for ages 13 - 17.
We ask that caregivers get a children's wristband upon entry from just inside the gates, the Info Booth, or KidZone. Please write the responsible adult's name AND mobile number clearly on the wristband.
There's a ton of useful information for families available HERE.
There are four main toilet locations spread across the park, with additional privacy screened and accessible toilets. Toilet facilities are clearly marked on the maps in the pocket guide, the festival app, website and on large park signage.
In keeping with the South Australian Government health regulations introduced on 1 July 2016 that ban smoking from all outdoor dining areas, WOMADelaide is a smoke-free event. Festival goers wishing to smoke will be able to do so in three designated smoking areas. Cigarettes are not sold at WOMADelaide.
During the festival, please report any lost property to the Information Booth. Any found items unclaimed during festival hours will be returned to the festival office on the Wednesday following the event (tel 08 8271 1488) and held until Friday 29 March. Thereafter, valuables will be taken to the Norwood Police Station (tel 08 8207 6800) and the remaining items will be donated to charity.
Good karma is part of the WOMADelaide experience - if you find any valuables please do the right thing and hand them in to the Info Booth!
There will be a cloak room located at the 2 main entrances at Frome Road and Hackney Road. The cloak room is for use with a gold coin donation, with all proceeds to Food Bank Australia.
The cloak room will close at 12:30am nightly, after this time your items will be unavailable for collection and the marquee will be closed and unattended. All items are left at your own risk and WOMADelaide takes no responsibility for items left behind.
What you CAN check in
- Handbags, small bags or daypacks
What you CAN’T check in
- Valuables (wallets/purses, phones, cameras, signed Peter Gabriel vinyl)
- Coats/jumpers or loose items of clothing
- Prams/strollers
- Open bags (e.g. shopping bags)
- Tents and blankets
ATM's are clearly located on the maps in the pocket guide, the festival app, website and on large park signage.
WOMADelaide Bars are cashless, which means they will only accept payment using credit added to your RFID wristbands OR via PayWave/PayPass/EFTPOS. Other festival services such as food and retail stalls, TTW restaurant, and the WoShop will still receive cash or card payments.
Yes, Uniti Wireless will be providing free WiFi coverage at multiple hotspots across the park. More info on phone charging options will be available closer to the festival.
Thanks to the generous support of Channel 9, our shaded and elevated seating banks are available for anyone requiring an extra level of care and comfort in front of the Foundation Stage and Stage 2.
Please only bring low-standing, beach-style chairs to WOMADelaide. Those who want to remain seated for a performance must sit at the outer edges and rear of the audience areas. For selected performances, the audience will be asked by the stage MC to sit down and, in these cases, those who want to stand or dance will be asked to move to the outer edges and rear of the audience area. Please be aware that "staking" out a spot in front of a stage with chairs or blankets for any performance not designated as a "seated performance" is prohibited as this can become a safety concern when large crowds of people can unpredictably converge at stages.
Up to 22,000 people attend the festival each day and it's an on-the-move crowd, so please understand that you can’t "reserve' a spot. Generally speaking it is a 'stand up and dance' crowd – the ‘D’ in WOMAD does stand for dance after all. We also ask that out of courtesy to your fellow festivalgoers you do not leave picnic rugs in the park overnight to "save" a spot, as this is particularly unfair on our single-day pass holders. In addition, for security reasons any possessions left unattended overnight will be removed.
Global Village
The Global Village is home to over 50 food stalls, offering an incredibly diverse selection of international cuisines prepared by some of Australia’s finest food vendors.
Taste The World Restaurant
Nestled inside the festival is the Taste The World restaurant. This is a sit down restaurant dining experience surrounded by the sights, sounds and colours of WOMADelaide. Bookings in advance are recommended via our website.
Vegan & Vegetarian Options
There are lots of vegan and vegetarian options, and many stalls will also be offering gluten-free and dairy-free options, see our FOOD + DRINK pages for information on festival vendors.
Can I bring my own snackos and drinks?
Of course. You can bring your own food and un-opened, non-alcoholic drinks, but absolutely no glass bottles or containers are allowed on site.
Water
There are multiple free, clean, tap-water stations marked on the festival map for your use.
Head to the WoZone! The WoShop will be selling a wide variety of official WOMADelaide and artist merchandise, and Mr V Music will have artist CDs available for sale, plus books from our Planet Talks Speakers. Artist signings will be located next to Mr V Music - keep an eye on the blackboard out the front for each day's signing schedule.
There are plenty - but they're friendly. At the gates, security will check your bags for alcohol and glass which can not be brought into the park. SEALED bottles of water / juice are permitted but anything open will be disposed of at the gates.
Security will keep an eye out for people filming live performances (a no-no), and for any antisocial behaviour in the crowd, along with SA Police.
Everyone in the park must be wearing a valid wristband, no exceptions. PLEASE don't try and jump the fence to get in - you will be seen by security and people have been seriously injured in the past. Anyone without a valid wristband will be referred to the Police.
If you have any suggestions or comments, please write to us at info@womadelaide.com.au. During the festival itself, you can also refer any feedback to the staff at the Info Booth.
Cashless Bars
Please be aware that WOMADelaide Bars are cashless. Further specific info will be available here closer to the festival.
Please note other festival services such as food and retail stalls, TTW restaurant, and the WoShop will still receive cash or card payments.
What To Bring
- Your wristband! (or your booking reference number/confirmation email)
- Valid photo ID
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Medication (especially for asthma or hayfever as the park can get dusty at times)
- Clothes to suit the weather / rain poncho
- Portable phone charger
- Insect repellent if the mossies love you
- Smiles
- Sturdy shoes
- Friends
- Sunnies
- Water bottle
- Positive vibes
- Respect for your fellow WOMADelaideans
- Party pants
What Not To Bring
Pop-up sunshades can be brought to WOMADelaide, but must only be set up in areas of the park WELL away from all sightlines and traffic areas. For Stage 1 the only area which can be used is ‘the pines’ area marked out towards Hackney Road.
Sunshades MUST be removed when you leave at night and tents or other structures of any kind are not allowed anywhere in the park.
If you bring a chair to sit on, it must be of the low-standing, beach-style variety, especially if you want to use it in front of the stages for seated performances. These will also be available for purchase at the WOshop.
Umbrellas will not be allowed into the park as they can be a safety concern in addition to disrupting other patrons experience of the event. In the case of inclement weather, we recommend packing a light rain proof jacket w/ hood and/or a lightweight poncho. Small, flat parasols can be brought for personal sun protection if desired.
Absolutely no glass will be allowed on site (this includes bottles as well as any food containers).
Animals / pets are not permitted in Botanic Park, with the exception of guide dogs.
- Drones, remote control aircraft / cars are prohibited
- Professional Cameras
- Selfie Sticks
- Audio recording devices
- Fire twirling equipment
...and weapons, fireworks, illicit substances, bad attitudes, nasty stuff. Just leave it home please, our festival is one of peace and community!
Accessibility
WOMADelaide is situated in Adelaide's Botanic Park, and the terrain consists of a combination of mostly flat grass, paved areas and gravel. During peak traffic periods, and especially after rain, parts of Botanic Park can become more difficult to negotiate. People who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids are advised to use a wheelchair with large wheels if possible.
Mobility Scooters
Given that areas of the festival site are uneven and the pathways between stages can become very crowded - for reasons of public safety, it is not possible to admit mobility scooters for use at the festival.
We are continually aiming to improve access to WOMADelaide and enhance the experience of our patrons with disability, please contact us if you require any information or advice further to the below.
An accessible parking and drop-off zone is located next to the Hackney Road entrance, immediately to the South of Plane Tree Drive on Hackney Road. Accessible parking and drop-off will also be reserved outside the Frome Road entrance, between the Zoo and Victoria Drive on the eastern side of Frome Road.
Accessible seating is provided in front of the Foundation Stage, Stage 2 and Stage 3 alongside "Take a Rest" seating banks at Foundation Stage and Stage 2 in consideration of our diverse and multi-generational audience.
Accessible toilets will be located alongside the main toilet block on Plane Tree Drive, as well as the toilet blocks near Stages 3, The Zoo Stage and Novatech Stage in Speaker's Corner. Accessible toilet facilities are installed where possible along the sealed surface cycleway which runs around the perimeter of Botanic Park, with privacy screening and clear marking to encourage use only by patrons who require accessible facilities. Please see the festival map for specific locations.
WOMADelaide is a participant of the National Companion Card scheme, offering disabled patrons holding a current companion card a second ticket for their accompanying companion at no charge.
When you arrive at the Festival Box Office present your National Companion card, our staff will then allocate a corresponding complimentary pass. There is a limit of one companion pass issued on a daily basis. When attending the Festival for multiple days and retaining the same companion, a 3 or 4 Day pass will be issued to your companion. For further information please visit www.companioncard.gov.au/