We hear you, we’re sorry – we don’t always get it right.

WOMAD was created to present the world to the world and as idealists we continue to believe that artists have a right to be heard. Unfortunately, sometimes political situations and associated conflicts mean that idealism may be compromised, not least for the sake of public and artist safety.  

When we had to make this decision in November – before the final program was confirmed or announced – we felt like this was the right thing to do.

We expressed our support to 47SOUL at the time and that we very much hope they will join us at the 2025 festival.

We strive to amplify the voices of all people, and WOMADelaide has a proud history of supporting Palestinian voices and presenting Palestinian artists.

As longstanding WOMAD festival-goers will already know, your voices and your opinions are genuinely important to us, and we extend our sympathy and apologies if this situation has caused any disappointment or hurt.