WOMADelaide reveals first three artists for 2027

WOMADelaide today unveils three artists for the 2027 festival in a surprise early reveal, ahead of the full program announcement: Grammy Award-winning, genre-defying sensation Leon Bridges (USA), legendary ska-pop band Madness (UK), and Grammy Award-winning Tuareg desert blues band Tinariwen (Mali).

Next year WOMADelaide’s celebrates 35 years of uniting cultures, genres and generations under one sky. Held in Adelaide’s Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla, WOMADelaide – The World’s Festival – is one of Australia’s longest-running and most celebrated festivals, returning from 5-8 March 2027. 

Each year, the park comes alive with the universal language of music, arts and dance, bringing extraordinary artists, cultures and sounds from around the world to Adelaide, from global music legends to hidden gems waiting to be discovered. 

Getting you up on your feet, the timeless voice and magnetic charm Leon Bridges presents Happiness Anytime, his new tour and the title of his upcoming fifth studio album. The project marks an exhilarating new era, and sun-soaked sound for Bridges, inspired by the communal spirit of classic Jamaican dancehall culture, body movement, and the hypnotic rhythms of funk and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. 

From vintage R&B (Coming Home, 2015), to modern (Gold-Diggers Sound, 2021), to country (Leon, 2024), Bridges weaves magic into everything he does. Happiness Anytime is produced by J Lloyd and Lydia Kitto of Jungle, continuing Bridges’ collaborative tradition with a diverse range of artists including Khruangbin, The Avalanches, Olivia Dean, and Shaboozey.

Celebrated for his captivating on-stage presence, Bridges is a rare talent and true entertainer. Mirroring the album’s emphasis on movement and dance, Bridges will be armed with a DJ, horn section and backing vocalists, aiming to ground us all in the rhythm of the present.

More than just a pop group, Madness are an institution whose music is woven into the fabric of British culture and global music history. With an infusion of ska, some Camden cheek, a working-class ethic, and a general unseriousness, the band has maintained a phenomenal career spanning more than four decades.

Their staying power is unmatched: boasting ten UK top-ten albums and 15 top-ten singles – including timeless global hits like Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, One Step Beyond, Our House, and It Must Be Love – the band has simply never left the charts. From the iconic stages of Top of the Pops to the roof of Buckingham Palace, Madness will bring their legendary live show to WOMADelaide.

Mesmerising WOMADelaide audiences since their first appearance in 2004, Tinariwen return with their distinctive fusion of blues and Saharan tradition, weaving traditional drums, electric guitars and immersive storytelling into their unmistakable sound.

Founded in Northern Mali, Tinariwen have carried Tuareg stories to audiences around the world. Beginning their career as a wedding band, the group have been a powerful symbol of Tuareg resistance and poetry since 1979. Almost 50 years on, the award-winning band remain dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of their people. 

“We want people to hear that in our land, our people and our animals are being killed, and we need to find a way to make peace. Until that happens, we have no choice but to continue singing.”

The World’s Festival since 1992, WOMADelaide brings the world to Adelaide, with tens of thousands of people making their annual pilgrimage for one unforgettable weekend.

To keep the festival as accessible as possible, WOMADelaide recently introduced new ticketing options giving audiences greater freedom and flexibility in how they experience the festival. With 1, 2, 3 and 4 Day Tickets now available, audiences can choose the combination of days that works best for them. Payment Plans are also available across all ticket types.

WOMADelaide returns to Adelaide’s Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla from 5-8 March 2027. First Release tickets are now on sale. Further lineup announcements will be made in October and November.