The world’s most iconic world music festival, WOMAD NZ, unveils four new exciting music additions to its 2024 New Zealand programme. Promising an unforgettable musical journey with the inclusion of Braxe + Falcon, the illustrious duo known for their pioneering contributions to the French House scene, Irish folk sensations Lisa O’Neill & Cormac Begley, Estonian folk artist Mari Kalkun and Aotearoa Alt-Pop Artist Theia. These outstanding acts join an incredible festival lineup that includes Arooj Aftab, Gilberto Gil, Morcheeba, Ziggy Marley, and many more.
WOMAD NZ proudly continues to push the boundaries of creativity and intellectual exploration with its OMV STEAM Lab and World of Words programmes. These unique initiatives offer festival-goers an exhilarating fusion of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and a captivating celebration of literature and human expression.
WOMAD NZs OMV STEAM Lab has become a cornerstone of the festival. The 2024 programme will provide a dynamic platform that unites Brewers, Modern Architecture Visionaries, Professors, Mathematicians, Designers, and Comedic Illustrators. This interdisciplinary initiative delves into the fascinating intersection of science, technology, engineering, art and math, exploring how these realms intertwine to shape our present and future. The OMV STEAM Lab promises an immersive experience, inviting festival-goers to engage with the forefront of innovation and creativity.
Now in its sixth year, the World of Words programme has become a favourite for many at the annual WOMAD NZ festival. The 2024 edition is set to present one of the most impressive line ups to date. Nestled within the enchanting Kunming Garden, the World of Words programme invites attendees to celebrate the rich tapestry of human expression. Join renowned wordsmiths, linguists, and visionaries as they share their stories, wisdom, and visions of a world painted in the colours of literature. The lineup boasts award-winning Authors, Trailblazing Writers, Rockstar Journalists, Historians, and Comedians, promising diverse perspectives and engaging narratives. The World of Words programme also features the hotly contested Poetry Slam, providing a platform for spoken word artists to showcase their talent and WOMAD NZ’s latest addition, The Book Club—an interactive and immersive literary experience.
The OMV STEAM Lab speakers appearing at WOMAD 2024 in alphabetical order:
Andrew Jeffs (Marine Biologist at Auckland University) and Pete Gillespie (Founder and Head Brewer at Garage Project) Bill Morris (Award-winning Documentary Filmmaker, Wildlife Cameraman and Science Journalist) Jade Kake (General Manager Matakohe Architecture and Urbanism) Megan Tapsell (Chair of AI Forum NZ), Michael Hannah (Earth Sciences), Pedram Hekmati (Mathematician) and Stephen Mushin (Industrial Designer and Comedic Illustrator)
The World of Words speakers appearing at WOMAD 2024 in alphabetical order:
Caroline Barron (Award-winning Author, Story Coach, Presenter, and Manuscript Maestro), Dame Gaylene Preston (Trailblazing Writer, Director and Producer), Helen Lehndorf (Wordsmith And Forager), Kate Evans (Rockstar Journalist) Kura Forrester (Actor, Writer, and Comedian), Dr. Monty Soutar (Teacher, Soldier, Historian, and Novelist), Nick Bollinger (Writer, Broadcaster, and Critic) and Tom Sainsbury (Actor, Comedian, and Social Media Sorcerer,)
For three days in March, the award-winning Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Ngāmotu/ New Plymouth, will be home to this incredible melting pot of musicians, artists, writers, performers and forward-thinking academics.
Offering something for everyone, WOMAD NZ vows to be an unforgettable event and undeniably the must-attend festival of the season.
15-17 March, 2024
Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Ngāmotu (New Plymouth)
Tickets on sale now from www.womad.co.nz
Braxe + Falcon (France)
The indisputable architects of the ‘French Touch’ — the emotive house music that emerged from Paris in the mid-‘90s — cousins Alan Braxe and DJ Falcon come together to create a hypnotic new sound. After decades-long successful careers, their passion for the process has remained; their music is constantly evolving and their loops are as mesmerising as ever.
Lisa O’Neill & Cormac Begley (Ireland)
Two of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary musicians, singer-songwriter Lisa O’Neill and instrumentalist Cormac Begley together create a unique take on Irish folk. With O’Neill’s distinctive voice and Begley’s mastery of 13 concertinas, the pair perform both traditional and contemporary songs that tell stories of a shared humanity that is Irish and at the same time deeply personal
Mari Kalkun (Estonia)
A voice that sings from the heart of the Estonian forest, Mari Kalkun’s music is deeply personal, yet at the same time rooted in ancient Estonian and Võru traditions. Combining folk with innovative songwriting, she creates intimate music born of Baltic winter forests and icy landscapes. She sings and plays instruments, including kannel (ancient Estonian zither), piano and drones
Theia (Aotearoa/NZ)
Fiercely fun and enthrallingly emotive, Theia is the queen of edgy, alternative bangers, slaying with songs and bulldozing social injustices, she’s a force of alt-pop nature! Theia’s exquisite vocals, confrontational lyricism and often bold and experimental production are standout fan-favourites. She’s rocked stages globally, sharing the spotlight with music legends and with countless music award nominations her reign as music royalty is a surety.
Andrew Jeffs & Pete Gillespie (OMV STEAM Lab)
We delve into the impact of brewing beer to music with Andrew Jeffs, Marine Biologist at Auckland University and Pete Gillespie, Co-Founder & Head Brewer at Garage Project. This dynamic session has birthed a unique WOMAD beer, crafted by Garage Project to the beats of WOMAD’s 21st Party Playlist via submerged underwater speakers. A special collaboration, this project looks at the power of sound for some of our smallest organisms, yeast – and the result is a deliciously diverse drop that perfectly matches our festival vibe! This one-off brew is on tap at the festival’s Craft Beer bar in the Kunming Garden.
Bill Morris (OMV STEAM Lab)
Meet Bill Morris, a Dunedin-based writer, documentary maker, and science communicator. With a rich background in documentary filmmaking for BBC Natural History Unit and Animal Planet, Bill has produced acclaimed independent feature documentaries like Central to the Soul and the award-winning The Sound of Her Guitar. A regular contributor to New Zealand Geographic magazine, his debut book, The Road to Gondwana earned an Ockham non-fiction book award longlisting.
Jade Kake (OMV STEAM Lab)
Meet Jade Kake, architectural & urban designer, housing advocate, and powerhouse shaking up the architectural world. With Matakohe Architecture and Urbanism, her kaupapa Māori design haven, she’s redefining spaces in Whangārei and Tāmaki Makaurau. Jade’s not just crafting buildings; she’s crafting change. Dive into her latest adventure, Rewi, a tribute to the legendary architect Rewi Thompson.
Megan Tapsell (OMV STEAM Lab)
Megan Tapsell is a tech luminary boasting 25 years of global prowess across finance hubs like London, New York, and Auckland. As GM Technology NZ at ANZ and Chair of AI Forum NZ, she orchestrates a symphony of innovators, investors, and regulators, championing diverse, ethical AI adoption in New Zealand. Megan’s session will serve as your AI 101 class, Artificial Intelligence in a Future Aotearoa.
Michael Hannah (OMV STEAM Lab)
Obsessed with Earth’s ancient tales and terrifying extinctions, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University Professor Michael Hannah dives into the fossil records of our planet’s early life. Michael’s penned Extinctions – living and dying in the margin of error, unraveling Earth’s system and assessing the hair-raising possibility of a looming mass extinction. Buckle up for an exploration of our planet’s past and the potential future shivers!
Pedram Hekmati (OMV STEAM Lab)
A mathematician at the University of Auckland, Pedram is on a symphonic quest that spans academia and artistry -intertwining his love for Geometry, Topology, and Theoretical Physics. Born in Iran, raised in Sweden, jet-setting to Paris, MIT, and Australia for his academic pursuits. He’s made musical waves, composing for MIT Concert Band and performing across continents. His intrigue? Harmonizing math and music, exploring rhythmic patterns through geometric lenses.
Stephen Mushin (OMV STEAM Lab)
This inventive industrial designer and comedic illustrator, blurs the lines between machines and nature. His wild projects include a bus-size millipede and minivan-scale diprotodon. Stephen’s first book Ultrawild, is an optimistic book about creative thinking, STEM and the potential for massive change. Filled with laugh-out-loud design-ridiculousness, it aims to empower and excite a new generation of designers, scientists, engineers and ultra-wild thinkers.
Caroline Barron (World Of Words)
Caroline is award-winning author, story coach, presenter, and manuscript maestro. Her debut novel, Golden Days, is a non-fiction literary gem, and her memoir Ripiro Beach, snagged the 2020 New Zealand Heritage Literary Award. With a Masters in creative writing and a past life running a modelling agency, she spices up workshops on storytelling and is a celebrated wordsmith behind columns for North & South and Condé Nast Traveller.
Dame Gaylene Preston (World Of Words)
With a knack for uncovering the untold, Dame Gaylene is Aotearoa’s storyteller extraordinaire, infusing classics like Mr Wrong and My Year With Helen with compassion, humour, and irreverence. A trailblazing writer, director and producer, she’s also the first filmmaker to snag an Arts Foundation Laureate Award and an NZ Order of Merit. Her recent autobiography, Gaylene’s Take (Ockham long list 2023), spills the secrets of her visionary journey.
Helen Lehndorf (World Of Words)
This spirited Manawatū based writer, isn’t just a wordsmith she’s a lifelong forager and the brains behind the Manawatū Urban Foraging group. Her latest literary escapade, A Forager’s Life, hit the NZ nonfiction top ten list, charming readers with a blend of nature’s wonders and Lehndorf’s enchanting prose. Helen’s words have also graced anthologies like Kaupapa and Swings and Roundabouts, making her a literary force to reckon with.
Kate Evans (World Of Words)
Kate is New Zealand’s globe-trotting, rockstar journalist and nature storyteller. Her bylines grace The Guardian, National Geographic, and more, jazzing up science and environmental tales. She’s produced TV magic for BBC, TVNZ, and the Washington Post, reporting from West Africa to the Whanganui River. Her latest extravaganza, Feijoa, is a vibrant, global saga exploring the dance between people and plants, with a juicy spotlight on the enchanting feijoa.
Kura Forrester (World Of Words)
Kura Forrester is the comedy sensation from Wellington slaying it nationwide as an actor, writer, and comedian. Bagging the 2019 Billy T award for her smash hit show Kura Shoulda Woulda, she’s the comedic maestro behind the sold-out spectacle Here if you Need at the 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival. Her comedic brilliance has featured on Educators, Shortland Street, and the riotous Taskmaster!
Dr. Monty Soutar (World Of Words)
Dr. Monty Soutar is a true jack-of-all-trades—teacher, soldier, historian, and novelist extraordinaire. His dynamic roles span from leading digital projects to writing about Māori wartime heroism in Nga Tama Toa. Monty’s latest book, Kawai: For Such a Time as This, dives deep into Aotearoa’s colonial legacy. As an ONZM holder and advisor on national boards, his tales illuminate history’s hidden corners.
Nick Bollinger (World Of Words)
Nick Bollinger, the music maestro from Wellington, rocks as a writer, broadcaster, and critic. His works includes columns for the Listener and RNZ’s The Sampler and his memoir Goneville won the 2015 Adam Foundation Prize. His latest hit, Jumping Sundays, scored Best Illustrated Non-Fiction in the 2023 Ockham Book Awards. Now, as the Lilburn Research Fellow, he’s riffing on essays about Kiwi tunes and national tales.
Tom Sainsbury (World Of Words)
Actor, comedian, and social media sorcerer Tom has won a place in the hearts of many New Zealanders. Known for uproarious videos spoofing politicians and kiwi culture, his characters like Boomer Dad and 80s Mum keep us in stitches. With sold-out stand-up tours across NZ and starring roles in TV hits Snackmasters, 7 Days and Wellington Paranormal, he’s the maestro of laughs!
The Artists appearing at WOMAD 2024 in alphabetical order:
Anthonie Tonnon (Aotearoa/NZ) * Arooj Aftab (Pakistan/USA) * Baaba Maal (Senegal) * Bailey Wiley (Aotearoa/NZ) * Braxe + Falcon (France) * DakhaBrakha (Ukraine) * Dubioza Kolektiv (Bosnia & Herzegovina) * Equus (Mongolia/Australia) * Gilberto Gil (Brazil) * Good Habits (UK) * Ibibio Sound Machine (UK) * Lady Shaka (UK/Aotearoa/NZ) * Leenalchi (South Korea) Lisa O’Neill & Cormac Begley (Ireland) * Mari Kalkun (Estonia) * Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti-France) * Morcheeba (UK) * Nitin Sawhney (UK) * Pongo (Angola – Portugal) * Rei (Aotearoa/NZ) * Son Rompe Pera (Mexico) * Strawpeople (Aotearoa/NZ) * Te Kaahu (Aotearoa/NZ) * Tejendra Majumdar & Ambi Subramaniam (India) * Te Kaahu (Aotearoa/NZ) * Theia (Aotearoa/NZ) * Tio (Vanuatu) * WITCH (Zambia) * Ziggy Marley (Jamaica)
WATCH: WOMAD New Zealand 2023 Highlights
“Womad leaves you with much more than just three days in the sun. It leaves you with new food, new artists, and sometimes even new genres you never knew you loved” – NZ Herald, 2023
“Summer finally gets a festival worth shouting about”
– The Spinoff, 2023
“I strolled through rivers of teenagers, young adults, families and elderlies, all moving their limbs with rhythm and enjoying the peaceful and spacious event” – Stuff.co.nz, 2023
“It’s really amazing to come to a festival where you are constantly surprised by the diversity of and intensity of music”
– Radio NZ National, 2023
“To fully appreciate the spirit, it is best to spend the three days here in the magical botanic gardens. To experience the WOMAGIC” – 13th Floor, 2023
“WOMAD is still a place for all ages and all people. We still want to hear the stories, sing the songs and fight the battles on behalf of the downtrodden, celebrate music and cultures in all their forms, just as Peter Gabriel envisaged” – Ambient Light, 2023
WOMAD THE FESTIVAL
WOMAD: World of Music, Arts and Dance, the internationally established festival, brings together artists from all over the globe. The central aim of the WOMAD festival is to celebrate the world’s many forms of music, arts and dance.
As an organisation, WOMAD now works in many different ways. Still, the aims are always the same – at festivals, performance events, recorded releases, and through educational projects, WOMAD aims to excite, inform, and create awareness of the worth and potential of a multicultural society.
WOMAD NZ is part of a festival family that has seen over three hundred festivals worldwide, with over ten thousand artists performing across six continents to an audience of millions over the past four decades. WOMAD UK has celebrated 40 years, WOMADelaide has celebrated 30 years, and 2024 will see WOMAD NZ celebrate the 21st anniversary of WOMAD NZ at the award-winning Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Park in New Plymouth.
First presented in Taranaki in 2003, over its 20 years, WOMAD NZ has presented over 500 acts and 1500 performers from 95 countries. the festival has had 150,000 visitors through its gates and generated over 100 million dollars for the local economy.
The festival’s success could not have occurred without the long-term support of Event Partner TSB whose continuous commitment has strengthened Taranaki’s position as the home of WOMAD.
Support at the local government level is vital to WOMAD NZ. Host City Partner, the New Plymouth District Council and Regional Partner – Venture Taranaki, are committed to the ongoing support of the event since 2003. Toi Foundation, as Community Partner, has contributed to the event thriving in the region through grant access.
WOMAD NZ is also fortunate to have Programme Partners, Tui Ora, BOON, OMV, Taranaki Offshore Partnership, and several Media Partners and Event Supporters, allowing the festival to present a world-class event to the people of Aotearoa.
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