Following the success of its incredible first lineup in September, WOMAD Aotearoa has unveiled 13 new acts for the 2025 festival. This lineup transcends geographical and musical boundaries, bringing together artists from Aotearoa to Scotland, Brazil to Palestine, Cuba to Niger, blending traditional and contemporary sounds and ranging from classical to electronic and desert rock to folk. WOMAD Aotearoa once again brings together art and music, celebrating the world’s diverse cultures over three memorable days of excitement, discovery, joy, and unity.
WOMAD Aotearoa
14 – 16 March 2025
The Bowl of Brooklands, Brooklands Park
Ngāmotu (New Plymouth)
Tickets on sale now www.womad.co.nz
Download WOMAD 2025 Media Asssets
Joining the 2025 festival lineup are trailblazers of the Shamstep music movement, 47Soul from Palestine/Jordan; Cuba’s Ana Carla Maza, who brings her soulful cello and emotive songwriting, seamlessly merging classical training with the rhythms of her homeland; and Brazil’s Bala Desejo, offering a fresh voice in MPB, samba, and pop.
The festival will feature the power trio Delgres, who blends the blues with Caribbean influences, and the hypnotic guitar riffs of Etran de’Lair, infusing traditional Tuareg music with sun schlazed desert rock. Serbia’s Goran Bregović & His Wedding & Funeral Band will add to the WOMAD experience with their masterful fusion of Balkan folk, rock, and classical sounds as will India’s Satish Vyas & U Rajesh with their sitar and tabla melodies, blending traditional Indian music with modern influences. Scotland’s Talisk will instantly enthral with their intricate folk arrangements, and Australia’s Ukulele Death Squad will add a playful twist to popular songs one nylon string at a time.
WOMAD Aotearoa welcomes Black Comet’s high-energy fusion of rock, funk and world influences, rising star CHAII’s blend of Persian heritage and contemporary beats, The Beths with their captivating intricate guitar work and introspective power-pop melodies, and Who Shot Scott’s unique mix of Middle Eastern sounds with hip hop and punk rock. These artists embody the vibrant diversity of Aotearoa’s current live music scene.
These 13 new acts will join the already announced Queen Omega from Trinidad and Tobago, a powerhouse in the world-reggae scene. UK’s Nitin Sawhney, a celebrated musician and composer known for his genre-blending artistry, Australia’s folktronic act Amaru Tribe, and Aotearoa’s The Veils, led by the captivating Finn Andrews with the talented NZTrio. The festival will mark The Veils’ new album Asphodel’s live debut.
Each unique performer brings a dynamic mix of global talent, promising a diverse and exciting festival experience at WOMAD Aotearoa, set to take place from March 14-16, 2025, at the renowned Brooklands Park and the Bowl of Brooklands in Ngāmotu (New Plymouth).
WOMAD Aotearoa remains committed to ensuring the festival’s continued success in New Plymouth, New Zealand. For the third consecutive year, ticket prices will remain steady, making the festival accessible to all.
Festival-goers can start getting excited for an incredible lineup of global artists, a diverse array of workshops, engaging speakers, and a variety of delicious food and retail options. The festival will also continue to offer family-friendly spaces ensuring a welcoming atmosphere for all.
With more exciting announcements to come.
“You know that feeling when you go to a concert, and it fills you with so much joy that you remember why you love music so much? That’s WOMAD.” – Radio NZ National, 2024
“Seeing artists from Senegal, Haiti, Estonia and Angola come together in a Taranaki town feels arguably special” – NZ Herald, 2024
“Summer finally gets a festival worth shouting about” – The Spinoff, 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 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 Aotearoa 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 2025 will see WOMAD Aotearoa celebrate the 22nd anniversary of WOMAD Aotearoa at the award-winning Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Park in New Plymouth.
First presented in Taranaki in 2003, over its 20 years, WOMAD Aotearoa 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.
WOMAD Aotearoa 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.
Download WOMAD 2025 Media Asssets
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