Last week WOMADelaide made its first artist announcement for its 35th anniversary in March 2027. Rooted in musical discovery, the WOMADelaide 2027 program brings together generations, genres and geographies across four unforgettable days and nights of music, arts and dance. Among the 36 acts announced to date are five artists from France and the Francophonie.
There are papier-mâché mask wearing math-rockers, a Grammy nominated African icon and a WOMAD favourite that blends blues with Saharan traditions. There is hypnotic and captivating live energy rooted in the tsapiky rhythms of Madagascar and afro-psychedelic rock, and absurdist festival favourites in the form of roving shows from a French street theatre company. Discover them below.
Angine de Poitrine (Canada)
In a WOMADelaide first, intergalactic artists are coming to the stage. The Québécois duo Angine de Poitrine, whose signature polka dots, tall papier-mâché masks and elongated noses are as striking as their sound, bring their own brand of ‘Dada Pythago-Cubist Mantra-Rock’ to the festival.
Angine de Poitrine, a Québécois duo, also known as Khn (double-necked guitar/bass) and Klek (drums), have officially been creating music with funky basslines, electronic looping and math-heavy time signature since 2023. One cult-inspiring album (Vol.I, 2024) and a viral KEXP session later, Angine de Poitrine are the mispronounced name on everyone’s lips.
More than just a novelty, however, these two have earned their place on the festival stage, wrapping up their Northern Hemisphere summer at Fuji Rock (Japan), Newport Jazz Festival (USA), and End of the Road (UK). Now with a second album under their belt (Vol.II, 2026), for which they won the Polaris Album Prize, Angine de Poitrine seem poised for world domination, but really, they’re simply thrilled to play rock ‘n’ roll for us mere mortals.
Claudio Rabe (Madagascar/Réunion)
Claudio Rabe delivers high-voltage trance-rock shaped by the tsapiky rhythms of Madagascar and afro-psychedelic rock, with Prince, The Stooges and Fela Kuti among his influences. A former professional dancer turned musician, he brings hypnotic, physically charged energy to the stage. With a full band whose style and stamina match his own, expect a set that holds the audience from start to finish.
Following breakout showcases around the world at the Inouïs du Printemps de Bourges and SAKIFO festival in Réunion, WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo) and sold-out shows in Australia, Claudio Rabe and his band will make their first WOMADelaide appearance in March. They’ll be debuting songs from their first full-length studio album RAVRN set to be released through Australian label Yama-Nui Records.
Fatoumata Diawara (France)
Returning after a spectacular WOMADelaide debut in 2019, Fatoumata Diawara is the Queen of contemporary African music. Her soaring vocals and soulful Malian roots music have been shaped by collaborations with Damon Albarn, Oumou Sangaré and Disclosure, while her lyrics, sung in Bambara, explore womanhood, resilience and the social realities of Africa.
Dripping in colourful cloth and star power, when Grammy-nominated artist Fatoumata Diawara takes the stage, everyone pays attention.
In 2026, Fatoumata released Massa, a powerful and emotional album, and became the first woman of colour honoured with a signature Gibson Epiphone guitar. A shredder at heart but a free woman above all else, she uses art to address human rights violations and personal hardship, transforming them into a universal message of hope. Having fled Mali at 19 to write her own story, she continues to examine society’s flaws while celebrating her dual life as artist and mother.
Les Goulus (France)
Hilarious absurdist French street theatre company Les Goulus return with three interactive roving shows: The Horsemen, Equicoaches and Cupids.
Inspired by the irreverent spirit of Monty Python, Les Goulus playfully explore the traditional role of the actor, drawing audiences into their stories through highly visual, full-body performance. Keep your eyes peeled for the dignified French riders and their champion horses trotting around the park, and beware of the lovesick cupids lining up their marks.
Tinariwen (Azawad)
A symbol for Tuareg resistance and poetry since 1979, Tinariwen blends blues with Saharan traditions to create a unique output that has turned the heads of artists from Robert Plant to José González, and mesmerised WOMADelaide audiences since their first appearance in 2004.
Founded in Northern Mali, the band are pioneers of the assouf style (‘nostalgia’ in the Tamasheq language), bringing Tuareg stories to the world stage. Beginning their career as a wedding band, bootlegged tapes helped the now GRAMMY-winning collective to gain a following across the Sahara, but it was an opportunity to tour in France with French folk ensemble Lo’Jo that catapulted them into the mainstream consciousness.
The Radio Tisdas Sessions, released in 2001 and produced by Robert Plant’s guitarist Justin Adams, prompted the Led Zepplin’s singer to proclaim, “This was the music I’d been looking for all my life.” Now on their tenth studio album, Tinariwen are award-winning globetrotters who have left their mark through a marriage of traditional drums with electric guitars and immersive storytelling.
Almost 50 years later, the band are still dedicated to spreading awareness of the plight of the Tuareg 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.”
All WOMADelaide 2027 artists
The artists announced for WOMADelaide 2027 (as of 24 October) are:
- Altın Gün (Türkiye/The Netherlands)
- Ambiguous Dance Company – Body Concert (South Korea)
- Angine de Poitrine (Canada)
- BCUC (South Africa)
- Bhutan Balladeers (Bhutan)
- Bradley Zero (UK)
- Christine Anu (Australia)
- Claudio Rabe (Madagascar/Réunion)
- DakhaBrakha (Ukraine)
- Dr. L. Subramaniam (India)
- El Laberinto del Coco (Puerto Rico)
- Eliza Hull (Australia)
- Fatoumata Diawara (France)
- Gravity & Other Myths and SAZ – Mortal Coil (Australia/India)
- The Haar (UK/Ireland)
- Haute & Freddy (USA)
- Hempress Sativa (Jamaica)
- Jamaica Moana (Australia/Aotearoa/Samoa)
- Kenny Dope (USA)
- Khun Narin (Thailand)
- Leon Bridges (USA)0
- Les Goulus – The Horsemen, Equicoaches & Cupids (France)
- Luke Jerram – Helios (UK)
- Madness (UK)
- Mambe (Colombia/Denmark)
- Maria Arnal (Spain)
- Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (Iran/Germany)
- Musik Blok by Ngaiire (PNG/Australia)
- Seamas Carey – Community Service (UK)
- Seppuku Pistols (Japan)
- Tarta Relena (Catalunya/Spain)
- Tinariwen (Azawad)
- Trials (Australia)
- Underworld (UK)
- Wild Wild Women (India)
- Yegor Zabelov (Belarus)
With 36 acts announced and more still to come, WOMADelaide’s 35th anniversary program is already shaping up as a rich celebration of music, culture and performance. We look forward to the next announcement and hope it includes more French and Francophone artists. Second release tickets are on sale now.
KEY INFO FOR WOMADELAIDE 2027
WHAT: WOMADelaide 2027
WHEN: 5-8 March 2027
WHERE: Botanic Park, ADELAIDE
HOW: Purchase your tickets here
HOW MUCH:
Choose from a Friday night ticket, a single day ticket for Saturday, Sunday or Monday, 2 day, 3 day and 4 day tickets. Prices vary between $179 to $479 for adults depending on the ticket chosen. Youth tickets range from $126 to $330. Children 12 and under are free when attending with an adult.
