WOMADelaide 2016
The extensive 2016 program featured a record 700+ artists and speakers from 30 countries, alongside new experiences and innovations including, Jeremy Deller’s life-sized, interactive bouncy Stonehenge and the creation of the WoMade ‘boutique’ showcasing Adelaide’s local makers and designers.
Among the many highlights over the weekend was a stunning collaboration between Benin’s Angélique Kidjo and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra on opening night, gypsy flamenco singer Diego el Cigala, Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda Trio, American singer-songwriter John Grant, Mali’s Songhoy Blues, remarkable English vocalist Eska, the powerful protest dance music of 47SOUL from Palestine, Syria and Jordan and exhilarating dance companies Djuki Mala and ADT.
David Suzuki’s inspiring and topical keynote address highlighted the 2016 Planet Talks program, which saw the forum of environmental discussion panels gather its largest audiences to date; while legendary UK cross-genre party band Asian Dub Foundation exploded onto the Foundation Stage bringing the festival to an unforgettable end.
"The event remains a veritable jewel in the crown of Australian music festivals" - Rhythms Magazine
"The total WOMADelaide experience – dancing barefoot on the grass; watching silk flags fluttering at sunset; wandering between stages to swap glitzy Bollywood fanfares for guttural Tibetan chants – is always more than the sum of its parts" - Jessica Nicholas, Sydney Morning Herald
