WOMADelaide hits 90,000 attendance mark
Image: Archie Roach
This year’s WOMADelaide at Adelaide Botanic Park hit close to the 90,000 attendance mark, according to Director Ian Scobie.
After managing a record 95,000 last year, this year’s figures for the festival’s 25th anniversary (March 10–13) might be attributed to rain through the weekend. Scobie said it caused no problems with the performance schedule and that the crowd braved the elements because they felt it important to celebrate the festival’s 25 years.
It certainly didn’t affect Archie Roach’s solo set; the crowd refused to move and was rewarded when legendary singer and actor Uncle Jack Charles came out.
This year’s festival featured another strong and diverse bill (60 acts from 31 countries) where audiences were finding new acts and styles.
Among them were the highly anticipated Austrian musician and DJ Parov Stelar who merged jazz, house, electro and breakbeat.
There were also huge crowds for West African singer Oumou Sangare, South African trio The Soil – two singers and a beat boxer – who spun tales of hope, and Spain’s Fuel Fandango and their fusion of flamenco, electronics and funk.
There were also large crowds for newly-triumphant AMP champs A.B. Original, The Specials, The Waifs’ 25th anniversary set, Lou Bennett, Shellie Morris, DD Dumbo (who’s in the midst of a sold-out regional run) andL-Fresh The Lion – who himself was still buzzing from his Parramasala appearance the night before when he was joined onstage by a contingent from Sikh Youth Australia to perform I Am Singh, I Am Kaur.
A huge –and young –crowd also turned out for The Philip Glass Ensemble performing live to the iconic 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi.
In 2016, WOMADelaide delivered $15 million of economic impact to the South Australian economy, with 46% of attendees from around Australia or from abroad. The festival delivered 10,000 new visitors with an accompanying 56,000 visitor nights.
Five years ago, the festival had 87,500 through the gates and generated $11.1 million to the state.