Music lovers, festivalgoers and artists from across the world will flock to Adelaide this weekend as WOMADelaide returns for four spectacular days and nights.
From 7-10 March, the sights and sounds of more than 700 artists from over 35 countries will take over Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla with a celebration of music, arts and dance in the heart of the nation's only UNESCO City of Music.
Events continue to help drive record-breaking hotel room occupancy, as the year began with the best January on record - with more than 7,900 rooms occupied each night across greater metropolitan Adelaide.
This was followed by LIV Golf Adelaide driving the second and third highest room nights ever occupied across greater metropolitan Adelaide on the Friday and Saturday night of the tournament - only surpassed by the Friday night of the Christmas Test match on 6 December 2024.
Last year, WOMADelaide welcomed 98,000 attendances over the four-day festival and injected $21.5 million in new income for the State. The 2024 event generated 63,145 bed nights, with an average length of stay in South Australia of 5.24 nights for visitors who attended mainly because of the event.
Highlights in the WOMADelaide 2025 program include Khruangbin (USA), PJ Harvey (UK), Yemi Alade (Nigeria), Róisín Murphy (Ireland) Goran Bregović & His Wedding & Funeral Band (Serbia), Bangarra Dance Theatre (Aus) and local Restless Dance Theatre (Aus).
Further arts and culture events driving visitation this weekend include the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival, Chihuly in the Botanic Garden, Radical Textiles Exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia, and Treasures of the Viking Age at the South Australian Museum.
WOMADelaide is proudly supported by the State Government, through the South Australian Tourism Commission.
Gates for WOMADelaide 2025 open from 4pm tomorrow, 7 March.
For event information and tickets, visit www.womadelaide.com.au.
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said with just one sleep to go until WOMADelaide 2025, thousands of visitors and hundreds of artists are getting ready for one of the most anticipated festivals on the nation's events calendar.
"You just have to walk through our city to see what events and festivals like WOMADelaide do for our local businesses, hotels, restaurants, and bars," Minister Bettison said.
"We continue to see how important our events for our economy, driving record-breaking bookings and visitation in our State and making South Australia a bucket-list destination."
WOMADelaide Director, Ian Scobie AM said as one of Australia's largest outdoor cultural festivals of Music, Arts, and Dance, WOMADelaide stands as a cornerstone in South Australia's cultural calendar as 'the world's festival' bringing together exceptional artists from across the globe to Australia's festival city.
"The annual pilgrimage for enthusiasts of cultural and musical discovery and exchange, the event enriches our community and attracts visitors from across Australia and beyond, delivering significant tourism visitation and economic benefits to the State," Mr Scobie said.
"We are immensely grateful to the South Australian Government for their continued support through the South Australian Tourism Commission, which has enabled and supported WOMADelaide to flourish and inspire audiences year after year, since its inception over 30 years ago."
