WOMAD Aotearoa 2027 Expands Global Lineup with 23 New Artists

WOMAD Aotearoa has today announced 23 new artists and performers from around the world joining the previously announced Troy Kingi, Tinariwen and Fijian Flying Circus for three days of music, culture and creative discovery at the Bowl of Brooklands, Pukekura Park, Taranaki, from 12–14 March 2027.

Spanning 18 countries and six continents, the latest lineup brings together an eclectic mix of internationally acclaimed artists, emerging voices and some of Aotearoa’s most distinctive musical talent – from Ukrainian ‘ethno chaos’ to Puerto Rican percussion, Bhutanese traditional music, and Indian hip-hop.

The new Aotearoa contingent sees Delany Davidson, Geneva AM, Huia, Leao, Pakōpakō, Richter City Rebels, Tami Neilson, T-Bone, Yamas! and Yurt Party join the previously announced Troy Kingi, who will perform two unique sets at the festival, including the world premiere of his tenth and final 10|10|10 album with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

International highlights include Altin Gün from the Netherlands/Türkiye, BCUC from South Africa, UK singer-songwriter Beth Orton, Claudio Rabe from Madagascar and Réunion, Ukrainian folk-meets-modern collective DakhaBrakha, Catalan duo Tarta Relena, Puerto Rican percussion collective El Laberinto del Coco, Jamaican reggae artist Hempress Sativa, Iranian percussionist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi, and Nickodemus from the USA.

Among the artists bringing centuries-old musical traditions to the festival are the Bhutan Balladeers, whose performances draw on Zhungdra, a form of classical Bhutanese music dating back to the 17th century. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Ian Brennan, the collective’s debut album was recorded live in a hilltop forest outside Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu.

From Ukraine, DakhaBrakha have built an internationally acclaimed sound they describe as ‘ethno chaos’, combining Ukrainian polyphony with rhythmic and melodic influences from India, Arabia and Africa, alongside jazz, cabaret, rap and punk. The band’s distinctive sound has taken them to stages including Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, WOMADelaide, and WOMAD UK, and WOMAD Aotearoa in 2024. Their latest album Ptakhin brings together material created before and during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Puerto Rican collective El Laberinto del Coco, led by percussionist Héctor ‘Coco’ Barez, bring a fourteen-piece celebration of the island’s rich musical traditions, fusing bomba rhythms with the diverse sounds of Puerto Rican music. Known for their energetic live performances and infectious sense of community and joy, the collective will make their WOMAD Aotearoa debut in 2027.

Lyrical machine, her Highness the Hempress Sativa from Jamaica, channels the spirits of the griots as a cultural guardian and oral storyteller. Influenced by roots reggae, dub, and the rhythms of the Nyabinghi drumming she grew up with, Hempress Sativa is a revolutionary force. In 2026, she released Woman, a powerful album weaving quietly captivating spoken-word with more traditional reggae and dub sounds. Produced byPaolo Baldini DubFiles, she described it as “a challenge to the narrative and … an offering to women all over the globe”.

Two virtuosic solo artists taking to the WOMAD Aotearoa stage in 2027 include Belarusian-born, Poland-based accordionist and composer Yegor Zabelov and one of the foremost players of the tombak (traditional Persian drums) Iranian Mohammad Reza Mortazavi. Yegor Zabelov enters a trance-like state when the instrument is strapped to his body, wielding it like an extension of himself. This is a longform sonic journey, where the accordion breathes, whispers and surges in massive waves of sound, transforming each performance into an intense and immersive live experience and Mortazavi describes the balance between concentration and letting go as the core element of his music. You’ll find the tipping point in his live performance; a hypnotic and transformative experience.

From Mumbai, India, five-woman hip-hop collective Wild Wild Women are a group who use their music to explore the realities of women in contemporary India. Following appearances at Sziget, WOMAD UK and Sakifo Musik Festival, the group are looking forward to performing in New Zealand.

Drew James, Event Director, says: “We are delighted to announce this drop of extraordinary artists for WOMAD Aotearoa 2027. This line-up celebrates unbelievable musicianship from artists at the top of their game. Audiences will experience music and cultures from all corners of the world right here in Aotearoa, this journey will take you to places you have never been and artists and sounds you have never heard.  Even the familiar names are offering something new, with Troy Kingi and NZSO, Delaney Davidson Songbook, and Tami Neilson Sings Dolly Parton. From virtuoso solo musicians to dance bands and DJ sets, this line-up is a diverse and eclectic experience that only WOMAD Aotearoa can offer. Over the next couple of months we will release additional surprises, and the extensive programme that fills the site between the stages.”

With 26 acts now announced, WOMAD Aotearoa 2027 offers audiences an opportunity to experience music and culture from across the globe alongside some of Aotearoa’s most exciting artists, all within the unique setting of the Bowl of Brooklands. Stay tuned for additional line-up announcements.

WOMAD Aotearoa returns to the Bowl of Brooklands, Pukekura Park, Taranaki, from 12–14 March 2027. Tickets are on-sale now from womad.co.nz

WOMAD AOTEAROA
12 – 14 March 2027
Bowl of Brooklands, Pukekura Park, Taranaki

Altin Gün (The Netherlands/Türkiye)
BCUC (South Africa)
Beth Orton (UK)
Bhutan Balladeers (Bhutan)
Claudio Rabe (Madagascar & Réunion)
DakhaBrakha (Ukraine)
Delaney Davidson Songbook (Aotearoa New Zealand)
El Laberinto del Coco (Puerto Rico)
Fijian Flying Circus (Fiji)
Geneva AM (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Hempress Sativa (Jamaica)
Huia (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Leao (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (Iran)
Nickodemus (USA)
Pakōpakō (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Richter City Rebels (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Tami sings Dolly! The Glastonbury Set (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Tarta Relena (Catalunya/Spain)
T-Bone (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Tinariwen (Mali)
Troy Kingi Presents: 10|10|10 – The Final Chapter with The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Wild Wild Women (India)
Yamas! (Aotearoa New Zealand)
Yegor Zabelov (Belarus)
Yurt Party (Aotearoa New Zealand)