What WOMADelaide does

WOMADelaide is an Australian not-for-profit organization (legally The WOMADelaide Foundation, ABN 55 106 584 230) that produces an annual four-day open-air festival of music, arts, and dance held each March at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla in Adelaide, South Australia. The festival has operated continuously since 1992 as the Australian edition of the global WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) network co-founded by Peter Gabriel, and is managed by Arts Projects Australia and WOMAD Ltd in association with the Government of South Australia. Each year the festival welcomes 90,000+ attendances and features 700+ artists from 30+ countries across multiple stages, complemented by programming including The Planet Talks (discussion forums), KidZone (family activities), Taste The World (culinary program), Around The Park (immersive performance art), and Workshops.

The core commercial offering is festival admission sold via tiered ticketing (4-day, 3-day, single-day, youth, children's free, and concession categories) through the WOMADelaide website, on-site box offices, and Australia Post delivery. Supplementary revenue streams include merchandise (stubby holders, t-shirts, caps, tote bags), food and beverage (40+ WoMarkets retail stalls, food stalls, bars, Sanctuary Restaurant), gift vouchers valid for three years, and tax-deductible donations channeled through the WOMADelaide Foundation to support community access programs, First Nations artists, and The Spirit of India Fund. Underlying technology is a conventional festival operations stack: online ticketing, a barcode-tracked wristband entry system, a mobile app for navigation and scheduling (available on iOS and Android), standard marketing analytics (Meta Pixel, Google Analytics, Google Ads, Bing Ads), and podcast distribution. The organization has made notable investments in physical sustainability infrastructure, including B100 biodiesel power generation in partnership with Refuelling Solutions, enabling 100% renewable stage power from 2026, and a Bettercup reusable cup program that reused 160,000+ cups at WOMADelaide 2026.

The business model is a hybrid event-and-charity structure: a registered Australian charity relying on ticket sales, on-site F&B and merchandise transactions, corporate sponsorships (Coopers, Foodland, SA Water, Barossa Valley Cider Co, Never Never Distilling Co, Nepenthe), government co-funding from South Australia, and tax-deductible donor contributions. The festival has published operating dates through March 2029, signaling multi-year continuity. WOMADelaide maintains long-running partnerships with Greening Australia (carbon offset forestry since 2007, reaching 149 hectares by June 2025), Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board (restoration projects 2022-2024), National Parks and Wildlife Services SA, and media partners including ABC Radio National and The Guardian Australia. The festival won the Premier's Natural Resources Management Award (Partnerships Project) in 2013 for its Greening Australia collaboration.

Name

WOMADelaide

Legal name

The WOMADelaide Foundation

Website

https://womadelaide.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WOMADelaide is an Australian not-for-profit that produces an annual four-day open-air festival of world music, arts, and dance at Botanic Park in Adelaide, attracting 90,000+ attendees and 700+ artists from 30+ countries each March. It generates revenue through ticketing, food and beverage, merchandise, corporate sponsorship, government support, and donations to its charitable foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Festivals

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Live music festival
• Cultural arts events
• World music programming
• Festival production services
• Event ticketing operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from four-day, three-day, and single-day festival tickets sold directly to consumers through website and box offices. Includes youth, children's, and concession ticket tiers.
2. Merchandise Sales: Festival merchandise including stubby holders, tote bags, t-shirts (adult and kids), caps, tea towels, patches, keyrings, magnets, and stickers sold through online store
3. Food, Beverage & Hospitality: Revenue from Sanctuary Restaurant, WoMarkets retail stalls (40+ outlets), food stalls, and bars serving beverages including Coopers beer, cider, wine, and boutique gins. Foodland partner vendor program.
4. Donations & Philanthropy: As a non-profit organization, WOMADelaide relies on donor support through the WOMADelaide Foundation. Donations support community access programs, First Nations artists, The Planet Talks, and the Spirit of India Fund.
5. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers sold online in any denomination, valid for 3 years, redeemable only for WOMADelaide tickets

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WOMADelaide produces and presents an annual four-day open-air festival of world music, arts, and dance at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla in Adelaide, South Australia. The core commercial offering is multi-day and single-day festival admission, sold directly to consumers through the WOMADelaide website and on-site box offices, alongside on-site food and beverage, retail, and merchandise experiences.

Product overview

WOMADelaide is a four-day open-air festival of music, arts, and dance held annually in Adelaide's Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla since 1992. The core offering is festival admission via multi-day and single-day tickets, supplemented by food and beverage experiences (Sanctuary Restaurant, Food Stalls, Bars), retail (WoMarkets, Merchandise), and cultural programming. Key experiential zones include KidZone (family activities), The Planet Talks (discussion forums), Taste The World (culinary program), Around The Park (performance art), and Workshops. Additional revenue streams include Gift Vouchers, Donations, and a dedicated mobile app for navigation and scheduling. The festival is presented by the WOMADelaide Foundation, a not-for-profit organization managed by Arts Projects Australia and WOMAD Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Festival Tickets Multi-day (4-day and 3-day) and single-day festival tickets granting entry to the open-air music, arts, and dance festival at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla in Adelaide. Includes youth (13-17), children's (3-12 free with adult, $30/$10 otherwise), concession, and group booking (10+ tickets) tiers with payment plan options.
• Gift Vouchers
• WOMADelaide Festival Merchandise
• Sanctuary Restaurant
• Food Stalls
• Bars & Drinks
• WoMarkets Retail Precinct
• Donations to The WOMADelaide Foundation

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90,000 attendances annually with 700+ artists from 30+ countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Refuelling SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Partner providing B100 renewable biodiesel fuel for festival power generation. Partnership enables 100% renewable energy powering all stages since 2026.
• Greening AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Environmental partnership managing WOMADelaide Forests carbon offset program. Since 2007, $3 from every ticket sold funds native tree plantings. As of June 2025, forests cover 149 hectares across Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri, Peramangk and Nauo Country.
• Arts Projects AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Event management partner managing WOMADelaide operations. Located at 12 King William Road, Unley, SA 5061. ACN 078 058 198.
• WOMAD LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Global WOMAD organization co-managing the festival. Part of international network of WOMAD festivals founded by Peter Gabriel.
• Government of South AustraliacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1992Presenting partner providing government support for the festival. WOMADelaide is a proud member of Festival City Adelaide.
• BettercupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReusable cup program partner facilitating the circular economy initiative. Over 160,000 cups reused at WOMADelaide 2026.
• SA WaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Quench Benches with 27,893 litres of water dispensed in 2025. BYOB water bottle sales proceeds donated to Foodbank SA & NT.
• Foodbank SA & NTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonation recipient of SA Water BYOB water bottle sale proceeds. 100% of proceeds help feed people in need, raising funds for 24,560 meals.
• Environmental Defenders OfficeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner for The Planet Talks environmental discussions at the festival.
• Adelaide University Environment InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner for The Planet Talks program at WOMADelaide.
• The Guardian AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner supporting The Planet Talks program at WOMADelaide.
• CoopersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage sponsor providing beer at the festival bars.
• FoodlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery partner with 'Gotta Shop At Foodland' campaign supporting the festival.
• Hills and Fleurieu Landscape BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 2022-2024 tree planting projects including Newland Head Conservation Park restoration and Deep Creek Back from the Brink Project.
• National Parks and Wildlife Services SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 2022-2024 tree planting at Newland Head Conservation Park.
• ABC Radio NationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast partner for The Music Show Live at WOMADelaide festival.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Adelaide Fringe: Australia's largest arts fringe festival, also held in Adelaide during the same late-February-to-March period. Overlapping calendar, complementary (not directly competitive) programming, and shared pool of attendees and sponsors.
• Sydney Festival: Major Australian summer multi-arts festival featuring international and local music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Comparable breadth of programming and reliance on government and corporate sponsorship, but operates in a different city and season.
• Melbourne Music Week: City-run multi-venue music festival in Melbourne showcasing Australian and international artists across multiple nights. Comparable city-government backing and emphasis on discovery programming, though focused exclusively on music.
• Adelaide Festival: Adelaide's flagship multi-week arts festival featuring international performing arts, music, literature and visual arts. Operates in the same city and overlapping March calendar, targeting comparable cultural audiences and competing for the same sponsorship and tourism dollars.

Direct peers

• Woodford Folk Festival: Large multi-day Australian community-oriented folk and world music festival in Queensland. Comparable scale (~100,000 attendances), family programming, sustainability focus and nonprofit/community ethos.
• Dark MOFO (MONA): Tasmania's winter arts and music festival run by the Museum of Old and New Art. Comparable scale and mix of international music, immersive arts, performance and food programming aimed at cultural-discovery audiences.
• WOMAD Taranaki (New Zealand): Sister WOMAD festival in New Plymouth, New Zealand, sharing brand, format, artist booking pipeline and Peter Gabriel affiliation. Closest direct operational peer under the same global WOMAD umbrella.
• Byron Bay Bluesfest: Major multi-day Australian music festival held over the Easter long weekend, featuring international headline artists across blues, roots and world music. Comparable scale, multi-day format and reliance on international artist travel logistics.
• WOMAD (Global Network): The parent global WOMAD network founded by Peter Gabriel, which co-manages WOMADelaide and runs sister festivals (WOMAD UK at Charlton Park, WOMAD Taranaki NZ, WOMAD Cáceres, WOMAD Las Palmas). Direct network peer operating the same festival format under shared brand.

Others

• Coopers Brewery: Long-standing Australian beverage sponsor and supplier to WOMADelaide (and many other festivals). Adjacent ecosystem participant as a sponsor rather than a competing festival operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubepodcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/womadelaide-the-planet-talks/id950929513
• Xx.com/WOMADelaide
• Facebookfacebook.com/WOMADelaide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womadelaide

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WOMADelaide