Photos & Words: Zane Qureshi

Obongjayar live at WOMADelaide on Sunday, March 8 2026

Last weekend saw the return of WOMADelaide 2026 to the beautiful leafy surrounds of Botanic Park, bringing four days of music, art and cultural exchange back to the heart of the city.

The beloved open-air festival — World of Music, Arts & Dance — once again transformed the parklands into a meeting place for artists and audiences from across the globe. This year’s lineup blended Australian favourites with international icons, featuring the likes of Grace Jones, Obongjayar, Baker Boy, Fantastic Negrito, Arrested Development, BADBADNOTGOOD and Annahstasia, alongside a diverse mix of performers spanning continents and genres.

We attended the Sunday and Monday sessions of WOMADelaide, and it was nothing short of incredible. Moving between stages throughout the day, we caught a range of performances that felt both intimate and expansive — a reminder of the festival’s ability to bring together sounds, stories and audiences from all corners of the world.

Among the standout sets was the dreamy, atmospheric performance from American folk musician Annahstasia. New York–born, Tamil Nadu–raised vocalist Ganavya also delivered a powerful and deeply moving set, while Cuban jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca had crowds dancing as people drifted between stages.

One of our favourite moments came from Australian artist Baker Boy, who lit up the Foundation Stage with a high-energy performance that had the entire crowd on their feet. Known as the Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land, the proud Yolŋu artist brought infectious energy, performing tracks like Cool As Hell, Lightning and MAD DOG. A highlight of the set was his now-iconic rendition of Song 2 by Blur — originally performed for Triple J’s Like A Version back in 2022.

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Our standout performer of the weekend, however, had to be Obongjayar. Raised in Nigeria before moving to the UK as a teenager, the genre-blurring artist is known for blending Afropop, hip-hop, soul and spoken word into something entirely his own. We first discovered his music through his collaboration with Little Simz on Point and Kill, and seeing him perform live only reinforced why he’s become such a compelling artist.

We were lucky enough to catch both of his WOMADelaide sets, each offering a completely different energy. Sunday night’s performance was fast-paced and electric, with Obongjayar and his band moving effortlessly across the stage as the crowd fed off the rhythm. Monday’s set was more stripped back and mellow — a fitting mood for the intense Adelaide sunshine after a few cooler days.

WOMADelaide continues to be one of the city’s most special cultural moments — a celebration of music, community and creative expression. Credit must also go to the crew, organisers & sponsors who bring the festival to life each year. From the lighting and stage design to the sound and production, every detail felt beautifully considered.

We captured a number of performances across the weekend through photography — the full photo journal below.

If you didn’t make it to WOMADelaide this year, you definitely missed out. Luckily, there’s always next year!