Womad Aotearoa festival will not go ahead in 2026

Wednesday 10 September 2025 · 5 outlets · 4 reports · updated Wed 10 Sep 2025, 1:09pm

The Womad Aotearoa music and arts festival will not be held in New Plymouth next year. Organisers say the three-day event, which takes place at Brooklands Park, is taking a "purposeful rest" for the first time in more than two decades.

How they headlined it

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1. The PressWed 10 Sep 2025, 12:00pm

   Tough call to cancel Womad Aotearoa 2026 (opens in new tab)

   Also on Waikato Times (opens in new tab)

2. Stuff via RNZWed 10 Sep 2025, 12:17pm

   WOMAD music festival cancelled for the first time (opens in new tab)

3. 1NewsWed 10 Sep 2025, 12:33pm

   'Purposeful rest': WOMAD festival cancelled for 2026 (opens in new tab)

4. Otago Daily TimesWed 10 Sep 2025, 1:09pm

   Taranaki's Womad festival cancelled for 2026 (opens in new tab)