The World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) will host a series of mini festivals in South Africa from 1 to 11 October to celebrate 40 years of existence.
Conceived in 1982 by British musician and rock star Peter Gabriel, WOMAD has since brought the sights, sounds and rhythms of the world to over 30 countries and an audience of millions – and Cape Town, Hermanus, Johannesburg and Soweto are next on the itinerary for the event’s 40-year celebration. In classic Peter Gabriel style, he says: “I challenge anyone to come to a WOMAD event and not be completely knocked out by an artist they had never heard of.”
The WOMAD South African Safari will kick off on 1 October 2022 at the V&A Waterfront.
On 2 October 2022, WOMAD Hermanus will feature a First Nations Indigenous Artists Concert at Benguela Cove, Hermanus from 15:00-18:00. Artists Digging Roots (Canada), Tiki Taane (New Zealand), Matthew Doyle & Shellie Morris (Australia) and Kaise Khae April (SAN Khoisan) will join Hermanus music fans in the process of making musical alchemy. There will also be a number of free music workshops for local creatives.
After the concert at Benguela Cove, they will perform in Soweto and Johannesburg for four days to end their ‘music safari’.
Tickets cost R350 per person and can be bought via Quicket. Bookings essential.
Mayor Rabie says Overstrand is proud to be part of this milestone in giving an iconic international festival a local footprint and establishing the brand in South Africa. The cultural exchange through the powerful medium of music serves to enhance cross-cultural awareness and tolerance. There is no doubt that this event will help with the post COVID recovery of the tourism economy.
