WOMAD

Click on one of the following headings for more information.
At the Event
Facilities

At the Event

What is WOMADelaide's green policy?
Simply put, to leave Botanic Park as beautiful as we found it and cause minimal environmental damage.

Australia's largest environmental organisation, Greening Australia has joined forces with WOMADelaide to make this event Carbon neutral through local biodiverse tree plantings. Over the last five years, no other organisation in the country has planted more trees for environmental repair. Greening Australia provides expertly managed, large-scale tree planting, which has been proven to offset CO2 emissions, recover landscapes and nurture biodiversity. Greening Australia with the support of Canopy guarantees that every tree planted for carbon offset will remain in the ground for over 100 years. What's more, Greening Australia is fully compliant with the Kyoto Climate Control Treaty and the NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme.
The amount of carbon generated by WOMADelaide, through travel, lighting, power etc will be offset through the revegetation of native bushland in South Australia. Greening Australia's carbon offset partner ACBI Ltd will provide legal contracts to protect the WOMADelaide trees permanently.
For the first time in 2008 you could offset your own carbon footprint at the Festival. By going carbon neutral you are not only reducing your carbon footprint you are also building biodiversity in South Australia's unique and threatened landscapes.
We are all responsible for contributing to the global warming problem, and you too can play a role in the solution ... offset some or all of the carbon dioxide produced by you or your organisation with plantings managed by Greening Australia.
To find out more about how you can reduce your ecological footprint visit www.greeningaustralia.org.au

What are the opening hours of the festival?
Friday - gates open 4:30pm, performances are on from 6pm-1am.
Saturday - gates open at 11am, performances are on from midday-1am.
Sunday - gates open at 11am, performances are on from midday-midnight.
How many entrances are there to the festival?
Two - one on Hackney Road, one on Frome Road.
How many stages operate at the festival?
Seven - with three or four playing at any one time.
Is it far to walk in between stages?
No. It takes 3-10 minutes depending on 'people traffic'.
What can I bring?
The essentials are your entry pass/WristTicket, valid photo ID, hat, sunscreen, medication (especially for asthma or hay fever as the Park can get dusty), portable ashtray if you smoke (such as empty film canister/other plastic container), clothes to suit the weather and insect repellant if the mozzies love you!
What can't I bring?
Animals (except guide dogs), any glass (bottles, containers, glasses etc) weapons, fireworks, flame-twirling items, 'high' chairs.
Is WOMADelaide a 'reserved seating' event?
No. 15,000+ people attend each day. It's quite a mobile crowd and one cannot reasonably expect to 'reserve' a spot by placing a blanket etc in front of a stage. Generally speaking it is a 'stand up and dance' crowd.
Can I bring a chair to WOMADelaide?
Yes, but only if it's a low 'beach chair'. These are for sale at camping/army disposal shops, K-Mart and at the merchandise stall on site. No higher chairs can be brought in - there is no negotiation on this (gate security will confiscate them). Chairs are expected to be used at the outer edges of the playing arenas. For elderly/infirm patrons, around 20 chairs are fixed to the front of the wheelchair viewing platforms at Stages 1, 2 and 3. The D in WOMAD is for Dance, so you can expect that the crowds will regularly be on their feet! Patrons wishing to remain seated should position themselves to the rear and sides of the audience area. For selected performances, all of the audience will be asked to sit down and, in these cases, those who want to stand or dance will be asked to position themselves to the rear and sides of the audience area.
What happens if it rains?
We play rain or shine. Umbrellas are permitted but because they block people's view, we recommend ponchos instead - buy them for a few dollars at camping/army disposal stores or at the festival's merchandise shop.
Can I give out pamphlets/flyers in the Park?
No. Pamphlets and flyers can only be given out by stallholders and, due to the festival's Zero Waste/green policies, even the Info Booth can only give out the event schedule.
Can I raise money with a donations tin at the festival?
No. Fundraising is not permitted by anyone on site
Can I busk at the festival?
No. All of the entertainment in the Park is selected and programmed in advance.
Is there an age limit to come to the festival?
No, but to buy alcohol you must be over 18 and have photo ID.
Do children have to pay to get in?
Children 12 and under get in for free when accompanied by a paying adult. There is no limit on the number of children an adult can bring in and they do not need a ticket in advance. Kids aged 13 and upwards have to buy a concession price ticket.
Can I bring a stroller/pram into the festival?
Yes
What is there for kids do at the festival?
There is never a shortage of brilliant things to do in KidZone - arts and crafts workshops run by Carclew Youth Arts, Evelyn Roth's Nylon Zoo inflatable creatures, the ever-popular Amazing Drumming Monkeys, a carousel, a bouncy thing and ball pit for the littlies and face painting from Adelaide Face Painters. The Samba workshops also happen in KidZone.
What happens if I lose my child in the Park?
Parents should get wristbands for their children from the gates or the info booth and mark them with the adult's name, mobile number and the child's name in case they get lost and organise with children to meet at the Information Booth if they do get separated. If a lost child arrives at the Information Booth, volunteers will alert festival security and (if it's after 6pm) will alert the SA Police on site. Please note that the KidZone is not a crèche/child-minding facility and all children should be accompanied by and adult.
What happens if I lose something else (phone/bag etc) at the festival?
Report it to the Info Booth. Found items will be kept at the Info Booth until the end of the festival, then left onsite until the following Friday, then held at the festival office (tel 8271 1488) until the end of March. Thereafter, valuables will be taken to the Norwood Police Station (tel 8207 6800) and the remaining items will be donated to charity.
What kind of security is in place?
Plenty - but they're friendly. They check bags for glass etc upon entry and keep an eye out for people filming live performances (a no-no), and any shabby behaviour in the crowd (along with the SA Police). And please don't try and jump the fence to get in - people have been impaled!
Can I smoke?
We would prefer that you did not for the comfort of patrons - but if you must smoke please be conscious of those around you - do not smoke near ANY of the stages, the wheelchair platforms, the Global Village, Kidzone or Speakers Corner. Please keep WOMADelaide & Botanic Park Butt Free - use the bins provided to dispose of your cigarette butts. Plastic film canisters will be available at the Info Booth for your butts if you forget to bring your own portable ashtray (please remember to take this home with you as it will contaminate the festival's waste recycling program). While the stage MCs will make announcements over the weekend - if you are a smoker please help us by following these simple protocols. Cigarettes are not sold at the festival.
Where can I meet up with my friends?
The Info Booth is the easiest spot.
Can I buy food and drinks at the festival?
Yes. We have over 40 international food stalls, with prices ranging from approx $3-15. There are also three bars.
Can I bring in my own food and drink?
Yes, but no bottles/glass containers are allowed. We ask you to think about your waste items as our bins only cope with biodegradables (food scraps etc) / drink containers (bottles, cans) eg if you have tin foil, you'll have to take it home with you!
Can I take my digital camera or video camera into the festival site?
Yes, but you cannot use either to film any live performances on any stage or your camera will be confiscated. Longlens/professional media cameras are not permitted into the Park unless by prior arrangement (refer to the media page on this website).
Can I take in a tape/MP3 recorder?
No
My mobile phone can record audio and video, can I take that in?
Yes
What kind of merchandise is on sale?
We sell CDs by the featured artists, souvenir festival t-shirts and in sometimes unique art work (eg woven baskets from indigenous artists). If you don't get the chance to buy the CD you want at the festival, Womusic is open all year round.
What do I do if I have a suggestion or complaint?
Before or after the festival, write to apadmin@artsprojects.com.au. At the festival itself, take it to the Info Booth.

Facilities

What facilities are there for disabled patrons?
Carers are admitted free and there are raised viewing platforms at Stages 1, 2 and 3. Disabled toilets and wheelchair parking (near the Hackney Road entrance car park) are also available.
Are there baby changing facilities on site?
Yes. There are now two - in each of the disabled toilet blocks on the north and south of the Park. Please remember to bring rubbish bags for the dirty nappies as the festival's waste split bins will not accept them.
Is there first aid on site?
Yes. St John's Ambulance are always present and the Royal Adelaide Hospital is only minutes away. For a donation you can buy sachets of sunscreen from St John's if you forget your own.
Is there mobile phone coverage in the Park?
Yes, but charge your phone before you leave home!
Is there a payphone in the Park?
Yes, and it is coin-operated.
Is there a cloakroom?
Yes, at the Hackney Road entrance near the bike park. The cloakroom will charge a nominal fee and close when gates close each night. No valuables can be left there (eg wallets/phones/cameras) and only small to medium sized closed/zippered bags/daypacks will be accepted ie no loose items of clothing such as coats/jumpers, no prams, no plastic/shopping carry bags etc. All items are left at your own risk and the Event Manager takes no responsibility for items left behind when the festival ends. Any such items will be left with lost property at the Info Booth, then onsite until the following Friday, then held at the the festival office (tel 8271 1488) until the end of March. Thereafter, the items will be donated to charity.
How many ATMs are there?
Six - double what we had in 2007.
Is there free drinking water at the festival?
Yes, around half a dozen fountains set up around the Park
How many toilets are at the festival?
We provide 22 blocks of proper, regularly-cleaned toilets - no portaloos - plus disabled facilities. There are more women's toilets than men's so you never have to queue for long.