WOMAD New Plymouth

WOMAD - World of Music, Arts and Dance - was founded in England in 1982 and the New Zealand edition has run at New Plymouth since 2003, over three days in March. The site is the reason it works: the TSB Bowl of Brooklands is a natural amphitheatre in a park of mature trees and lakes, with several stages set among the bush and, on a clear day, Mount Taranaki behind. The programming is genuinely international - artists from across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and Europe, most of them unknown to the audience beforehand, which is the point of the format. Alongside the music are workshops, a taste-the-world food area and artist talks. Unlike most large New Zealand festivals there is no camping on site, so accommodation is in New Plymouth and fills months ahead. It draws a wide age range including families, and is markedly calmer than the New Year festivals.

What you actually see

• The Bowl of Brooklands - a natural amphitheatre in mature parkland.
• The international programme - artists from across the world, mostly unfamiliar.
• The workshops and talks - artists teaching and explaining alongside the stages.
• Mount Taranaki - behind the site, on a clear day.

When to go

March, over three days. Book accommodation in New Plymouth months ahead - there is no camping on site and the city fills.

Honest expectations

No on-site camping, so accommodation and transport need planning. March in Taranaki can be wet, and the site is grass and bush. Tickets are not cheap and the crowd is capped.

Nearby

Pukekura Park adjoins the site; New Plymouth and the Coastal Walkway are close.