Womad offers up eclectic mix of treats

WOMAD fans have got what they have been waiting for with the announcement of the 2016 festival lineup.

While two groups with ‘‘fairly big followings’’ won’t be revealed until the beginning of next year, most of the lineup for the New Plymouth festival, to run from March 18-20, was unveiled in Wellington yesterday.

Boasting an eclectic mix of musical offerings, the event would include artists that audiences may not have heard of before, Taranaki Arts Festival Trust chief executive Suzanne Porter said.

‘‘There will be a bit of different music,’’ she said. ‘‘Each country has its own musical sound.’’

The lineup brings acts from 17 countries. Porter said she had seen some of the acts live and the rest on DVD.

Among the standouts are Ladysmith Black Mambazo from South Africa, DakhaBrakha from Ukraine and Savina Yannatou and Primavera en Salonico from Greece.

Womad officials were still in talks with two further artists. ‘‘I can’t give too much away, but both of these groups have fairly big followings.’’

Early-bird tickets are on sale now and Porter said they were close to selling out. ‘‘If locals want to purchase the early bird tickets they’ll have to get in quick.’’

With musicians coming from all corners of the globe and spanning across countless musical genres, the three-day weekend event will host the likes of 47Soul (Palestine/Jordan/Syria), Asia Minor Trio (Greece), Calexico (USA), and Diego El Cigala (Spain), as well as local artists Julia Deans, Bic Runga and Tiny Ruins.

Womad has been held in New Plymouth’s Bowl of Brooklands for more than a decade and regularly attracts 10,000 people on each of its three days.

The all-ages festival boasts a campsite, an upmarket ‘‘glampsite’’, interactive cooking classes, a Kidszone for under-12s, and international arts, craft and ethnic food stalls.