Originally published at http://www.grooveradio.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/womad-2016-another-successful-weekend.html

Photo: Trevor Villers http://www.villers.co.nz/

Event organisers announced during the opening of this year’s festival that they’ve just signed a deal with WOMAD UK for Taranaki to remain the home of the New Zealand leg of the festival. Taranaki Arts Festival Trust chief executive Suzanne Porter said she was very happy with the deal and planning was already underway. Tickets this year came in only a few short of a sell-out (12,000 + 3000 free children), although with volunteers, vendors and crew this number swells to about 17,000. Still, it was their third best WOMAD, so far. With an older crowd, many returning, and calendar threats from the Auckland Festival and the new Auckland City Limits Festival there’s a number of challenges but Porter was confident that Taranaki’s special brand of WOMAD