Regular pilgrims to Southbound know that the South West corner of Western Australia is one of the nicest corners of the world, but it seems that Busselton is making a bid to also become known as a music lover’s Mecca. On the Labour Day long weekend, (Feb 27-28) the Packard-Hairs family is holding the first ever WOMBU Festival; that’s WOrld MUsic BUsselton.

The family have been opening the historic Old Broadwater Farm to the public for cultural events for a few years now, but this they’re going to have a real festival. There’ll be world music, food, demos, workshops, stalls and rides to entertain and deepen the sense of unity between yourself and your world.

WOMBU runs over two separate days, with a Global Picnic on Saturday and the Global Party on Sunday. This is a licensed event, but children under 14 are welcome to come for free with parents.

The Global Picnic will include Latin dance demonstrations, Aboriginal dance demonstrations by Wardani Dreaming Dancers Hip-hop dance demonstrations by Wendy Morgan School of Dance and V-Pro hip hop crew Last Chance Studio live art demonstrations.

GLOBAL PICNIC: Saturday 27 Feb 12-10pm

Xavier Rudd & Izintaba (Aus/South Africa)
Calexico (USA)
Depedro (Spain)
Sunshine Brothers (Aus)
Abbe May (Aus)
Mellifluous (Aus)
Mamadou Diabate (Mali)
Scottish Highland Pipe Band
Ancestrais Capoeira (Brazilian dance/samba drumming)
Spooky Men of the West (a cappella)
Wombai (West African drumming)
SSB (a capella)
Mel’s Angels (a capella gospel)

The Global Party on Sunday is the closing party headlined by Fat Freddys Drop and Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. This party is for dancing. It will be a high energy, percussive, soulful, political and positively charged party laden with grooves and rhythms that guarantee a united, swaying, shaking dance floor.

GLOBAL PARTY: Sunday 28 Feb 3-10pm
Fat Freddys Drop (NZ)
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (USA)
Grace Barbe (AUS)
Mamadou Diabate (Mali)

Get your tix from Heatseeker.