By So'omālō Iteni Schwalger
Valerie and Kevin at WOMAD 2025 in New Plymouth. Photo: So'omālō Iteni Schwalger
In New Plymouth, WOMAD is well underway.
The first night of the World Music, Arts and Dance festival had an astonishing start - with performances from the likes of Poppa Jax, Black Comet, Nana Benz du Togo, and many more.
The opening evening also featured a dress up theme: 'Skies of Wonder'. According to the WOMAD website, the theme is described as celebrating the "enchanting world above us, where reality and fantasy meet. From native birds to mythical beasts, let your imagination take flight. Whether you're embodying the elegance of native birdlife or the mystique of fantastical creatures, pluck your inspiration from the skies. Think feathers, celestial lights, and the creatures of the night that soar through both legend and nature."
Stacey and her whānau
Stacey (the majestic phoenix in red) described her family as representing the night sky, the moon, elves, dragons, and - missing from the photo - a wolf. When I stumbled across her down by the Tūi stage, there was a long queue of people lining up for a photo with her and her whānau's incredible costumes.
Photo: So'omālō Iteni Schwalger
Neil and Sky
I initially saw Sky fastening the ferns to Neil's arms and knew immediately that I was in the presence of greatness. Neil and Sky took inspiration from Aotearoa's very own kākāpō, as well as the more international great green macaw, and Honduras' national bird - the scarlet macaw. While they chose the ferns for their significance to Aotearoa, they also did not want to produce any unnecessary waste with their outfits.
Photo: So'omālō Iteni Schwalger
Zach and his whānau
When I asked Zach how their outfits fitted into the evenings theme his response was, "Does it?". What was abundantly clear was that Zach and his whānau were happy, and excited to experience all that WOMAD had to offer, and is that not what really matters at the end of the day?
Photo: So'omālō Iteni Schwalger
Bindi, Morg and Jess
Last year these superstars took out some of the best dressed at WOMAD, but that was not enough for them - they were clearly back for another win. An addition to their outfits this year to align with this year's theme was the celestial gems adorned on their faces.
Photo: So'omālō Iteni Schwalger
Valerie and Kevin
These two WOMAD veterans had become quite the local celebrities for their phenomenal outfits. Genuinely, they were photographed a lot throughout the evening. Valerie said they wanted their outfits to look 'out of this world' and I think they nailed it. Kevin's headpiece also lights up. I am a big fan of this all around.
Photo: So'omālō Iteni Schwalger
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