The artist pages for WMDF019 have now been updated with confirmed performance and workshop schedules, making it easier than ever for you to plan your visit.

In June, we released artists’ profiles and their planned festival dates while preparations were still underway. Each page now includes:

– artist profile
– artist video
– confirmed performances/workshops
– stage locations
– artist links

We hope these updated artist pages help you discover new artists, reconnect with familiar favourites, and plan your Hakodate summer. We’ll continue refining the website as planning heats up, and please check back for the printable pocket festival guide coming soon! Inspired by this year’s theme, “wish”, we look forward to welcoming you to seven days of music, dance, art, food, and new encounters across cultures.

The artist pages for WMDF Edition 019 are taking shape!

Join us in Motomachi Park from Aug 5–11 for seven days of music, dance, art, street performance, food, and encounters across cultures. We have now uploaded a substantial collection of artist profiles, with more additions and updates still to come as planning continues.

WMDF 019 brings some exciting additions to our ongoing “100 Project” journey of welcoming artists from around the world. Inspiraciones Costarricenses bring the live music, dance, and pura vida spirit of Costa Rica. Tompuvan carry the soundscape of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo onto the WMDF stage for the first time. Tempvs Fvgit return from Corsica, the Mediterranean island whose polyphonic songs carry centuries of memory and tradition.

The current artist pages also introduce performers from Australia, Poland, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Japan, and beyond, with many familiar WMDF favourites returning to Hakodate.

Each profile includes planned appearance dates. Full daily stage lineups will be announced in July. Please keep checking the artist page as more profiles are added, and also follow our artist videos and updates through our social-media channels.

Around the world, artists are preparing. We look forward to sharing many more meetings of worlds as WMDF 019 takes shape!

With our Oct 20 deadline, we closed the main recruiting for WMDF Edition 018 (Aug 5 – Aug 11 2026). Thanks to the amazing groups who have applied! If you missed out, you are still most welcome to throw your hat in the ring for our 2027 festival (marking 20 consecutive years).

We now enter a short period where we assess the lineup, maybe approach some groups we have been recommended, and also work with contacts made at Japan’s annual International Tourism Expo, where we had a great time in Nagoya at the end of September.

When groups are selected, we use an “Artist@WMDF” online portal for finalising collaborations. Click on the image to go to the page with the colorful guide pdf, and quickly understand all the information you may need to prepare. Hope to see you at our event!

Important WMDF links and dates:

• 2026 Terms and Conditions and Online Registration
• Yearly Application Deadline: 20 Oct
• We especially welcome “firsts” (so far, WMDF has hosted 65 countries/regions)
• Decisions Deadline: 20 Dec 2025 (international artist invitations)
• Performers’ Participation FAQ