Grammy-winning singer Angélique Kidjo, punk-folk trio Violent Femmes and South African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform at the 2016 WOMADdelaide, it was announced today.

They are among 20 artists and speakers revealed as part of the March 11-14 line-up, with others including popular Australian genre-straddling band The Cat Empire, Nigerian Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti and his group Egypt 80, and American singer-songwriter John Grant.

The Violent Femmes will perform one show only at WOMADelaide.

It will be Kidjo’s first appearance at the Botanic Park festival, where she will sing on opening night alongside the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. They will perform a new three-part movement called Ifé, which Kidjo created with composer Philip Glass, as well as several other original compositions and Gershwin’s “Summertime”.

WOMADelaide director Ian Scobie said Canadian environmentalist, scientist and broadcaster David Suzuki would be another 2016 program highlight, taking part in the festival’s Planet Talks program.

“Hosting Angélique Kidjo and David Suzuki at WOMADelaide in the space of a few days perfectly encapsulates the breadth of the program in connecting audiences with such wonderfully engaging cultural and social innovators in their fields,” he said.

Other artists announced today include Australian Dance Theatre, which will present the world premiere of a new work; Palestinian hip-hop act 47SOUL; Mali group Songhoy Blues; Ukrainian folk quartet DakhaBrakha and Spain’s Diego el Cigala. Cartoonist First Dog on the Moon and physicist Tanya Monro will also join the Planet Talks.

Further artist announcement will be made in the lead-up to the 2016 festival.