WOMAD Festival

Every year, during the last weekend of July, you’ll discover a world without borders, a global fiesta of music, food, dance and art, and a place where everyone is welcome.

WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and it was founded by Peter Gabriel and partners.

After 17 years at Charlton Park, Malmesbury, and a fallow year in 2025, the WOMAD Festival (UK) is moving to Neston Park estate near Corsham, with the 2026 event happening from 23–26 July.

30th Anniversary festival

The 2012 festival took place on the weekend of 27-29 July. It was the sixth year that WOMAD held its principal festival at Charlton Park and it was the 30th anniversary year of the festival worldwide.

The first WOMAD festival took place in 1982 in Somerset.

Artists included… Alaev Family (Tajikstan/Israel); Ane Brun (Norway); Boubacar Traore (Mali); Buena Vista Social Club (Cuba); Dizraeli and the Small Gods (UK); Grupo Fantasma (USA); Lo’Jo (France/Algeria); Joe Driscoll & Seckou Kouyate (USA/Guinea); Narasirato (Solomon Islands); Peatbog Faeries (UK); Raghu Dixit (India); Sensational Space Shifters (UK/USA/Gambia); Spiro (UK); Terem Quartet (Russia); Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (Japan).

Related:

World Record for The Number of People Playing Air Guitar Broken at WOMAD

View photos of WOMAD 2012

Find out what happened at the 2011 Festival