WOMAD (/ˈwoʊˌmæd/WOH-mad;World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an internationalarts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance.
WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musicianPeter Gabriel, withThomas Brooman, Bob Hooton,Mark Kidel, Stephen Pritchard,Martin Elbourne and Jonathan Arthur.[1][2][3] Original designers were Steve Byrne and Valerie Hawthorn. The first WOMAD festival was inShepton Mallet, UK in 1982. The audience sawPeter Gabriel,Don Cherry,The Beat,Drummers of Burundi,Echo & The Bunnymen,Imrat Khan,Prince Nico Mbarga,Peter Hammill,Simple Minds,Suns of Arqa,The Chieftains and Ekome National Dance Company, founded by Barrington, Angie, Pauline and Lorna Anderson, the pioneering African arts company in the UK amongst others performing. Peter Gabriel's performance included a dynamic inclusion of the Ekome National Dance Company, fusing live African Drums on Gabriel's track "The Rhythm of the Heat".[4]
Gabriel and his company, which had funded WOMAD, faced financial ruin from high costs of the festival[5] in its first year, worsened by the lack of suitable transport to the venue (Shepton Mallet Showground) and a lack of publicity. At the suggestion ofTony Smith, the manager of Gabriel andGenesis, he and the remaining members of Genesis agreed to play together for a single show under the nameSix of the Best at Milton Keynes. The show rescued the company and made it possible for further WOMAD events to take place.[6]
In December 1992, six operating and support companies, including WOMAD U.K. and WOMAD Productions, were voluntarilyliquidated due to the accumulation of $300,000 in debt. Dominic Pride wrote inBillboard that WOMAD and Gabriel's Real World company were discussing ways of saving the WOMAD festival".[7][8] The festival promotion companies were subsequently saved by Real World Group after it purchased their name, trade, and assets.[8]
Since 1982, WOMAD Festivals have travelled all over the world, bringing artists to 27 countries and entertaining over one million people. The main UK event settled at Rivermead inReading, Berkshire, from 1990 until 2006,[9] before moving to its present home in Charlton Park, Wiltshire from 2007.
In 2017, WOMAD UK marked its 35th anniversary.[10] HeadlinersEmir Kusturica &The No Smoking Orchestra,Toots and The Maytals, andRoy Ayers,Seun Kuti &Egypt 80 along with 30 other artists[11] performed for a record-setting audience for the festival of 40,000 people.[10]
In 2022, after two forced cancellations due to theCovid-19 pandemic the UK festival returned for its 40th anniversary.Peter Gabriel appeared on stage with Friday night headlinerAngelique Kidjo as well as introducingOsibisa on stage on Saturday afternoon. Other headliners includedThe Flaming Lips,Fatoumata Diawara &Lianne La Havas. Other keys acts across the weekend on other stages includedKae Tempest,Kanda Bongo Man,Gilberto Gil,The Selector,Fulu Miziki, andLes Amazones d'Afrique.
The UK festival took a year off in 2025 to look for a new home but the annual events in Adelaide, New Zealand, Caceres & Chile took place as usual.
A triple album was released in 2007 to mark the 25th anniversary of WOMAD featuring recordings from many of the festivals in the UK and other sites across the world.
Various otherReal World Records albums feature recordings from the 1982, 1988, 1996 and 2002 UK festivals.
Artists such as23 Skidoo,Sons of Arqa,Echo & The Bunnymen andTankus the Henge have released recordings from the UK festivals.
For the 40th anniversary of the first UK festival in 2022Real World Records released theLive at WOMAD 1982 double album on CD, vinyl and download featuring mostly previously unreleased recordings from the very first UK festival. The CD included two bonus songs. The vinyl included a replica of the original poster.
From the outset, the WOMAD name has reflected the festival's idea; to be embracing but non-definitive, inspiring and outward looking; and more than anything, enthusiastic about a world that has no boundaries in its ability to communicate through music and movement.[12]
WOMAD has always presented music that they felt to be of excellence, passion and individuality, regardless of musical genre or geographical origin. WOMAD encourages collaboration amongst the artists they invite to perform. The first WOMAD Festival in 1982 hadEcho and the Bunnymen join forces with theDrummers of Burundi, and WOMAD Abu Dhabi 2010, saw a collaboration betweenTinariwen,TV on the Radio membersKyp Malone andTunde Adebimpe, Grammy-winning producerIan Brennan (music producer, author), and the French Algerian Mehdi from Speed Caravan.
It was announced in early 2025 that there would be no annual UK festival that year and that the festival was looking for a new home near to its Wiltshire site since 2007.[13]
After the debut 1982 performance at theBath & West Showground the festival took a sabbatical. There were some WOMAD events in 1983 at theICA in London as part of a collaboration with Capital Radio Festival to see if there was still an audience for the brand.
1984 was held atAshton Court,Bristol.
1985 saw the festival move toMersea Island inEssex withNew Order,The Fall,Toots & The Maytals,Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,The Pogues,A Certain Ratio andPenguin Cafe Orchestra performing amongst others. (A section of Nusrat's performance was released on CD in 2019).
1986 the festival moved toKenn Pier Farm,Clevedon,Somerset and saw performances fromGil Scott-Heron,Misty In Roots,Siouxsie & The Banshees,The Housemartins,Youssou N'Dour,The Bhundu Boys,Aswad,Hugh Masekela,23 Skidoo andThe Blue Aeroplanes amongst many others 19–20 July.
In 1987WOMAD hosted the new world-music-focused third stage atGlastonbury Festival that went on to be called The Jazz World (and later, West Holts) stage. 1987 also saw the first of the WOMAD weekenders inCarlyon Bay,Cornwall (The Coliseum) that ran annually until 1993. (The Durutti Column released recordings from their performance here in the late 1980s). There was also an event at Earl's Court in London as well as a winter festival.
There was a folk & blues WOMAD event in 1988 & 1989 at theSouth Hill Park Arts Centre inBracknell. (A recording of one of the artists from the event in 1988 was later released on CD).
1989 to 1997 WOMAD weekender events were held inMorecambe Bay,Lancashire so that the brand weren't accused of being "southern-centric".
1989 also saw an event on the Isle ofGuernsey.
1990-2006 TheRivermead Centre (and later Little John's Farm),Reading, Berkshire was the permanent WOMAD UK festival home before the festival moved to its current home in Wiltshire due to needing to expand, by the time the festival had expanded and needed to move there were three stages: The Open Air, Siam and Village. (Recordings exist from several of the events). 1988 saw the Siam Tent first introduced.
1992 there was an additional event held inDerry,Northern Ireland as well as the Real World Recording Week inBox, UK (atReal World Studios). There were additional World Festivals in The Park events in both Bath and Brighton this year, with Bath also hosting another event the following year.
The years 2003–2005 saw additional events atThe Eden Project, including a specialLive 8 performance (released on CD and DVD).
2007 took place in the grounds ofCharlton Park, a stately home inWiltshire annually until 2024 (with 2020 and 2021 being canceled due to theCovid-19 Pandemic). The arena held at least 5 main stages with a further one in the Arboretum. An old fashioned steam fair, global market, children's area, wellbeing section was also found on the WOMAD UK festival site.WOMAD Charlton Park fell on the last complete weekend in July. In 2019 the capacity of the festival was 40,000.[14]
WOMAD came toBristol Zoo in 2011,[15][16][17][18][19][20] with a subsequent event in 2012.[21][22][23] A boycott of the 2012 event was called for by theCaptive Animals Protection Society because of concerns that noise from the festival could affect the animals' welfare.[24]2011 event (£20 adults over 15, children 3-14 £5, under 3 free):Biram Seck, Gabby Young and Other Animals, Muntu Valdo, Rua MacMillan, Siyaya, The Magic Tombolinos2012 event (same prices):Ballet Nimba, Jaipur Kawa Brass Band, Perunika, Ska Cubano, Spiro, The Boxettes2013 event (£17.50 for adults this year):Diabel Cissokho, Katy Carr & the Aviators, Sarah Savoy and the Francadians, The Dhol Foundation, The Barons of Tang.(Radio Womad were also present at all three Bristol Zoo events).
2022 saw a free WOMAD commissioned event at theSouth Bank Centre, London featuring an hour long performance byYazz Ahmed.
Friday-Soweto String Quartet (South Africa)-Kazufumi 'Echo' Kodama (Japan)- Mabulu (Mozambique)-Asian Dub Foundation (UK)-Ballet Folklorico Cutumba (Santiago de Cuba)-Rachid Taha (Algeria)-Joji Hirota & the London Metropolitan Ensemble (Japan/UK)-Dounia (Sicily)-Paul James &Mark Hawkins (UK)
Saturday-Siyaya (Zimbabwe)-Tarras (UK)-Hamid Baroudi (Algeria)-Oliver Mutukudzi &The Black Spirits (Zimbabwe)-Kazufumi 'Echo' Kodama (Japan)-Imbizo with special guestsNuclearte (Zimbabwe/Sicily)-Cecile Kayirebwa (Rwanda)-Jose Merce (Spain)-Juan de Marcos' Afro-Cuban All Stars (Cuba)-Modou Diouf &Beugue Djamm (Senegal)-Cachaito Lopez (Cuba)-Cheikh Lo (Senegal)-Dounia (Sicily)-Whirl-Y-Gig
Sunday-Regis Gizavo (Madagascar)-Orchestre National de Barbes (Magreb/France)-Shilpi Baruri-Badenya les Freres Coulibaly (Burkina Faso)-Danza Libre (Cuba)-Hamid Baroudi (Algeria)-Badejo Arts (Nigeria)-Trilok Gurtu (India)-Oliver Mutukudzi &The Black Spirits (Zimbabwe)-Siyaya (Zimbabwe)-Mushtaq (UK)-Whirl-Y-Gig
Abdelkader Saadoun (Algeria/UK); Anouskha Shankar (India); Bob Brozman/Rene Lacaille/Takashi Hirayasu (USA/New Guinea Islands/Japan); Cara Dillon (UK); Ernest Ranglin (Jamaica); Francis Dunnery (UK); Gigi (Ethiopia); Issa Bagayogo (Mali);Lokua Kanza (Congo); Los De Abajo (Mexico); Pina (Austria); Rachid Taha (Algeria); Rebecca Malope (South Africa); Ronu Majumdar Trio with special guest Trilok Gurtu (India); Souad Massi (Algeria); Tartit Ensemble (Mali) and Trio Mocoto (Brazil); Adrian Sherwood (UK); Bill Cobham (USA); Asere (Cuba); The Bisserov Sisters (Bulgaria); Misty In Roots (UK); Orchestra Baobab (Senegal);Papa Noel & Papi Oviedo (Congo); King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (Nigeria);Kanda Bongo Man (Congo); The Walkabouts (USA); and The Shrine (UK); System 7 (UK)
Friday 25 July1 Giant Leap (UK) with special guest appearances fromBaaba Maal (Senegal) andMaxi Jazz (UK); Amampondo (South Africa),Holi water Project (NZ/UK/INDIA), Amjad Ali Khan (India); Bembeya Jazz (Guinea); Celloman (UK); Chico César (Brazil); Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks (USA); Eliza Carthy Big Band (England); Joji Hirota and Taiko Drummers (Japan/UK); Julien Jacob (Benin/West Indies/France); McKay (USA); Modeste Hugues (Madagascar); Pape & Cheikh (Senegal); Sevara Nazarkhan (Uzbekistan);Sotho Sounds (Lesotho) and The Suspects - Soul 'n' Rhythm Revue (UK). CLUB WOMAD - DJGilles Peterson (UK); The Cat Empire (Australia) and DJ Desperado (UK). KITTY CANDLE'S CABARET - Clive Andrews (Australia); Stretch People (UK); Heir of Insanity (UK); Martinez and Fabriga(UK); Woody Bop Muddy (UK) and Les Goulus (France).
Saturday 26 JulyAli Slimani (Algeria/UK); Amampondo (South Africa); Asad Qizilbash (Pakistan); Clave y Guaguancó (Cuba); Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks (USA); Jimmy Cliff (Jamaica); JJC and the 419 Squad (UK/Nigeria); Julien Jacob (Benin/WestIndies/France); Liam Gerner (Australia); Lo'Jo (France); Nitin Sawhney (UK); Pape & Cheikh (Senegal); Samba Sunda (Java); Super Rail Band of Bamako (Mali); Temple of Sound (UK): Teofilo Chantre (Cap Verde) and The Cat Empire (Australia). CLUB WOMAD - DJ Mr Scruff (UK) and Homelife (UK). KITTY CANDLE'S CABARET - Clive Andrews (Australia); Stretch People (UK); Heir of Insanity (UK); Martinez & Fabriga (UK); Woody Bop Muddy (UK)and Les Goulus (France).
Sunday 27 JulyAsad Qizilbash (Pakistan); Claude Chaloub & special guest Ronu Majumdar (Lebanon/India); Ensemble Kaboul (Afghanistan); Errol Linton's Blues Vibe (UK); Kad Achouri (France/Spain/Algeria); Khaled (Algeria); Manecas Costa (Guinea Bissau); Manu Dibango &Ray Lema (Cameroon/Democratic Republic of Congo); Ojos de Brujo (Spain); Oumou Sangare (Mali); Rodrigo and Gabriela (Mexico); Sevara Nazarkhan (Uzbekistan); Sierra Maestra (Cuba); Super Rail Band of Bamako (Mali); The Angel Brothers & Satnam Singh (UK/India); The Proclaimers (Scotland) and Totonho y Os Cabra (Brazil). CLUB WOMAD - Future World Funk (UK); Pardesi Music Machine (UK) and Pathaan (UK). KITTY CANDLE'S CABARET - Clive Andrews (Australia); Stretch People (UK); Heir of Insanity (UK); Martinez & Fabriga (UK); Woody Bop Muddy (UK) and Les Goulus (France).
FRIDAY 23 JULYAndrea Echeverry de Aterciopelados (Colombia); Ceilidh featuring Tiger Moth (UK); David Byrne featuring The Tosca Strings (USA); Dhol Foundation (UK); Fawzy Al-Aiedy (Iraq/France); Golden Pride Children's Choir (Tanzania); Izzi Dunn (UK); Laye Sow (Senegal); Patrick Duff and Alex Webb (UK); Radio Mundial (USA/Puerto Rico); Richard Bona (Cameroon); Sharon Shannon (Ireland); Souad Massi (Algeria); The Drummers of Burundi (Burundi); Yelemba d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and Zaman Zaki (Pakistan).KITTY CANDLE'S CABARET - Les Têtes de Vainqueurs (France); Les Goulus (France); Mimbre (Italy/Sweden); Mr Dennis Teeth (UK); Stickleback Plasticus (UK).CLUB WOMAD - DJ Andy Kershaw (UK) and JJC & 419 Squad (Nigeria/UK).
SATURDAY 24 JULYCulture Musical Club - Grand Orchestre Taarab de Zanzibar (Tanzania); Daara J (Senegal); Damien Dempsey (Ireland); Drum Drum (Australia/Papua New Guinea); Golden Pride Children's Choir (Tanzania); Hot Tuna (USA); Imbongi & Albert Nyathi (Zimbabwe); Kila (Ireland); Malouma (Mauritania); Marsada (Sumatra); Michael Messer (UK); Moon Dogs (UK); N'faly Kouyate & Dunyakan (Guinea); Nigel Kennedy and Kroke (UK/Poland); Rokia Traore (Mali); Sidestepper (Colombia/UK); The Drummers of Burundi (Burundi); Tinariwen (Mali); Yair Dalal (Israel); Yelemba d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and Zaman Zaki (Pakistan).KITTY CANDLE'S CABARET - Les Têtes de Vainqueurs (France); Les Goulus (France); Mimbre (Italy/Sweden); Mr Dennis Teeth (UK); Stickleback Plasticus (UK).CLUB WOMAD - The Bays (UK), Future World Funk (UK) and Resin Dogs (Australia).
SUNDAY 25 JULYAayjemaal (Turkmenistan); Amparanoia (Spain); Antonio Forcione & Ronu Majumdar (Italy/India); Ba Cissoko (Guinea); Daby Toure (Mauritania); DJ Dolores & Aparelhagem (Brazil); Enzo Avitabile & Bottari (Italy); Jim Moray (England); Liu Fang (China); Ljiljana Buttler & Mostar Sevdah Reunion (Bosnia); Luciano (Jamaica); Señor Coconut (Germany/Denmark/Venezuela); The Suspects Soul 'n' Rhythm Revue (UK); Wire Daisies (UK) and a Gala performance with Yair Dalal featuring Jim Moray, Liu Fang, N'faly Kouyate with Dunyakan, Chris Difford, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady & Barry Mitterhof.KITTY CANDLE'S CABARET - Les Têtes de Vainqueurs (France); Les Goulus (France); Mr Dennis Teeth (UK); Stickleback Plasticus (UK); Tuyo (Cuba/UK).CLUB WOMAD - artists soon to be announced.KID'S PROCESSION - including work by WOMAD's 2004 resident visual artists The Mora Brothers from Cuba.
The first year on the new site was also a very rainy and muddy year with festival goers nicknaming the site "WOMUD".
Due to the previous year's flooding and some inaccessibility, the site was moved around and expanded. Stages included: Open Air, Siam Tent, Big Red Tent, Little Sicily, Dance Tent, Drum Tent,BBC Radio 3 Stages & Taste The World Stage. Also, the first year Radio Womad broadcast was launched.
Capacity is nearly doubled to 40,000
The headliners appearing on the Open Air and Siam Tent wereGilberto Gil,Rokia Traore,Seun Kuti andLee "Scratch" Perry withMax Romeo (replacedToots and the Maytals) Arrested Development were also added to the line-up later on
Adjágas (Norway)Alice Russell (dropped out) Replaced byDJ Cheeba (UK)Amesmalua (Spain)Asif Ali Khan (Pakistan)Bwani Junction (UK)Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Italy)Carminho (Portugal)Christine Salem (Reunion)David Rodigan MBE (UK)David Wax Museum (USA)Debapriya & Samanwaya (India)Dizu Plaatjies and the Ibuyambo Ensemble (South Africa)Dub Inc (France)Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia)Fanfare Ciocarlia (Romania)Fimber Bravo (Trinidad & Tobago)Flavia Coelho ( Brazil)Fredy Massamba (Congo)GOCOO (Japan)Hidden Orchestra (UK)Huun-Huur-Tu (Tuva/Russia)Iadoni (Georgia)Jagwa Music (Tanzania)Jesca Hoop (USA)Katy Carr &The Aviators (UK/Poland)Kissmet (India)La Chiva Gantiva (Colombia/Belgium/Vietnam/France)Le Vent Du Nord (Canada)Lévon Minassian (Armenia)Mala in Cuba (UK)Malawi Mouse Boys (Malawi)Malouma (Mauritania)Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (Iran)Mokoomba (Zimbabwe)Nano Stern (Chile)Ondatrópica (Colombia)Parov Stelar Band (Austria)Riot Jazz Brass Band (UK)Sam Lee and Friends (UK)Schlachthofbronx (Germany)Spoek Mathambo (South Africa)Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys (USA)Syd Arthur (UK)Tamikrest (Mali)The Bombay Royale (India/Australia)The Heavy (UK)Urna & Kroke (Mongolia/Poland)
BBC Radio 3 Stage:
Mavrika (Greece)Barrule (Isle of Man)Family Atlantica (Ghana)Lucas Santtana (Brazil)Zykopops (Croatia)Roopa Panesar (United Kingdom)Imperial Tiger Orchestra (Switzerland)Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band (United States)DJTudo e sua gente de todo lugar (Brazil)La Pegatina (Spain)Fidan Hajieva (Azerbaijan)Guy Schalom & The Baladi Blues (Egypt)DaWangGang (China)KonKoma (Ghana)Red Hot Chilli Pipers (Scotland)
The 2014 headliners includedYoussou N'Dour,Sinead O'Connor,Manu Dibango and Les Ambassadeurs.Sinead O'Connor replacedBobby Womack, who had died a handful of weeks before the festival. She dedicated her performance to him.
WOMAD UK cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The festival, Radio Womad and BBC Radio 3 ran a free on-line only "WOMAD at Home" event the same weekend with exclusive and archive performances. Also,Will Lawton and the Alchemists gained permission to access the site and recorded a short two song set and are "The only band to play WOMAD 2020", with the video and images being released via their Facebook and Instagram accounts. "WOMAD at Home" T-shirts are sold to help raise funds for the festival crews affected by the forced unemployment.
WOMAD UK cancelled again. Radio WOMAD again broadcast exclusive live shows from the presenters respective homes over the weekend.
40th anniversary festival.
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Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
The AllergiesAsmâa Hamzoui &Bnat Timbouktou
Sunday
- The 2021 event was one of the first of its kind due to Australia's unique lockdown rules and a smaller event of 6000 capacity was held in its place.
- The 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the pandemic.
- The 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the pandemic. - 2024 event was also cancelled.
- WOMAD New Zealand 2021 was cancelled in late 2020 due toCOVID-19 pandemic complications; because of New Zealand's social distancing regulations during the emergence of COVID, its local organizing committee argued that the financial risk was too high if restrictions were to potentially be reinstated in close proximity to the event.[28][29] - The event did also not go ahead in 2022 for the same reasons, but did recommence in 2023. The 2020 event was one of the last festivals in the world to run just prior to the worldwide lockdowns were imposed.
Previously based on Charlton Park every year since the second year (2008) the UK festival moved there, the official festival radio station is broadcast on a temporary FM licence (usually on 87.7FM) just prior to the festival opening its gates to the public and broadcasts 24 hours a day every day until late Monday after the public gates have closed. Each year the station hosts several exclusive live sessions and interviews from artists playing at the festival across the weekend. The FM signal reaches about ten miles away from the festival site.
During the forced cancellations of the festival in 2020 and 2021 the radio station was set up to broadcast remotely from several of the presenter's homes across the UK and was broadcast live viaMixcloud where listeners could also interact with other listeners and the presenters for the "WOMAD at home" events. The shows showcased several highlights of previous live sessions from their archives. There was also a special live x-mas show in 2021 and two special live announcement shows in early 2022, to tie in with the line-up announcement from the festival, broadcast from station managerSteve Satan's kitchen.
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