WOMAD festival announces hiatus, new location

Organisers of the UK’s World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival have announced that it is taking a break next year before returning to a new home in 2026.

Co-founded by legendary artist Peter Gabriel, the 40,000-capacity event has been running for over four decades and has been exported to 27 countries.

The UK edition has been held at Charlton Park near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, since 2007. Organisers say that the 2026 edition of the festival will take place nearby, though an exact location hasn’t been revealed.

“To ensure that the festival can continue to thrive for years to come in our new location, we have decided to take a year off in 2025 before returning fully charged in 2026,” Gabriel said in a statement.

“WOMAD, like many festivals and events, has seen some challenges post covid and we are now engaged in the process of re-evaluating, regenerating and reinvigorating everything we do – and where we want to go in the future. We’re delighted to say we’ll be announcing our new plans over the next few weeks.”

“To ensure that the festival can continue to thrive for years to come in our new location”

Over the next 12 months, WOMAD editions will be held in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Further events in Las Palmas (Spain), Brazil and Chile are also on the cards, as well as a “special UK event” in lieu of the flagship.

“We want to send a massive thank you to all of the brilliant staff at Charlton Park who made us feel welcome for the last 17 years, pulling us out of many sticky situations (quite literally, on those rainy weekends!),” Gabriel’s statement continues. “We couldn’t have done what we did without you.

“Also, to the fabulous community in Malmesbury, Charlton, and all the surrounding villages for whom we created a few days of disruption each year. You have always responded positively and embraced WOMAD, welcoming us into your community and working with us in so many ways.

“Finally, thank you to all of the Festival-Goers, Artists, Crew, Contractors, Volunteers and Traders who make WOMAD possible, a treasure in the festival calendar and a vital contribution to bringing communities together from all over the world to celebrate diversity and tolerance through Music, Arts, Dance, and Culture.

“We look forward to welcoming you all to our new site in 2026.”

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