Christopher BarrettWOMAD is to be staged at Neston Park in Corsham, Wiltshire, next year, where it will become the first event to be staged at the country house and estate.
The 40,000-capacity event is one of the few remaining large-scale independent festivals in the UK, and its return after a fallow year in 2025 will reunite a team led by festival director Chris Smith and head of operations Rupert Bassadone.
The World of Music Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival was founded by Peter Gabriel and launched by a team including Thomas Brooman, Bob Hooton, Steve Pritchard and longtime Glastonbury festival booker Martin Elbourne. The debut edition took place from 16-18 July 1982 at Royal Bath & West Showground, it was then moved to Reading between 1990 and 2006, followed by Charlton Park in Wiltshire where it was staged until 2024.
Announcing the move to Neston Park, which is owned by Sir James and Lady Venetia Fuller, Gabriel said, “ We’re back and in a beautiful new home; Neston Park near our own base in Real World Studios. We have looked at many wonderful sites around the country, but when we learned that Sir James and Lady Venetia Fuller were keen to open up their beautiful estate and host WOMAD, it immediately felt to us like a warm and welcoming home into which we could sink our roots.
“In a world in which many bad actors seem to be achieving power by fanning the flames of hatred, racism and division, a meeting place for all the world’s cultures and dreams, built on mutual respect, seems all the more precious.”
Smith said, “We took a break to reflect on what makes WOMAD so special and what our incredible community of artists and audiences deserves. We return, still a truly independent festival, with an exciting future.”