Max SteventonWOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) festival organisers have announced that the acclaimed culture, arts and music festival will expand to Glasgow this summer.
The first WOMAD festival in Scotland will take place from 3-4 July at Kelvingrove Park with a capacity of 8,000.
It will be staged in partnership with culture charity Glasgow Life, who will partner with WOMAD with production and Celtic Connections, a folk and world music festival in Glasgow, which will help with programming.
WOMAD, founded by former leader of rock band Genesis Peter Gabriel, first took place in 1982 and has been located at several sites in the UK throughout the years including Royal Park & West Showground and Charlton Park, Wiltshire.
In November 2025, organisers revealed WOMAD will move to Neston Park in Corsham, Wiltshire for this year’s event after a fallow year in 2025.
The unveiling of WOMAD’s Glasgow edition marks an expansion of the WOMAD brand in the UK however the organisation, which also has its own radio station, has held several events globally since its inception including festivals as far and wide as New Zealand and Denmark.
“It’s brilliant to see the first Scottish WOMAD and thanks to Glasgow Life for giving us this wonderful opportunity, said Gabriel. “The city is one of the first UNESCO cities of music and it’s always had a warm and welcoming attitude to the people and cultures of the world.
“At a time when hatred is being deliberately whipped up and when differences are being exploited for political gain, it’s increasingly important to have a meeting place which goes in the other direction; where our differences are celebrated, enjoyed and bring us together.’