The tents may have come down and the final encore may have faded into the summer evening, but organisers of WOMAD are already looking ahead after what has been hailed as a successful first year at the festival’s new home in Wiltshire.
As visitors departed Neston Park following four days of music, culture and creativity, attention quickly turned to next year’s event, with tickets for WOMAD 2027 due to go on sale on Friday, 31 July.
The move to Neston Park proved an immediate success, with the estate’s sweeping parkland, mature trees and striking sunflower fields providing a memorable backdrop to one of the world’s best-known celebrations of global music and culture. Festivalgoers embraced the new setting, while organisers continued WOMAD’s long-standing commitment to sustainability through partnerships with Ecotricity, an on-site repair workshop and the extensive use of recycled and reused materials across the site.
More than 460 performers from 38 countries appeared across the weekend, underlining the festival’s reputation for showcasing music from every corner of the globe while introducing audiences to emerging artists alongside established international names.
Among the standout performances were reggae legend Barrington Levy, Afrobeat star Mádé Kuti, Brazilian icon Daniela Mercury, Congolese favourites Jupiter & Okwess, jazz innovators Alfa Mist and Emma-Jean Thackray, neo-soul singer Greentea Peng, and Malian music legend Oumou Sangaré, who brought the festival to a memorable close on Sunday evening.
Festival founder Peter Gabriel also made a special appearance, welcoming Mauritanian singer Noura Mint Seymali to the World Stage as Saturday’s programme got under way.
Away from the music, visitors enjoyed a packed programme of activities across the festival site. Taste the World showcased international cuisine, World of Words hosted discussions featuring figures including Zack Polanski and Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, while the Hip Yak Poetry Shack and World of Wellness continued to offer spaces for creativity, conversation and relaxation.
Families remained at the heart of the festival, with the popular World of Children joined this year by The Launch Pod, a new space designed for teenagers featuring live music sessions, DJ workshops, mentoring and careers advice for aspiring creatives.
WOMAD also strengthened its links with the local area, working alongside organisations and creative collectives from Wiltshire, Bath and Bristol while expanding its partnership with NTS and welcoming takeovers from Twende, Jam Jar and Saffron.
With another successful festival complete and tickets for 2027 about to be released, organisers will be hoping the new Wiltshire venue continues to write the next chapter in WOMAD’s remarkable four-decade story.
