Since the government decision to extend the Phase 3 restrictions by at least four weeks to the 19th of July, just 72 hours before WOMAD would have been opening its gates, organisers have been seeking urgent clarification from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and Public Health England as to what this means for large scale events such as WOMAD.
A few days after that extension was announced the DCMS sought applications from festivals taking place within that extension period to join the next stage of its Event Research Programme.
As WOMAD takes place after that period, the event does not qualify despite both Latitude and Tramlines Festivals, which take place on the same weekend as WOMAD was scheduled being given ‘Test Event’ status.
Peter Gabriel said: “It is with great regret that we are cancelling WOMAD ’21. Without the simple support of a government insurance scheme or the guarantee of Test Event status, we cannot continue and put WOMAD’s long term future at risk.
“We feel that our audience, artists, staff, and contractors, who have been amazingly supportive throughout all this, will understand the need for us to act to guarantee our survival.”
