WOMAD Festival Will Take a Break in 2025 and Relocates for 2026

Following an incredibly successful 42nd year, which saw over 300 festivals take place across the globe, WOMAD has announced plans for a forthcoming move to a new site close to its longtime home of 17 years in Wiltshire. To guarantee the successful transition and continued long-term growth of WOMAD, the event will take a sabbatical in 2025 before returning fully in 2026 at its new location.

Like many festivals, post-Covid, it has found obstacles and is now taking this period to recalibrate and give new life to that vision. WOMAD’s team will have more to say over the coming weeks about the new plan.

Over the next 12 months, WOMAD will continue to be active around the globe, with events in WOMADelaide, WOMAD New Zealand, and WOMAD Cáceres, with plans for festivals in Las Palmas, Brazil, and Chile. The team is also exploring a special UK event for 2025 to bring a taste of WOMAD’s unique experience to local audiences; details will follow.

WOMAD would like to extend huge thanks to the staff at Charlton Park for their support over the last 17 years and to the communities of Malmesbury and Charlton for embracing the festival into their lives despite the annual disruptions. Their passion and cooperation have been immeasurable.

Lastly, WOMAD would like to extend thanks to all festival-goers, artists, crew, contractors, volunteers, and traders who have made the event one of the most celebrated en masse gatherings on the global calendar of festivals. This commitment has watched communities from across the globe come together through the universal languages of Music, Arts, Dance, and Culture.

WOMAD now invites one and all to its new home in 2026.