WOMAD Charlton Park or WOMAD UK[1] is the name given to the World of Music Arts and Dance (WOMAD) festival held in Charlton Park near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England, since 2007. It is the direct successor to WOMAD Reading, which was held in the town of Reading each year from 1990 to 2006, and previous WOMADs elsewhere in England since 1986.[2]
The WOMAD festival is held on the last weekend of July, and currently lasts three and a half days, stretching from the Thursday evening to early Monday morning.[3] The line-up is predominantly World music, but blues, jazz, hip hop, electronic and rock artists also appear.
WOMAD was pioneered by various international artists, notably Peter Gabriel in Shepton Mallet, where the first concerts took place in 1982. Peter Gabriel is still a major driving force behind the organisation and its various branches of activity in the music industry.[4] Reading became the regular site for WOMAD in the UK, 8 years after its inception, and the festival became established there over 15 years. The first Womad Reading was held in 1990, and the last in 2006. Previous festivals had occurred in Shepton Mallet 1982, Mersea Island 1985, Clevedon 1986, Carlyon Bay 1987, Bracknell 1988, and Morecambe 1989–1997.[5] [6]
The festival took place every year on the last weekend of July, at the Rivermead Centre and Little John's Farm in Reading. By the end of its run in Reading, the festival had three stages:[7]
In light of the mud caused by poor weather prior to the first festival in its new location, and on the Saturday night, many festival goers nicknamed the festival WOMUD.[8]
WOMAD 2008 was luckier, a weekend of sunshine in an otherwise poor summer. The 2008 festival was well received and reviewed for its broad line-up and inclusive atmosphere.[9] Mercury Prize-winner Roni Size Reprazent said: "What makes this festival different from every other festival that I've been to is when you walk into the tent. It's filled up with kids and buggies and their mothers and their fathers. Now that is an unbelievable sight."[10]
The format has evolved and expanded since 1986. Stages in 2008 included:[11]
The headliners were Gilberto Gil, Rokia Traore, Seun Kuti and Lee "Scratch" Perry with Max Romeo (replaced Toots and the Maytals) Arrested Development were also added to the line-up later on
The following performers were on the BBC Radio 3 Stage, a quieter stage for smaller acts (in order of appearance):
The headliners for 2014 include Youssou N'Dour, Sinéad O'Connor, Manu Dibango and Les Ambassadeurs.[12] The initial headlining act, Bobby Womack, died a few weeks before the festival.
WOMAD 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a virtual festival weekend was held instead.[13] One band, Will Lawton and the Alchemists, gained permission to access the site and recorded a two-song set purely to be "The only band to play WOMAD 2020", with the video and images released via their Facebook and Instagram accounts.[14] [15]
WOMAD was cancelled again in 2021 also due to COVID-19, citing a lack of government guidance on restrictions after 19 July, and as with many other British music festivals, the lack of a cancellation insurance scheme from the government.[16]