WOMAD 2016
Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st July 2016Charlton Park , Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9DG, England MAP
£175 for three days
This month's WOMAD happening in the Wiltshire countryside at the picturesque site in Charlton Park, near Malmesbury from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st July 2016, celebrates not only the very best of music from around the world with more than 80 artists from 49 countries, but also the very best of food from all four corners of the globe.
This year sees the Hairy Bikers join the party at WOMAD this year, on a mission to find the world’s tastiest chicken and egg dishes. Fresh from their world tour exploring the culinary favourites of various countries, the boys have visited France, Morocco, the USA and Israel, with their final destination being the Taste the World Stage at WOMAD, where they will be sharing food, stories and music from their travels. Accompanied by Abass Dodoo on drums, Dave and Si promise to take audiences on a hilarious, entertaining and delicious journey around the world!
The Taste the World stage is a unique WOMAD experience, were acts combine their cooking skills with musical interludes and intimate personal anecdotes. Malian all female super group Les Amazones d’Afrique, Cameroonian soul king Blick Bassy and the Romanian folk band ZMEI3 are amongst those donning their aprons to showcase their native culinary delights. The latter will cook at a dish called 'Shut Up and Swallow', the name of this shepherd's polenta recipe from Transylvania gives a telling insight to the survival of the Romanian people. Blick Bassy will cook up Jazz (red beans) and Alloco ( fried plantain) and the ladies from Mali have Poissons Salé on the menu, a salted fish dish with African eggplant from Gabon in Central Africa.
WOMAD gives foodies and festival-goers the chance to discover and eat their way around the world in just one weekend with a range of bars, cafes and drinks vendors joined this year by a new a cocktail den, craft beers and a real ale bar with its very own beer garden, and Yalumba wines will be offering wine tasting sessions and talks.
WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, and brings together many forms of music, arts and dance from countries and cultures around the world on seven separate stage and workshop areas.
The line-up includes George Clinton And Funkadelic/Parliament, Baaba Maal, John Grant, Roots Manuva, Charles Bradley, St. Germain, Anoushka Shankar, Buika, Ibrahim Maalouf, Grit Orchestra, Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band, Toumani Diabate & Juan Carmona & Josemi Carmona & Javier Colina & Guests revisit Songhai, Konono No1, King Creosote, Bamba Wassoulou Groove, Fuel Fandango, Hackney Colliery Band, Inna Modja, Iration Steppas, Kapucha, Onra, Twelfth Day, Sidestepper, Baloji, Desert Slide, Hot 8 Brass Band, Aziza Brahim, This Is The Kit, Auntie Flo, Aynur, The Breath, Cabruera, Dubioza Kolektiv, Federico Albanese, Florian Keller, Kefaya, Kim Juhong's Ensemble Noreum Machi, Meta and The Cornerstones, Pierce Brothers, Selda Bagcan & Boom Pam, Zmei 3, Muzykanci, Afriquoi, Ethno Trio Troitsa, Tetish, The East Pointers, Blick Bassy, Dom La Nena, Moh! Kouyate, Lula Pena, Ana Tijoux, Asiq Nargile, Alash, Amaraterra, Bafula, Diabel Cissokho, Kel Assouf, Le Vent du Nord, Ngawang Lodup with The Monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Otava Yo, Volosi, Broadway Sounds, Chouk Bwa Libete, Cuncordu e Tenore de Orosei, Hanoi Masters, Heartbeat, Hindi Zahra, La Mambanegra, Lura, Mercedes Peon, N'Diale, Sons of Kemet, MC Soom T, Wiyaala, Xaos, and all-woman supergroup Les Amazones D'Afrique featuring the voices of Oumou Sangare, Mariam Doumbia, Kandia Kouyaté , Rokia Koné, and Mamani Keita.
Those arriving early have the added bonus of music on Thursday night with Asian Dub Foundation, Imarhan, and Malmesbury Schools Project with Escola de Carnaval.
The full line-up features around 100 artists from 40 countries performing over the festival weekend.
For the line-up details as available see the WOMAD line-up page.
Early bird tickets sold out in record time in December. Weekend tickets - which are valid from the Friday until Sunday are priced at £175 (Thursday arrivals will also need a Thursday camping ticket costing £35).
Other ticket prices & options available include:
Teenage Weekend Ticket (aged 14-17) £85
Disabled Weekend Ticket £145
SN16 Resident Weekend £120
A campervan ticket £70
Spa Ticket £105 (sold out)
Park & Camp £75
La-Di-Dah Loos £25
Children 13 and under can come free with each adult ticket holder, but need a free child ticket.
An adult day ticket is priced at £90, a teenage day ticket is £50, and an SN16 resident day ticket is priced at £70.
All children must hold their own ticket and must be accompanied by a ticket holding parent or guardian over the age of 21. One ticket holding parent or guardian can only accompany up to 4 people under the age of 18. Names of teenagers must be registered when purchasing tickets. Thursday tickets do not need to be purchased for children aged 13 and under.
Latest Updates
festival will move to a new home in 2026 after a year off
festival details
Let the sunshine in!
photo galleries
festival details