Huge festival off for 2025 and will move venue

WOMAD Festival celebrated its 42nd year this summer

Organisers of a huge festival that attracts around 40,000 people have announced it is moving sites and will not take place in 2025.

World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival (WOMAD) - co-founded by Peter Gabriel - has been running for more than four decades and has taken place at Charlton Park near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, since 2007.

Organisers said it will return "fully charged" in 2026 and more information about a new site will be revealed in the next few weeks.

Festival director Chris Smith said they hope to stay nearby, possibly still in Wiltshire.

The festival is popular with families and attracts tens of thousands

"It's home for many of us. The people we're talking to are not far from where we are" he told the BBC.

However, a new venue has not been confirmed yet.

"If you look at our industry as a whole – things need to change, we can’t all carry on doing the same thing over and over again. Some of the changes we want to make would be difficult to make in the home we’ve had" Mr Smith added.

He explained that the new site needs to be "beautiful, part of the story - it’s got to contribute something to the festival."

'A new beginning'

Over the next 12 months, WOMAD festivals will be held around the world, including in Australia, New Zealand and Spain.

Beyond music, the festival is also known for its workshops and children's activities.

The team is looking into holding a smaller event somewhere in the UK next year before the 2026 return.

The organisers have thanked staff at Charlton Park and residents in the surrounding area for making the team feel welcome over the past 17 years.

Mr Smith wanted to "reassure people that this isn't the end, just a new beginning."