WOMAD founder Peter Gabriel says UK festival market is toughest to survive

Peter Gabriel, the creator of the World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival (WOMAD), expressed to the BBC that the competitive festival landscape in the UK poses significant challenges for survival. Originally launched in Somerset in 1982, WOMAD relocated this year to Neston Park in Wiltshire after being hosted at Charlton Park near Malmesbury since 2007. The 2026 festival showcased over 460 artists from 38 nations, featuring acts like Colombian duo Ácido Pantera, Swedish-Danish group Bitoi, and singer Clara Serra López. Last month, plans for a new festival in Glasgow were scrapped due to competition and disappointing ticket sales. Festival director Chris Smith highlighted WOMAD's status as one of the last large independent festivals in the UK, emphasizing a reset year to sustain its relevance. Gabriel acknowledged that the previous two years had financial losses, making this year's event a risk. For the first time, the main stage utilized renewable energy stored in batteries, with Emma Jean Thackray also performing.