WOMAD - World of Music, Arts and Dance - was founded in 1980 by Peter Gabriel, Thomas Brooman, Bob Hooton, Mark Kidel, Stephen Pritchard, Martin Elbourne and Jonathan Arthur, along with designers Steve Byrne and Valerie Hawthorn.
Use this profile to record all UK festival sites.
The internationally established Festival, which brings together artists from all over the globe, began in the UK in 1982. The central aim of the festival is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance.
The very first festival was held from July 16 to July 18, 1982 at Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset (not far from the Glastonbury site), a key location and influence for why that festival started.
In 1990, Rivermead, Reading, Berkshire became the first fixed location for the festival, until 2006.
In 2007, Charlton Park, Wiltshire became the next fixed location, until today.
Festival sites (UK)
1982: Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset
1983: ICA, London (in collaboration with Capital Radio Festival)
1985: Mersea Island, Essex
1986: Kenn Pier Farm, Clevedon, Somerset
1987: Glastonbury Festival, Pilton, Somerset (the Womad field, which went on to become the Jazz World Stage and later West Holts)
1988: South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire
1987-1993: Cornwall Coliseum, St. Austell, Carlyon Bay, Cornwall (billed as WOMAD weekenders)
1989-1997: Morecombe, Lancashire (August “weekender” events)
1990-2006: Rivermead, Reading, Berkshire
2007-present: Charlton Park, Wiltshire
2003-2005: Eden Project, Cornwall (including Live 8) - additional festivals
2011-2013: Bristol Zoo, Bristol - additional festivals
Festival sites & events (worldwide)
1989-1993: Toronto, Canada
1991: Rinkou Park, Yokohama, Japan
1992-present: Botanic Park, Adelaide, Australia (biennial from 1993 until 2004, then held every year)
1993-present: Canceres, Extremadura, Spain
1993: San Francisco, USA
1996: St. Marks Square, Venice, Italy (for the Carnival of Venice)
1997: Western Springs Park, Auckland, New Zealand
1998-2001: Marymoor Park, King County, Washington, USA
1998-present: Fort Canning Park, Singapore
1998: Denmark
1998-2001: Blue Gum Creek, Johannesburg, South Africa
2001-2002: Athens Equestrian Centre, Greece
2010: Abu Dhabi
2010: Sicily, Itlay
2010: Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain
2011-present: New Plymouth, Taranaki, Aotearoa, New Zealand
2015-present: Santiago, Chile
2016: Fuerteventura, Spain
Other sites have included: Austria, , , Ireland, Northern Ireland, Potugal, Sardinia, Turkey & Uganda.
