Peter Gabriel‘s WOMAD Festival has announced a Glasgow edition for 2026. Find all the details below.
WOMAD, which stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, was founded by Gabriel in 1980 with the aim of spotlighting an eclectic mixture of genres. Since then, the festival has travelled to 27 countries across the world.
Last year, Gabriel announced that WOMAD would take a break in 2025, before returning to a new location for 2026. At the time, he explained that the festival was “re-evaluating, regenerating and reinvigorating” after facing challenges post-COVID.
Back in October, he revealed that the 2026 edition will be held at Neston Park, Corsham, Wiltshire, on July 23-26.
Now, WOMAD has announced that another event will be taking place in Glasgow, marking the first Scottish edition of the festival.
Dubbed WOMAD Glasgow, the festival is set to take place at Kelvingrove Park on July 3 and 4 2026.
The yet-to-be-announced line-up will feature “high-profile and emerging artists performing a vast range of global music, including pop, dance, folk, jazz and hip-hop and beyond across three stages”, per a press release.
There will also be free workshops led by musicians and dancers, “exotic foods” cooked by artists and talks that will teach festival goers about other cultures.
WOMAD Glasgow is launched in partnership with charity Glasgow Life and the folk, roots and world musical festival Celtic Connections, which will help to programme the event.
Speaking on the festival, Gabriel said: “It’s brilliant to see the first Scottish WOMAD and thanks to Glasgow Life for giving us this wonderful opportunity. Glasgow is one of the first UNESCO cities of music and it’s always had a warm and welcoming attitude to the people and cultures of the world.
“At a time when hatred is being deliberately whipped up and when differences are being exploited for political gain, it’s increasingly important to have a meeting place which goes in the other direction; where our differences are celebrated, enjoyed and bring us together,” he added.
Billy Garrett, Director of Culture, Tourism and Events at Glasgow Life, added: “It is fitting that Glasgow, the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music, will add WOMAD Festival to the growing list of spectacular cultural events taking place in the city in 2026.
“Glasgow’s UNESCO City of Music status continues to open doors for international collaboration, tourism development, and inclusive cultural programming, reinforcing our city’s standing as a dynamic global hub for music lovers and creators alike,” he continued. “The addition of WOMAD further enhances Glasgow’s enviable cultural events calendar, which already features the likes of Celtic Connections, Glasgow Film Festival, Glasgow International Comedy Festival, the Glasgow Mela, TRNSMT and the Merchant City Festival, among others.
“Glasgow will proudly join other WOMAD host cities around the world like Adelaide, Las Palmas, Rome and Santiago in hosting a celebration of extraordinary arts performances which emphasises the importance of community, diversity and mutual respect.”
In other news, in September, Gabriel featured in a message alongside other artists calling for a ceasefire in Gaza for Together For Palestine, ahead of the huge benefit show in London.
Back in 2023, he also appeared in a video by Artist for Action to Prevent Gun Violence, an organisation that asks Americans to vote to eradicate gun violence in the country. “As much as I love the United States, I am always appalled at the ease with which anyone can get a weapon,” Gabriel says in the video.
Gabriel also weighed in on the AI debate, saying, “I’m probably just as scared [of AI] as everybody else, but I like to jump in the river rather than talk about it…I do think about it quite a lot, and I think not enough people are thinking about it.”
