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Peter Gabriel<\/a> has announced that his WOMAD festival is \u201cofficially back\u201d with a new location.<\/p>\n 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, while the main UK event has taken place in Charlton Park in Wiltshire since 2007.<\/p>\n Last year, Gabriel announced that WOMAD would take a break in 2025, before returning to a new location for 2026<\/a>. At the time, he explained that the festival was \u201cre-evaluating, regenerating and reinvigorating\u201d after facing challenges post-COVID.<\/p>\n Now, he\u2019s revealed that the 2026 edition will be held at Neston Park, Corsham, Wiltshire, on July 23-26.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m delighted to say that WOMAD is officially back,\u201d Gabriel said in a statement today (October 30). \u201cWe\u2019re back and in a beautiful new home; Neston Park near our own base in Real World Studios.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have looked at many wonderful sites around the country, but when we learned that Sir James and Lady Venetia Fuller were keen to open up their beautiful estate and host WOMAD, it immediately felt to us like a warm and welcoming home into which we could sink our roots,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n The statement went on to say: \u201cWhile we\u2019ve been away, all the team have been working away regenerating our beloved festival and poring over your extensive feedback \u2013 and finding so many great suggestions.<\/p>\n \u201cIts brilliant to have an audience that cares so much about what WOMAD is, could be, and stands for. In a world in which many bad actors seem to be achieving power by fanning the flames of hatred racism and division, a meeting place for all the world\u2019s cultures and dreams, built on mutual respect, seems all the more precious.\u201d<\/p>\n On hosting WOMAD next year, Sir James and Lady Venetia Fuller said: \u201cWe, along with our home team are very excited to welcome the WOMAD community to Neston Park in 2026. This will be the first time we\u2019ve opened the estate to any type of event and WOMAD\u2019s message and what it stands for is something we\u2019ve long admired.\u201d<\/p>\n The 2025 year off follows the festival\u2019s cancellation in 2021 amid the COVID pandemic<\/a>,\u00a0which, at the time, Gabriel put down to a lack of support from the UK government. He had\u00a0previously warned that the event would be cancelled<\/a>\u00a0unless the government offered an insurance program.<\/p>\n In other news, in September, Gabriel featured in a message<\/a> alongside other artists calling for a ceasefire in Gaza for Together For Palestine<\/a>, ahead of the huge benefit show in London.<\/p>\n