WOMAD festival in Glasgow cancelled as refund update issued to ticket-holders

WOMAD festival in Glasgow cancelled as refund update issued to ticket-holders World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) was set to be held in Kelvingrove Park on July 3 and July 4, but Glasgow Life has confirmed the festival has been cancelled A music festival created by former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel has been axed due to poor ticket sales in Glasgow. World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) was due to arrive in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park on July 3 and July 4, marking its debut in the city. But this evening, organiser Glasgow Life announced the "difficult decision" has been taken to scrap the event after it was deemed financially unviable. A statement confirmed all ticket holders will receive a full refund and access to reduced-price tickets for the next event at Neston Park, North Wiltshire, on July 23 to 26. The festival had pledged to deliver an eclectic programme of high-profile and up-and-coming artists performing a diverse array of global music including pop, dance, folk, jazz and hip-hop to Glasgow this summer, reports Glasgow Live. Over the last three decades, the festival has been staged in 30 countries, with events hosted in Fuerteventura and Cáceres in Spain, Santiago in Chile and Taranaki, New Zealand, amongst others. Some of the headline performers who have graced WOMAD festivals over the years include Peter Gabriel himself, Glasgow's own Simple Minds, Australian and New Zealand rock band Crowded House, American RandB and soul singer Macy Gray, rap group De La Soul and English rock outfit Echo and the Bunnymen. The Glasgow event had been set to feature London-based reggae singer and songwriter Hollie Cook, Pakistani instrumentalist Ustad Noor Bakhsh and Stornoway folk-rock trio Peat and Diesel. A statement on WOMAD's website reads: "Glasgow Life is deeply disappointed to confirm that WOMAD Glasgow, scheduled to take place in Kelvingrove Park on 03 and 04 July, will no longer go ahead. This has been a difficult decision and one that has not been taken lightly. Since announcing the event, Glasgow Life and WOMAD have worked together to bring the world-renowned festival to Scotland for the first time. "WOMAD Glasgow was an ambitious first edition of a globally respected festival. While audience response to the programme and the vision for the event was extremely positive, ticket sales did not reach the level required to deliver the festival sustainably in its inaugural year. This reflects the challenge of launching a new large-scale event in a competitive and crowded market at this time. "We know this news will be hugely disappointing, particularly for those who have already purchased tickets, and we sincerely apologise for that. We would also like to thank the many artists, contractors, suppliers, partners and stakeholders who have supported plans for the event over recent months. "Affected customers will receive a full refund and access to discounted tickets for WOMAD in Neston Park, North Wiltshire 23-26 July 2026. Refunds will be automatically issued within 7 working days."