“This has been a difficult decision and one that has not been taken lightly.”
21:10, 02 Jun 2026Updated 21:16, 02 Jun 2026
WOMAD festival in Glasgow has been cancelled(Image: Contributed)
A globally renowned music festival founded by former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, which was set to come to Glasgow, has been cancelled due to low ticket sales.
World of Music, Arts and Dance ( WOMAD ) was set to be held in Kelvingrove Park on Friday July 3 and Saturday July 4, coming to the city for the first time.
However, tonight (Tuesday, June 2), organiser Glasgow Life has confirmed that the “difficult decision” has been made to cancel after running the festival was deemed to be unsustainable.
A statement confirmed that anyone with a ticket will be entitled to a full refund and access to discounted tickets to the next event at Neston Park, North Wiltshire, on July 23-26.
The festival promised to bring an eclectic line-up of high-profile and emerging artists performing a vast range of global music including pop, dance, folk, jazz and hip-hop to Glasgow this summer.
Over the past three decades, the festival has taken place in 30 countries, with events held in Fuerteventura and Cáceres in Spain, Santiago in Chile and Taranaki, New Zealand, among others.
Some of the headline acts who have performed at WOMAD festivals over the years include Peter Gabriel himself, Glasgow’s own Simple Minds, Australian and New Zealand rock band Crowded House, American R&B and soul singer Macy Gray, rap group De La Soul and English rock outfit Echo and the Bunnymen.
The Glasgow event was set to include London-based reggae vocalist 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.”