WOMAD Glasgow announces programme for 2026
Kelvingrove Park will host the world-renowned music, arts and dance festival
Kelvingrove Park will play host to the world-famous WOMAD (World Of Music, Arts And Dance) Festival this summer for the first time, presenting a wide-ranging programme of music, workshops and cultural activity. Tickets are available now.
Taking place on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 July, the event will turn the park into a multi-stage site celebrating global sounds. More than 30 artists from 22 countries across five continents are set to perform folk, trad, jazz, hip-hop, soul and experimental music.
Among the newly-announced names are London reggae artist Hollie Cook, Pakistani instrumentalist Ustad Noor Bakhsh and Jamaican viral star Brushy One String. They join a bill that includes Scottish folk favourites Breabach, Sudanese singer and oud player Sulaf, West African favourites Ibibio Sound Machine, and duo Justin Adams and Mauro Durante.
Further highlights include 14-piece Puerto Rican ensemble El Laberinto del Coco, South African singer-songwriter Bongeziwe Mabandla, the genre-blending Indian Man, French performer Lena C, and Türkiye's Islandman.
A specially-curated World-Celtic collaboration will unite Michael McGoldrick and Moroccan artist Mohamed Errebbaa, while emerging performers from Glasgow’s Commonwealth diaspora will also feature.
The festival will take place across four stages, including the main Kelvin Stage on the park’s red ash pitch and the Gravity Stage set within the skatepark beneath the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Elsewhere, the Lookout Stage will use the park’s natural amphitheatre, and the New World Stage will focus on local and emerging talent.
Alongside the music, a substantial workshop programme will run across the weekend, with activities for children and adults. Family-friendly sessions range from lantern and kite making to circus skills, dance and instrument try-outs led by Music Broth. The Story Wagon, part of Scotland’s touring storytelling initiative, will also appear.
Adult sessions include Tai Chi, Qigong and a variety of music and dance workshops, with contributions from artists such as Shooglenifty, Suntou Susso, MONTAÑERA and Lara Jones. Visitors can also contribute to a collaborative artwork project decorating the Bella The Beithir sculpture with Make It Glasgow.
Previously announced acts include Malian desert blues star Vieux Farka Touré, South London duo O., and Indian folk outfit The Raghu Dixit Project. South Korea’s ADG7 will make their Scottish debut, alongside local acts Peat & Diesel and Talisk.
Originally founded in 1982 by former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, WOMAD has since expanded to more than 30 countries worldwide. The Glasgow edition is delivered in partnership with WOMAD International, Glasgow Life and Celtic Connections.
Billy Garrett, director of culture, tourism and events at Glasgow Life, said ‘WOMAD arriving in Glasgow will be a landmark moment for Scotland, showcasing a sensational schedule of global performances. As a UNESCO City of Music, Glasgow is a meeting point of cultures, the best live music and unbeatable audiences – WOMAD has found a welcome home here.
'To have an international arts showcase of this scale on our doorstep is remarkable, with audiences able to enjoy a world of music and wonder against the beauty of Kelvingrove Park. This is your chance to be part of a cultural milestone, so come along, buy a ticket, support the arts and let’s show the world why Glasgow and music go hand in hand.’
WOMAD Glasgow, Kelvingrove Park, Friday 3 & Saturday 4 July.