South Africans in the UK gear up for WOMAD’s new chapter at Neston Park
WOMAD moves to Neston Park in 2026 and for South African expats who’ve danced its fields before, it’s a chance to relive and renew the magic.
If you’re among the South Africans living in the UK who are sad to mark the end of festival season, there is something good to look forward to next year: WOMAD is back!
This month there was great excitement among SA expat lovers of international music in the UK. WOMAD is relocating to Neston Park in 2026, with dates set for 23 to 26 July and tickets on sale on 13 November.
‘Warm and welcoming home’
Founder Peter Gabriel describes the move as returning to “a warm and welcoming home into which we could sink our roots,” and hosts Sir James and Lady Venetia Fuller say they’re thrilled to open their estate to the WOMAD community for the first time.
For expats who’ve attended WOMAD in previous years, the festival has always meant more than a few days of music.
It’s the memory of discovering unfamiliar sounds, of bumping into another Saffa in a queuing line, of hearing familiar names from home float in the mix.
Recent South African acts such as Nakhane and Abel Selaocoe underline that the South African sound is alive, current and travelling overseas.
New surroundings
Think back to past summers at Charlton Park: the laughter shared under trees, the children drumming on empty crates, a cold drink in hand as a sunset rolled in.
Now imagine the same sense of belonging in new surroundings: Neston Park’s stately lawns, a fresh soundtrack, new friendships around every tent.
WOMAD has always been a place where you feel rooted in both home and the world at once.
For South Africans abroad, that feeling counts.
With this move, you’re invited again, to reconnect, to create new memories, to feel the rhythm of home and everywhere.
If you’ve been before, book your ticket. If you haven’t, this might just be the one to go to.