The Glasgow edition was set to take place next month, and would be the first Scottish edition of the festival founded by Peter Gabriel.
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.
Last year, Gabriel announced that WOMAD would take a break in 2025, before returning to a new location for 2026. At the time, he explained that the festival was “re-evaluating, regenerating and reinvigorating” after facing challenges post-COVID.
Now, Glasgow Life – who were working with the festival organisers to bring the event to life – have confirmed that they have made the “difficult decision” to cancel the event due to poor ticket sales.
In their statement, organisers said that the move was “one that has not been taken lightly”, and told those with tickets that full refunds would be available. Those affected by the decision will also have access to discounted tickets for the North Wiltshire edition of the festival, taking place at Neston Park between July 23 and 26.
Artists set to perform at the Glasgow event included Reggae artist Hollie Cook, Stornoway folk-rock trio Peat and Diesel, and Pakistani instrumentalist Ustad Noor Bakhsh.
