Thousands of people will descend on a site just north of Malmesbury this weekend for a music festival that has had to be cancelled for the last two years.

Womad – which stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance - is back this year after the covid pandemic forced it off the music calendar in 2020 and 2021.

Local people have been warned to expect extra traffic on the roads around the event site at Charlton Park for the festival, which runs from Thursday to Sunday.

People who bought tickets for the cancelled events have had them rolled over for this year.

The forecast is for a dry but cloudy weekend in the area, with the line-up including Kae Tempest on Friday and the Flaming Lips on Saturday.

The festival is the brainchild of musician Peter Gabriel and celebrates music from around the world.

People living near the site have been told that amplified music will be played until 2am, but that noise levels would drop after 11pm.

No roads will be closed during the festival, with organisers saying the busiest times on the roads will be mid-morning on Friday and the morning of next Monday as people leave the site.

 

This year’s event marks 40 years of Womad, with workshops, international food, talks, dance and children’s activities.

Organisers have set aside 100 free tickets for refugees from Ukraine being hosted by families attending the festival.

A statement from the festival said: “We’re very proud that over the past four decades we have seen over 300 festivals around the world, with over 10,000 artists performing across six continents, to an audience of millions. We can’t wait to party for our 40th anniversary at Charlton Park with you all again!”