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One week until the biggest global Party this summer at Womad 27-30 July

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Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, Bombay Bicycle Club, Mariza, Kate Rusby, Horace Andy, Mokoomba, Souad Massi, Susana Baca, The Comet Is Coming, The Cinematic Orchestra, Soul II Soul, Emicida, 47 Soul, Rokia Koné, Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan, Jungle Brothers, Ana Tijoux, Tank & The Bangas, Enny, Wiyaala & so much more

The upcoming WOMAD Festival 2023 is set to deliver a feast of music, culture and food and promises to be yet another unforgettable event featuring 150+ of the most captivating acts from every corner of the world, over six stages from musical legends to artist’s playing in the UK for the very first time.

The biggest UK Global Party will really get started when the celebrated New York City hip-hop pioneersthe Jungle Brothers (USA) take to the stage on Thursday night with their magical fusion of House and Old Skool Hip Hop and the wonderful folk singer Kate Rusby (England).

On Friday the eclectic line-up includes the recently reinvigorated Bombay Bicycle Club (UK),  three-time Latin Grammy winning singer Susana Baca (Peru), also from Peru Los Wemblers de Iquito (Peru) plus afro-fusion energy from Mokoomba (Zimbabwe), rapper, MC, and singer Emicida (Brazil) and Tank & The Bangas (USA) will bring their sunshine soul and funk grooves.

On Saturday the queen of fado, Marisa dos Reis Nunes aka Mariza (Portugal) takes to the stage, the brilliant The Cinematic Orchestra (UK), and returning to WOMAD 47 Soul (Palestine/Jordan) will once again showcase their unique blend of electronica and hip-hop, rapper Ana Tijoux (Chile/France) is another strong voice against injustice, powerhouse Afro-pop singer-songwriter Wiyaala & The YagaYagas (Ghana), London rapper ENNY (UK) will share her insightful perspective on being a Black woman in Britain, and mind-blowing jazz from The Comet Is Coming (UK) plus Kayhan Kalhor (Iran) & Erdal Erzincan (Turkey) bring their unique blend of sounds.

On Sunday Afrobeatdynamo Femi Kuti and his super sharp jazz-funk band the Positive Force (Nigeria) will take to the stage, there will be club classics from Soul II Soul (UK), renowned Malian singer Rokia Koné (Mali), reggae legend Horace Andy (Jamaica) and his band Dub Asante Band (UK) while 6 Music presenter and DJ Jamz Supernova (UK) will present her top picks of the latest and greatest in electronica, jazz, and R’n’B and melancholic songs of justice from Souad Massi (Algeria).

There are plenty more strong, talented female voices at this year’s festival; more politically defiant songs from  Liraz (Israel), instrumentalist Mari Kalkun’s (Estonia), classically trained singer Marina Satti (Greece), singer-songwriter Carmen Consoli (Italy), singing cellist sensation Ana Carla Maza (Cuba) while one of the top world reggae voices Queen Omega & The Royal Souls (Trinidad and Tobago), rapper MC Yallah debmaster (Uganda/Kenya/France/Germany), the teen all-female group; Star Feminine Band (Benin)will bring glorious global-pop fusion plus off-kilter freak-folk from Alicia Edelweiss (Austria/UK).

One of the delights of a WOMAD gathering is being able to wander around the site to discover and uncover some new musical heroes such as the multifaceted artist Nakhane (South Africa) , Afro-house from Raz (UK) & master musician Afla (Ghana), production duo Montparnasse Musique (South Africa/France) or The Saramaccan Sound (Suriname) who have never played outside their own country.

WOMAD has always much more to discover. There is the popular Taste the World stage where artists get an opportunity to show off their cooking prowess. The All Singing All Dancing Tent with firm favourites like the early-bird yoga sessions, and samba dance lessons. In World Rhythms drum with the best drummers from around the world and listen to the musician’s very own inspirational stories.  The World of Wellbeing, located in Charlton Park’s lush arboretum, offers an oasis of treatments, therapies, discussions, workshops and spaces to simply get away from the bustle of the main arena. And for those who fancy a luxurious moment to themselves, the WOMAD Spa, complete with treatments, spa pools, sauna, boundless showers and a cocktail bar, is the place to go.

WOMAD’s World of Art will again this year showcasethe spectacular Museum of the Moon by Luke Jerram in the Secret Forest, with special soundscape by Jason Singh the World of Words will celebrate all things spoken while the World of Physics will challenge the mind with all manner of demonstrations, talks and discussions. Festivalgoers can experience the sights, smells and tastes of the festival’s diverse food traders, shop ’til they drop in at the Global Market.

The dedicated kids zone World of Children is packed with creativity from morning to early evening with a wide-ranging programme of workshops, entertainment and activities around the theme Wonders of The World. On Sunday afternoon the much-loved Children’s Parade, one of the festival highlights, will wind its way through the festival site. WOMAD continues its well-established place as the best festival for the whole family, by allowing all children 13 years and under, in for free.

WOMAD Festival 2023 will be an extraordinary celebration of global music and culture.

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Events

Rockstar Energy presents Reading & Leeds – The Countdown to the UK’s Ultimate Festival Begins!

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Kicking off in less than a month, Rockstar Energy presents Reading Festival 2025 is set to define the sound, energy, and spirit of the year. With Friday day tickets for Reading now sold-out, the UK’s most anticipated festival weekend (21st–24th August) continues to raise the bar, with an era-defining lineup led by headliners Chappell Roan, Hozier, Bring Me The Horizon and Travis Scott, and is packed with boundary-breaking newcomers, underground cult heroes and next-gen icons. Whether it’s your first time or your tenth, Reading & Leeds remains the future-facing, culture-shaping moment in the UK festival calendar—where memories are made, legends are born, and music history is written in real time.

The initial running order for the eagerly anticipated bank holiday weekend has been revealed, with over 150 acts set to perform across both sites. Stage times are now available within the official Reading & Leeds app on both iOS and Android devices. The app is the best place to create personalised schedules, design your own Reading & Leeds poster, check maps and info, plus stay up to date with the latest from across the weekend.

The 2025 edition of Reading & Leeds brings the most transformative evolution to festival camping the UK has ever seen. In the biggest site change in the festival’s 55-year history, every campsite has been reimagined from the ground up with vacuum toilets, more showers, bespoke ‘Get Ready With Me’ stations, enhanced décor and production, plus a wide range of new non-music activities designed to elevate the weekend experience. 

At the heart of this refresh are five newly introduced campsite areas—The FieldsThe GardenThe MeadowThe Glitterball Grove, and The Valley — each created to reflect the needs, interests, and energy of the diverse Reading & Leeds community. Every space, which is free to book, comes with its own unique identity and daytime programming, allowing festival-goers to choose the vibe that fits them best. Demand for the new campsites reflects just how well this revamp is landing. In Reading, The Meadow and The Garden campsites are now fully booked, whilst over 50% of Leeds Festival attendees have already reserved their spot in the new camping spaces.

Also new for 2025, Reading & Leeds introduces two brand new stages – celebrating the underground electronic communities blazing a path through modern UK culture. In Reading, the Smirnoff Stage brings together the likes of Riordan, IN PARALLEL, Lu. Re, and more. Whilst in Leeds, the Reload Stage will see DJ Semtex, Disrupta and Tommy Villiers amongst many more perform across the weekend.

Reading and Leeds has something for everyone, day and night. Whether you’re raving under the LED roof of the Chevron stage, diving into creative, non-music programming at The Aux with Brittany Broski alongside Max Balegde and Charley Marlowe, JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, or Harry Pinero and Darkest Man, or discovering the best new bands before they blow up, R&L puts you in control of your weekend.

And when the headliners wrap, the night’s just getting started—expect more late-night entertainment than ever before, with Silent Disco sessions lighting up the Festival Republic and Chevron stages after dark, plus DJ sets from Brighton’s Badger and takeovers from clubnight favourites like Swiftogeddon, Pop Never Dies and UPRAWR. Even The Aux goes nocturnal, with Silent Karaoke keeping the party going. This year’s programming goes beyond the big moments—it’s a full-spectrum celebration of where music and culture meet.

Changing the game for festivals every year, Reading and Leeds scooped Music Week’s Festival Of The Year award, after previously being awarded The Innovation Award at the UK Festival Awards 2024 in recognition for the all-new Chevron Stage. This year, more positive changes have been announced for this year’s festivals, with these new initiatives set to make a positive impact on sustainability, safety and inclusivity at music festivals across the board.

Reading and Leeds Festival takes place Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th August 2025 at Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds. 

Tickets are on sale at www.readingfestival.com/tickets and www.leedsfestival.com/tickets.

Prices for tickets range from £125 for day tickets and £325 for a weekend ticket, with flexible payment options available on all ticket types.

Festival goers can book their place in the new campsites in Reading HERE and Leeds HERE.

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Reading Festival 2025 Set Times are now Live!

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They heard us loud and clear, the 2025 set times are available to view in the official festival app now!
Officially almost less than 30 days away from being back together in our favourite fields…

Build your schedule and begin planning your perfect weekend – download the app for all the latest updates, surprises, news and more…


Secure your spot at the show of the summer

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Events

The Countdown to GuilFest Is On – Don’t Miss Out!

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Guilfest 2025

Summer is just around the corner, and that can only mean one thing – GuilFest is nearly here! With early bird tickets flying off the shelves and last year’s event completely sold out, now is the time to secure your spot for a weekend bursting with music, fun, and feel-good summer energy.

A Line-up to Remember

This year’s musical line-up promises to be nothing short of spectacular. From legendary chart-toppers to crowd-pleasing favourites, GuilFest 2025 brings a dazzling variety of acts to the stage. Get ready to dance your socks off to music from The Jacksons, Razorlight, and Soul II Soul! Join in on the infectious vibe of the Stereo MC’s and take in the legends that brought us all the hits we love – like Leo Sayer and The Bay City Rollers, and more under wraps!

So, whether your thing is soulful grooves, catchy indie anthems, or noises from your youth, there’s something for everyone on the line up!

More Than Just Music

But GuilFest is not only about the music – it is a full weekend experience whatever your age. Families will love the variety of entertainment provided for the little ones. There are two very special guests this year – Bluey on Saturday 5th July and Peppa Pig on Sunday 6th July – meet and greets that your children will remember and you will want to get some snaps of those special moments.

Whether you’re on the stage or in the family zones, GuilFest has a delightful offering of food and drink stalls, comedy performances, wellness zones, craft market, and much, much more – ensuring that the stage is set for a sunny, fun-filled weekend of music and community.

Don’t Miss Out

If you’ve been thinking about making your summer plans, now is your chance. With tickets going fast, don’t miss out on what is expected to be the best GuilFest yet.

So, grab some mates, rally the family, do what you need to do, and get ready for a weekend to remember! Get your tickets, let the countdown to GuilFest 2025 begin!

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