Jah Shaka, Dawn Penn, A Guy Called Gerald, Francois K, & more for WOMAD

Bowers & Wilkins Sound System stage line-up announced

By Scott Williams | Published: Tue 5th Jul 2016

Jah Shaka

Thursday 28th to Sunday 31st July 2016
Charlton Park , Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9DG, England MAP
£175 for three days
Daily capacity: 40,000
Last updated: Tue 5th Jul 2016

Bowers & Wilkins will be programming their own stage for a third year in a row at this month's WOMAD happening in the Wiltshire countryside at the picturesque site in Charlton Park, near Malmesbury from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st July 2016, with early entry available on Thursday. It will be an exclusive UK festival appearance for 2016, in a year that marks the speaker innovators 50th anniversary.

WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, and brings together many forms of music, arts and dance from countries and cultures around the world on seven separate stage and workshop areas.

Real World and Bowers & Wilkins will be curating a line up tailor-made for its 135,000 Watt speaker stack that will bring absolute clarity through a towering 4-way active speaker system weighs-in at 4 metric tonnes and delivers a level of audio details previously unheard at live performances. The new bigger stage this year, titled 'Bowers & Wilkins Sound System', will be celebrating the art of listening through live performances, DJ sets and interactive events.

Over the weekend the stage will feature an eclectic array of sound pioneers and musical adventurers.

With each day starting with a soundscape, visitors will be taken on a sonic journey of discovery which progresses via acoustic acts, special live performances, electronic live sessions and finally a closing DJ set – all from artists passionate about sound. The line-up features Jah Shaka, Dawn Penn, A Guy Called Gerald, Francois K, Black Devil Disco Club, Optimo, The Invisible, Cats Eyes, Native Dancer, Hollie Stephenson, Gwilym Gold, Paddy Steer, The Anchoress, Stuart McCallum, and Nick Luscombe & Steve Hellier, plus a couple of names still underwraps.

Bowers & Wilkins Brand Director Danny Haikin said, "The Sound System is now embedded into WOMAD culture and has grown in stature each year. Having become known as the stage to find electronic acts who explore sound in interesting ways, Bowers & Wilkins are proud to present this line up in association with Real World."

George Clinton And Funkadelic/Parliament, Baaba Maal, John Grant, Roots Manuva, Charles Bradley, St. Germain, Anoushka Shankar, Buika, Ibrahim Maalouf, Grit Orchestra, Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band, Toumani Diabate & Juan Carmona & Josemi Carmona & Javier Colina & Guests revisit Songhai, Konono No1, King Creosote, Bamba Wassoulou Groove, Fuel Fandango, Hackney Colliery Band, Inna Modja, Iration Steppas, Kapucha, Onra, Twelfth Day, Sidestepper, Baloji, Desert Slide, Hot 8 Brass Band, Aziza Brahim, This Is The Kit, Auntie Flo, Aynur, The Breath, Cabruera, Dubioza Kolektiv, Federico Albanese, Florian Keller, Kefaya, Kim Juhong's Ensemble Noreum Machi, Meta and The Cornerstones, Pierce Brothers, Selda Bagcan & Boom Pam, Zmei 3, Muzykanci, Afriquoi, Ethno Trio Troitsa, Tetish, The East Pointers, Blick Bassy, Dom La Nena, Moh! Kouyate, Lula Pena, Ana Tijoux, Asiq Nargile, Alash, Amaraterra, Bafula, Diabel Cissokho, Kel Assouf, Le Vent du Nord, Ngawang Lodup with The Monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Otava Yo, Volosi, Broadway Sounds, Chouk Bwa Libete, Cuncordu e Tenore de Orosei, Hanoi Masters, Heartbeat, Hindi Zahra, La Mambanegra, Lura, Mercedes Peon, N'Diale, Sons of Kemet, MC Soom T, Wiyaala, Xaos, and all-woman supergroup Les Amazones D'Afrique featuring the voices of Oumou Sangare, Mariam Doumbia, Kandia Kouyaté , Rokia Koné, and Mamani Keita.

Those arriving early have the added bonus of music on Thursday night with Asian Dub Foundation, Imarhan, and Malmesbury Schools Project with Escola de Carnaval.

The full line-up features around 100 artists from 40 countries performing over the festival weekend.

For the line-up details as available see the WOMAD line-up page.

buy tickets now >

Early bird tickets sold out in record time in December. Weekend tickets - which are valid from the Friday until Sunday are priced at £175 (Thursday arrivals will also need a Thursday camping ticket costing £35).

Other ticket prices & options available include:
Teenage Weekend Ticket (aged 14-17)  £85
Disabled Weekend Ticket  £145
SN16 Resident Weekend £120
A campervan ticket £70
Spa Ticket £105 (sold out)
Park & Camp £75
La-Di-Dah Loos £25

Children 13 and under can come free with each adult ticket holder, but need a free child ticket.

An adult day ticket is priced at £90, a teenage day ticket is £50, and an SN16 resident day ticket is priced at £70.

All children must hold their own ticket and must be accompanied by a ticket holding parent or guardian over the age of 21. One ticket holding parent or guardian can only accompany up to 4 people under the age of 18. Names of teenagers must be registered when purchasing tickets. Thursday tickets do not need to be purchased for children aged 13 and under.




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