It was a simple idea; to create a festival out of all the brilliant music and art made all over the world, stuff made outside of the mainstream music that wasnt getting on the radio and was even harder to find in record stores

the very first WOMAD Festival took place at the 240-acre Bath and West Showground, Somerset over the weekend of 1618 July, 1982. With the dream not to sprinkle world music around a rock festival, but to prove that these great artists could be headliners in their own right, the three days and five stages played host to 60 bands from over 20 countries; a line-up that included The Drummers of Burundi, Pigbag, Salsa de Hoy, Simple Minds, Musicians of the Nile, Echo and the Bunnymen, Prince Nico Mbarga, Rip, Rig and Panic, The Beat and many more

I remember this gig well, says Peter Gabriel. We played a mix of old and brand-new material. I would normally be very nervous about playing some of this stuff for the first time