If, like us, the limit of your exposure to World Music is the odd episode of Late Junction on Radio 3, then you will understand the slight feeling of trepidation we felt going to a festival whose line-up was almost completely new to us.

Fortunately, WOMAD caters for such aural fledglings with a clear and informative website, so whilst driving through the stunning patchwork countryside of Wiltshire on a perfect sunny morning, we sampled enough of the enticing array of artists to give us an idea of where to head on our first day. As we got nearer, there was even the opportunity to tune into WOMAD FM and get into the groove.

Charlton Park has been the seat of the Earls of Suffolk since the sixteenth century and they chose a good spot. The rolling parkland is interspersed with coppices and we pitched our tent under the shade of a tree with water and toilets an easy walk away.

It quickly becomes apparent that WOMAD is a festival with excellent infrastructure; there were no queues to get onto site, the parking was all done without fuss and we were through to the camping ground within minutes. Also available are options for Park & Camp for those who would rather not ferry kit from their vehicle, as well as areas for motorhomes and glamping.

WOMAD is a clean festival! Every single bin had full recycling facilities, the toilets were cleaned and replenished throughout and the site was as free of rubbish on the last night as the first morning.

After dark, the well-illuminated main pathways maintained the overriding sense of safety and it was reassuring to realise that the towers interspersed around the camping ground had a round-the-clock watch for any dangers. The on-site security was always friendly and unobtrusive.

We have never been to a festival where such thought had been given to non able-bodied festival goers; As well as easily accessible camping and a dedicated wheelchair recharge zone, the main stages all had raised, step-free access viewing galleries in great areas with exclusive toilets alongside.

It was not surprising that such a family friendly festival would cater for children, but there was a truly amazing array of activities for children and parents alike in the “World of Children”. When we visited, there was a “rocket boosters and battery-free toys” session going on, alongside the clay sculpture workshop.

Arts and crafts were not limited to children. The arboretum hosted a spoon carving workshop, and a Kora workshop where participants could make their own instrument over the course of the weekend.

The ecological interests of the average WOMAD festival goer have, probably correctly, been assumed by Ecotricity (it was a free ticket from them that aroused our interest in this festival) and they sponsored the stage in the arboretum and some relevant talks. There was a veritable cornucopia of green, responsible and fair-trade boutiques and it was nice to see the usual faces like Oxfam and Greenpeace alongside smaller charities like ShelterBox and Frank Water, new to us and an excellent crossover between water charity and free festival-long refills of filtered water, all for the cost of their reusable bottle.

The rich variety of WOMAD’s musical line-up provided a veritable feast for our ears. First-off on Friday were the 14-piece Spanish percussion orchestra Coetus whose infectious performing energy had the crowd on their feet in seconds. Baking sun turned to cooling showers as their set played host to the only rain of the weekend: refreshing, invigorating and ambient, just like their music.

Having retreated into the shade of the arboretum to hear charming Jamaican veterans, The Jolly Boys, we were ready to pick up the tempo once again with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue for the first real boogie of the weekend. With these guys, every number had the blistering energy and excitement that some bands reserve for their last song. This multi-talented frontman eased between virtuoso trombonist, trumpeter, singer (and even conductor!) as he led his drummer, guitarist, tenor and baritone saxophonists through a heart-stopping display of funk-rock.

The performance from Fat Freddy’s Drop on the Saturday night had the feeling of the ‘coming-together’ of the whole festival. This New Zealand-based dub-reggae-soul group has been on the peripheral of stardom for years and have earned a solid following across the age groups.

The Dhol Foundation, an unscheduled late-add to the stage at Molly’s Bar was a thrilling bonus, complete with Welsh Bollywood and bangra dancers. For a festival that has ‘dance’ in its name, the dance-lover in our group was surprised by the small proportion of dance in the schedule so this went down particularly well.

The best entertainment was by no means confined to the night-time.

Zimbabwe’s dance, song and drum group Siyaya was mesmerizing on Saturday, and Nuru Kane and the BFG provided some much loved Gnawa-inspired sounds to accompany a Sunday afternoon cider. It was a real taste of WOMAD to see the whole of Siyaya dancing shoulder to shoulder with their fans inside a stall tent after their show.

Opting initially for Songhoy Blues over Sinead O’Connor, these Malian indie kids coaxed us into a lilting groove on our final evening.

Public Service Broadcasting brought the weekend to a close with their slick, high-energy climax of music and visuals.

Mornings were spent in the “World of Wellbeing” area in the arboretum with a wide assortment of sessions on offer. We thoroughly enjoyed our introduction to Chi Gung and also enjoyed watching a Gong Bathing and taking part in Laughter Yoga.

New this year was the “Taste the World” stage where performers came to show off their cooking as well as their musical skills. We caught Ukrainians Dakha Brakha making (vegetarian) borscht and an intimate Kora session.

We anticipated a wide selection of world foods and were not disappointed, sampling several excellent Thalis, free-range meats and dishes from North Africa. Our favourite breakfast on site was served in Coyote Moon, which also doubled-up as an open-mic micro venue.

There is always a demographic to a festival but WOMAD is a genuinely inclusive, positive, multi-generational festival, firmly faced towards families but not at the expense of the music lovers. We came away feeling that we’d gone to a festival where we were really taking part, not just taking. This is a festival where anyone can have fun: children, teenagers, parents, grandparents… see you next year!

Review and Photos: Anna Curzon & David Palmer