Robert Plant will hand his new band The Sensational Space Shifters their live debut at this year’s Womad festival.
The Led Zeppelin legend’s new project, which also features members of his prior backing band Strange Sensation and regular collaborator Justin Adams, are due to headline the 30th anniversary of the Womad festival this year, on a typically eclectic bill which also includes Raghu Dixit, Buena Vista Social Club, French collective Lo’Jo, Grupo Fantasma and Tajikistan’s the Alaev Family. More acts will added to the line-up in due course.
The Womad festival was first initiated by Peter Gabriel back in 1982, and was held at the Royal Bath & West showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Appearing that year were acts ranging from Echo & The Bunnymen and Simple Minds to The Drummers of Burundi and Don Cherry.
It has since gone on to host events around the world, with this year’s UK leg being held at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury in Wiltshire for the sixth time. Last year, Baaba Maal, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Fatoumata Diawara were among those performing.