Award-winning reggae superstar Ziggy Marley, from Jamaica, Orbital from the UK and virtuoso guitarist Anna Calvi are among the host of stars joining this year's WOMAD festival, the global party that brings together music, culture and people from all over the world.

Today organisers have announced the first wave of artists taking to the stage at Charlton Park near Malmesbury, July 25-28 2019.

Now celebrating its thirty seventh year, WOMAD is a glorious melting pot of music, dance, food, art, spoken-word, poetry, science and more, embracing the joys of diversity and tolerance.

Five-time Grammy-winning Ziggy Marley will bring the richest Jamaican heritage there is to the WOMAD stage with his soulful sounds. Over his career, he has honoured his family’s heritage in making music with a social conscience, whilst asserting himself as a true reggae star in his own right.

Orbital, the homegrown collective of house and techno legends, are back with a new album Monsters Exit. The ‘golden voice of Africa’ Salif Keita (Mali), will also grace the sunny fields of Wiltshire,as well as funk legends Cymande (UK), and the energetic, passionate Afro-punk band Tshegue (France/Democratic Republic of Congo) whose mix of tribal sounds with garage rock have made them one of the hottest groups on the Parisian scene.

Reggae has a strong presence at this year’s festival, as the remarkable Brushy One String (Jamaica) joins the line-up, and also representing the Caribbean, the trio Delgres (France) whose fusion of hypnotised rock, earthy soul and caustic garage links French, Caribbean and US cultures.

As well as the stellar line-up of musicians, WOMAD offers a chance to celebrate the spoken word in the World of Words with talks, debates, panels and performances.

You can get even closer to the artists as they rustle up their favourite dishes from home at Taste the World and be inspired in the World of Physics.

Festival-goers can also chill out in style at the World of Wellbeing with hundreds of therapies to heal your mind, body and soul and, for the younger ones, a whole universe of fun and games at the World of Children, which this year is themed around Space.

Over 80 free workshops are going on all day every day, where festival goers can delve deeper into the music, the moves and the inspiration of some of the amazing WOMAD artists. More names to be announced soon.

“WOMAD, our world music festival, was established with the specific intent of featuring all the richness and magic of our cultural differences. Meanwhile, across the globe we're watching cynical politicians growing powerful on a diet of fear and hate.

"The world is more divided than ever and there’s never been a better reason for people to bring all the barriers down, to relax and connect through music, art and dance. Every year at WOMAD it is our differences, our diversity, that become the reason we want to be together. Long Live WOMAD!” said organiser Peter Gabriel.

Tickets and full details can be found at www.womad.co.uk