An African music festival set to be held in the Wiltshire countryside where WOMAD used to be hosted has been cancelled after concerns were raised over public safety.
iZambezi Festival was due to take place at Charlton Park near Malmesbury on August 15 and has now scrapped the plan entirely - moving to a new place in the UK.
But a report to be heard by Wiltshire Council's Licensing Committee next Monday, September 14, says Public Protection officers served a prohibition notice against organisers to stop the event going ahead.
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A review into the licence application is due to take place on September 21, with Wiltshire Council saying the organiser "has not demonstrated sufficient knowledge to uphold any of the licensing objectives."
Following the issue of the prohibition notice, Wiltshire Police applied to review the Premises Licence.
The festival organisers announced the postponement of the event on August 1, saying "We have made the difficult decision to postpone iZambezi Fest 2026.
"Following a recent review of our event plans, additional venue safety and compliance requirements were identified that cannot be fully addressed in time for the scheduled event.
"The safety of our artists, attendees, volunteers, partners and crew will always come first. Rather than compromise on the standard of event we are committed to delivering, we have decided to take the time needed to resolve these matters properly.
"We are actively working to deliver the event in a safe, fully compliant way and will announce the new date as soon as it is confirmed."
The organisers have since announced a new date and venue - The New Bingley Hall, Birmingham, on Saturday 31 October.
The festival was billed as "a Southern African music and culture platform in the United Kingdom, bringing communities together through sound, culture and shared experience."
The application was one of nearly 1,000 temporary event license applications made to the licensing team between April 1 and August 30.
Charlton Park is strengthening its position as a major Wiltshire festival venue by building on its association with WOMAD between 2007 and 2024 while attracting a wider range of newer events and audiences.
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The estate has hosted Shindig, which moved there in 2025, and has added dance-focused GemFest, alongside smaller genre-led festivals such as Campfire Country Music Festival giving it a programme that ranges from international and family-orientated events to house, garage, jungle, drum and bass, country and world music.
Its large historic parkland setting with scope for camping and multi-day events makes it suited to festival promoters seeking an established rural site with good access.
The estate itself describes the venue as home to both nationally recognised festivals and emerging boutique gatherings.
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