WOMAD made its much anticipated return this weekend following two years away.

The World of Music, Arts and Dance event returned to Charlton Park near Malmesbury on Thursday night.

Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara’s kicked off the 40th anniversary event on the Thursday night.

Angelique Kidjo performed her re-imagination of Talking Heads’ Remain in Light, whilst award-winning wordsmith Kae Tempest will make their WOMAD debut.

Also performing for the first time is the only all-female mariachi band in Europe, Mariachi Las Adelitas, a multi-national mariachi band born out of a desire to shatter stereotypes within this traditionally male-dominated genre.

Other big names on the bill include rock band The Flaming Lips and hip-hop group The Sugarhill Gang.

Fantastic Negrito, Nitin Sawhney, Greentea Peng also performed at the festival, which was co-founded by former Genesis vocalist Peter Gabriel back in 1980.

Photographer Simon Pizzey took the pictures - http://simon-pizzey.squarespace.com/

Click on the above gallery to view them