PREPARATIONS are well under way for this year’s WOMAD festival at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury on July 23-26.

Tickets are still on sale for the family favourite festival, which showcases the hottest musicians and inspiring new talent from around the world.

Musicians who have already confirmed include British retro-soul singer Laura Mvulu, reggae star Mali-based singer/musician Tiken Jah Fakoly, De La Soul, who changed the landscape of hip-hop in the 1980’s and Mercury Prize-shortlisted 'anti-rapper' Ghostpoet.

The energetically named Atomic Bomb!, reviving and celebrating the music of 1970s Nigerian synth pioneer William Onyeabor, have also announced their attendance.

Atomic Bomb! is the project of Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and Beastie Boys’ Money Mark, while special guests have previously included Damon Albarn and David Byrne.

Bringing artists from across the world, already counting Syria, Tibet, Mali, Senegal and South Korea among those already announced to the 2015 line-up, WOMAD welcomes a folk rock trio from closer to home: Hertfordshire hailing The Staves.

Six-piece funk fusion, Australian band, The Cat Empire will bring their powerful live show to Charlton Park. Having played at WOMAD festivals across the world, the UK’s audience will be the next to experience their atmospheric performance, stuffed with extended jams and anthemic songs that cross genres of rock, jazz, ska and reggae with flourish.

Fast earning a reputation of presenting the most energetic shows over the weekend, The Big Red Tent will see the pairing of Daddy G of Massive Attack and dancehall MC Deemas J, who will collaborate live on stage.

Aside from the uplifting music from many corners of the globe, WOMAD is a feast of culture in other areas and festival-goers will find that there is so much to discover around the festival site.

There is the popular Taste the World stage where some of the artists will show off their cooking prowess and Taste The World Restaurant will lay on sumptuous spreads of local, seasonal and completely natural food from all around the globe.

The All Singing All Dancing Tent will make a welcome return with firm favourites; the early-bird yoga sessions, sabar dance lessons and Japanese taiko drumming.

In World Rhythms you can drum with the best drummers from around the world and listen to their inspirational stories.

The World of Wellbeing, located throughout Charlton Park’s arboretum, offers an oasis of treatments, therapies, discussions, workshops and spaces to simply get away from the bustle of the main arena.

And for those who fancy a luxurious moment to themselves and a scrub up, the WOMAD spa, complete with treatments, spa pools, sauna, boundless showers and a cocktail bar, is the place to go.

WOMAD’s World of Art will once more see invited artists use the entire festival site as a giant canvass on which to create specially commissioned pieces and the World of Words to debate and discuss the things that matter in the world we live in.

Festivalgoers can experience the sights, smells and tastes of the festival’s diverse food traders, shop 'til they drop in the Global Market or simply enjoy the vintage rides at Carter's Original Steam Fair.

The dedicated kids zone World of Kids will be bursting with things to see with the usual wide-ranging programme of workshops, entertainment and activities around the theme Myths, Legends and Folktales from around the world.

On Sunday afternoon the much-loved Children’s Parade, one of the festival highlights, will wind its way through the festival site.

WOMAD continues its well established place as the best festival for the whole family, by allowing all children 13 years and under, in for free.

*WOMAD is on Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26. For full details of tickets go to womad.co.uk.