WOMAD Festivals are family-oriented, diverse and active musical events; sometimes offering as many as seven stages within the festival site. There are also participatory workshops, where the audience has a chance to meet and learn about the visiting artists and their music. Special events for children, including organised workshops and activities, create an experience both educational and entertaining. The festival location in each country is as important to its atmosphere as the music and dance that it presents. We work with many different visual artists to create distinctive decorated spaces at each festival site. A global village of shops is also important to the WOMAD experience; a worldwide range of international arts, crafts and cuisine stalls, which are an essential part of WOMAD's unique atmosphere. Since the first festival in the UK in 1982, WOMAD has held more than 160 festivals, creating events in twenty-seven countries and islands all over the world.