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UK Wellness Festivals To Book Now
Check out the UK festivals putting wellness on the main stage
By | 2 months ago
Looking for a festival without the hangover? Check out our regularly updated guide for all the latest news on the UK wellness festivals taking place in 2023. From lakeside yoga retreats to adrenaline-fuelled fitness events, these festivals are all about nurturing mind and body. The 2023 wellness season is drawing to a close with the end of summer – meaning there’s plenty to get excited for in 2023…
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In Brief: The 2023 Wellness Festival Calendar
- May: Balance Festival
- June: The Big Retreat Festival, Wellnergy
- July: Love Trails, ALSO Festival, LoveFit, Peter Crone at Camp Kerala, Summer Camp By The Good Life Society
- August: Wilderness Festival, Green Man, Soul Circus
- September: VERVE
UK Wellness Festivals To Book In 2023
Balance Festival
Work out with global fitness experts, learn from top wellness gurus and sample some of the hottest health foods of the moment at Balance Festival, which returns to The Old Truman Brewery in London this May. As well as classes from London’s top fitness studios (Barry’s, Boomcycle, and KXU), expect a meditation dome, a market and start-up village to see the latest venues in the wellness sector.
Where? The Old Truman Brewery, London
When? 19–21 May 2023
BOOK: balance-festival.com
The Big Retreat Festival
After a two-year hiatus, The Big Retreat Festival returned this summer, taking place in Lawrenny Castle Estate in the UK’s only coastal national park. Billed as ‘an adventure for all five senses’, the event combines music (Toploader and Scouting For Girls are confirmed headliners), books, storytelling and wellness. Fitness is a big part of the event, too, with the Energy Field hosting a range of classes including circuit training, pilates, dance and assault courses, alongside mindset talks and nutrition workshops. Afterwards, replenish in the Soul Space, a sanctuary complete with wood-fired hot tubs, wild swimming and gong baths. You can also listen to inspiring speakers in the Talk Tent, a collaboration with the global Shelf Help Community, which is dedicated to supporting personal development.
Where? Lawrenny Castle Estate, Wales
When? 1–4 June 2023
BOOK: thebigretreatfestival.com
Wellnergy
Drawing together five pillars – mindfulness, fitness, food, music and laughter – Wellnergy is a London-based day festival packed with fitness activities, learning sessions, and delicious and healthy food. Speakers including Grace Beverley, Dilly Carter, Dr Alex George, Alice Liveing, Maude Hirst and Laura Hof will all be present, and there will also be music curated by the Gardens of Babylon collective with internationally renowned electronic music artists Magit Cacoon and Patrice Baumel.
Where? Barn Elms Sports Centre, London SW13 0DG
When? 17 June 2023
BOOK: Tickets from £65. wellnergy.co.uk
David Altabev
Love Trails
Explore some of the UK’s most beautiful coastal sights, tidal islands and ancient woodland at Love Trails, a festival which combines running, music and adventure. Taking place on the spectacular Gower Peninsula in South Wales, there are a number of organised runs taking place, ranging from trail runs to mindfulness runs to pub crawl runs.
If you’re not big into running, there are plenty of other fitness activities to get stuck into, including wild swimming, orienteering, paragliding, rock climbing, surfing and sunrise yoga. Talks, debates and live interviews also take place throughout the weekend from the likes of Hannah Phillips, Sarah Thomas and John Kelly.
Where? Gower Peninsula, South Wales
When: 6–9 July 2023
BOOK: lovetrails.com
ALSO
Taking place in the lakeside setting of Warwickshire’s Park Farm, ALSO is centred around reconnecting humans with nature. Spanning the likes of mindful thinking, climate change and mental health, guests can anticipate wellness activities, forward-thinking discussions, workshops, art and theatre, with a number of theorists, authors and comedians hosting talks around topics such as parenthood and our relationship with technology. For 2023, comedians Sara Pascoe and Celya Ab will perform alongside great music from K.O.G, Love Itoya, Get the Water and plenty more. The 50-acre landscaped grounds also offer space for outdoor activities like forest bathing and wild swimming, while family style dining events encourage festival-goers to meet new people, get inspired, and tuck into delicious food.
Where? Park Farm, Warwickshire
When? 14–16 July 2023
BOOK: also-festival.com
LoveFit
Fancy the best of both worlds? Head to LoveFit, a festival that fuses fitness with classic music festival vibes. By day you can take part in everything from spinning to boxing to paddle boarding, but by night it’s all about music, DJs and late-night partying. The line-up typically sees some of London’s hottest fitness studios in residence, including Kobox, F45 and Fierce Grace, alongside an abundance of good, healthy food to fuel the weekend. The ultimate detox-retox.
Where? St Clere Estate, Kent
When? 14–16 July 2023
BOOK: lovefitfestival.com
Peter Crone at Camp Kerala
Known as the ‘Mind Architect’, Peter Crone is a writer, speaker and thought leader who specialises in human potential. He has worked with world-famous actors and athletes all over the world – and now we can experience his work thanks to a festival from luxury, under canvas accommodation provider Camp Kerala. Taking place in the remote British countryside, the 2022 event was transformative, with talks and Q&A sessions with Peter designed to help participants unlock their potential. Alongside this, guests enjoy nourishing meals made using fresh, organic ingredients, take part in yoga and guided walks, and reside in a luxurious private tented lodge. There’s a spa too, where you can relax in the sauna, have a tailored massage or try ‘fire-ice therapy’. Worlds away from your average festival, this one is designed as a ‘weekend of enlightenment’, which will inspire a new way of living.
Where? Glastonbury
When? 27–31 July 2023
BOOK: series.petercrone.com
Summer Camp By The Good Life Society
Over in the glorious, unusual and historic setting of the Hawarden Estate against the backdrop of two castles, The Good Life Society is back with Summer Camp, a series of micro festivals set in the estate’s Walled Garden, taking place over four weekends in July. Stepping back from larger-scale events following the pandemic, micro really does mean micro: there will be space for only 125 guests at each weekend, creating an intimate and personal atmosphere bolstered by guided foraging walks, wild swimming and self-improvement workshops.
Where? Hawarden, Wales
When? Throughout July
BOOK: thegoodlifesociety.co.uk
Andrew Whitton Fanatic
Wilderness Festival
Set in the idyllic Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire, Wilderness Festival is hailed as one of the UK’s top weekend wellness festivals. While it holds many of the aspects of a traditional music festival (including a stellar line-up), guests can also take part in activities like wild swimming, fireside cooking sessions and mindfulness classes. Think yoga brunch clubs, foraging workshops, supper clubs and live theatre shows, alongside relaxation time at The Sanctuary & Lakeside Spa, complete with outdoor hot tubs.
Where? Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
When? 3–6 August 2023
BOOK: wildernessfestival.com
Otherlands Music & Arts Festival
Rejuvenate mind, body and spirit in Perth this summer at Otherlands, the festival striving to to be more than just a music festival. Expect yoga and breathwork classes for a moment of tranquillity before more typical festivities commence. There’s also the wellness sanctuary – compromising of saunas, hot tubs, and masseurs – offers a serene escape across the whole weekend.
Where? Scone Palace in Perth, Scotland
When? 11–13 August 2023
BOOK IT: otherlandsfestival.com
Green Man
Ultra-zen hideout-come-retreat, Green Man Festival is a haven for nature lovers, explorers and health enthusiasts alike. Not only does it offer your usual yoga and pilates, they have a dedicated Nature Nurture garden, a quiet corner tucked away in the Welsh countryside complete with gong baths, restorative hot tubs and Indian summer massages.
Where? Brecon Beacons, Wales
When? 17–20 August 2023
BOOK: greenman.net
Soul Circus
Yoga and wellbeing festival Soul Circus has soared in popularity since launching in 2017. Held at the picturesque Cotswolds hills of Elmore near Gloucester, festival goers can try an array of different types of yoga, from aerial to restorative, as well as other exercise classes such as barre and boxing. You can also enjoy a wide selection of locally sourced, healthy food, live music and DJs, attend one of the many workshops on offer, or simply chill out in a lakeside hot tub. The gardens and woodlands make a beautiful backdrop for the festival’s many light shows and parties, which run late into the night.
Where? Elmore, Gloucestershire
When? 17–20 August 2023
BOOK: soulcircus.yoga
VERVE
Ever worked out in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty? Here’s your chance: VERVE festival, set in the beautiful Cranborne Chase. Activities on offer include sound baths, yoga classes, storytelling and farm runs, alongside talks on topics related to physical and mental health, such as sober curiosity and fertility. Guests can also explore the non-alcoholic bar, try a CBD IV drip, and meet like-minded friends at evening supper clubs. VERVE is also taking steps to conserve the natural beauty of the earth: it’s one of the UK’s first zero-waste festivals, and there’s no plastic on site.
Where? South Wiltshire
When? 16–17 September 2023
BOOK: feeltheverve.com
Featured Image: ALSO Festival 2022.
