Step aside Glasto - there’s a new line-up taking centre stage and they offer everything from sunrise yoga to meditation and gong baths
Long gone are the days where festivals automatically meant muddy fields, hangovers and needing a week to recover afterwards. Wellness-focussed one, two and three-dayers are on the rise and providing a greater choice than ever before.
Swapping excess for exercise, boozing for barre classes and mosh pits for meditation to give traditional festival templates a healthier twist, there’s something for everyone to either help you relax or to rev up your metabolism. These are the dates worth marking in your calendar this year.
Restival
When is it? The 23rd and 24th of March 2018
Where is it? Re:Centre in Hammersmith, London
What's the lowdown? Making the leap from the States to the UK, London will host Restival for the first time this March. Encouraging visitors to disconnect and slow down through yoga, sound therapy, music, dance, meditation and Navajo teachings, highlights will include Creative Yoga Flow & Meditation with expert Mollie Mendoza, Scent and Sound Healing with gong master, Leo Cosendai and a wide range of other wellness and cultural experiences that include Navajo bodywork, performances, world music and workshops.
How much do tickets cost? £25 for the Friday evening and £85 for Saturday’s Daytime Urban Retreat.
Vegfest UK
When is it? 24th and 25th March 2018
Where is it? Brighton Centre
What's the lowdown? From cooking demos to cruelty-free beauty products , there’ll be food for thought aplenty for both vegans and non-vegans here. Complete with a Comedy Corner and even a talent contest, as well as the opportunity to sample a range of vegan snacks to prove that going meat-free includes more than just vegetables and tofu, all ages can attend and tickets are also incredibly affordable too.
How much do tickets cost? From £4.40
Be:Fit
When is it? 4th to the 6th of May 2018
Where is it? Business Design Centre, London
What's the lowdown? Ticket holders will be treated to unlimited free classes from some of London’s top studios such as Third Space, Frame and UN1T and workouts from industry experts such as Carly Rowena, Alice Liveing , Bradley Simmonds and Cat Meffan . It offers quite the timetable - and to whet your appetite further, there’ll also be talks from Deliciously Ella and Madeleine Shaw , cooking demonstrations from Dr Hazel Wallace , confidence workshops, Q&As from renowned nutritionists Rhiannon Lambert and Clare Goodwin and careers sessions hosted by Well To Do.
How much do tickets cost? From £25
Balance Festival
When is it? 11th to the 13th of May
Where is it? London’s Old Truman Brewery, Shoreditch
What's the lowdown? You’ll find an incredible schedule of workouts led by some of the biggest names in fitness here. Celebrity PT Faisal Abdalla (who often puts Ellie Goulding through her paces) will be leading a HIIT session on opening night, renowned yoga teachers Cat Meffan and Michael James Wong will be holding a ‘girls vs boys’ workout on Saturday and on Sunday, the battle of the sexes will be further fuelled with workouts led by personal trainers Zanna van Dijk , Jamie Ray, Bradley Simmonds and Alice Liveing . Yogis Steffy White and Annie Clarke will also be on hand to get bodies moving courtesy of their Ministry Does Fitness classes. With studios such as Another_Space, Third Space, Triyoga, XTend Barre and Barry’s Bootcamp involved, it gives fitness fans pretty far-reaching access to some of London’s top exercise hotspots. Cookery classes and organic skincare and massages will also be available too.
How much do tickets cost? £24.50 for day tickets (£35 on the door) and £45+ for VIP day tickets. Weekend entry is currently priced at £75 (£110 on the door).
Lululemon Sweatlife
When is it? 23rd and 24th of June 2018
What's the lowdown? Returning for its third year, this is expected to be its biggest yet due to the fact that it will be the first time that the festival will be held over two days instead of one. Details are set to be announced later on this week, but if previous years are anything to go by, you’ll be in for a treat. 2017’s featured everything from Crossfit workshops to Hip Hop Yoga and gong baths in addition to inspirational talks from industry insiders. This year’s looks to follow suit, offering amazing fitness classes, talks and workouts for over 350 people at a time.
Tickets will go on sale on the 20th of March. Sign up to lululemon’s mailing list at lululemon.co.uk/Sweatlife , to get first access to tickets.
LoveFit
When is it? 20th to the 22nd of July 2018
Where is it? St Clere Estate just outside London
What's the lowdown? This festival’s range of fitness classes, adventure activities, music and boutique after parties sets it apart. From workouts led by some of the most well known fitness pros (such as personal trainer and blogger Carly Rowena and even, wait for it, Mr Motivator) to a spin studio, obstacle courses, a hot yoga tent and a forest gym, there’s something for every fitness level and exercise preference. With GTG favourites 1Rebel and Fierce Grace providing an indication of the calibre of studios involved and an evening schedule comprising of acoustic sessions, fancy dress and forest parties, you’re guaranteed to workout hard, play harder here.
How much do tickets cost? From £80 for 3 days and 3 nights’ entrance to the festival, self-camping and access to classes and activities.
Wilderness
When is it? 2nd to the 5th of August 2018
Where is it? Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
What's the lowdown? Interspersed in between the festival’s roster of incredible headline acts (Groove Armada, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Bastille…), you’ll also find a bevy of fitness classes and activities to help provide some calm amidst the chaos. Ranging from yoga to barre to running, past years have also featured workshops led by inspirational industry influencers - it strikes the balance between relaxation, fun and fitness pretty perfectly.
How much do tickets cost? From £179.50.