Yoga, wellbeing and mindfulness festivals in the UK in 2018
We've rounded up some of our fave events for mindfulness, yoga, wellbeing, music and more. Plan your trip and pop the dates in your diary!
We'll be updating this page regularly, so come back to see what's been added to our calendars…
Words by Gemma Harris.
2018 festivals
Mind Body Spirit
The world-famous Mind Body Spirit are bringing their practical life skills, tools and techniques to both London's Olympia (25-28 May) and Birmingham NEC (2-4 November) this year.
The two festivals will run across three days inside iconic city venues. According to Mind Body Spirit, the London workshops offer a melting pot of inspiring international instructors and cutting-edge teachers. At the heart of the festival is the live stage where you can watch musical performances and interactive demonstrations.
Special features include their free Wellbeing Studio and Cat Duval’s Yoga Silent Disco (pictured above) which is a space to dance, connect, meditate and try acroyoga – a combination of partner acrobatics, Thai massage and yoga.
An exclusive feature – new for 2018 – is the Ceremony Space which focuses on intimate experiences. Less than half a year later, Birmingham’s NEC will be home to all of this and more. Immerse yourself in Mind Body Spirit's vibrant marketplace to complete your trip.
Prices vary according to the venue.
The Mindful Living Show
Following a great reception in 2017, The Mindful Living Show is returning to Upper Street in London for its second year on 1-2 June. It encourages you to learn more about the practice and benefits of mindfulness and meditation.
Expect inspiring guest speakers, a wealth of mindfulness knowledge, zen market products and restorative meditation areas. The quiet zone will guide you through meditation to a space of tranquillity and calm while the demo zone will immerse you in experiences from their exhibitors.
One of Britain’s leading contemporary historians and vice chancellor of the University of Buckingham, Sir Anthony Seldon, will be joining the discussion on “The Need for Mindful Leaders in Society” while mindfulness trainer and innovator, Dr Tamara Russell, will be sharing her unique perspective.
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Actor, singer and host to his debut podcast series Homo Sapiens, Will Young will also be parting with his knowledge about knowing ourselves and speaking the truth, offering time for hope and healing.
You can also learn about the science behind mindful practice, unwind with guided meditations or learn how to maintain a mindful gut with health-conscious eating.
Tickets start at £30.
Timber Festival
Timber is an extraordinary new festival which will be held for the first time in Feanedock in the National Forest on 6-8 July (campers can stay an extra night on 9 July). Music, arts and forests weave together to create one exhilarating weekend.
You'll be able to witness the exclusive world premiere of Seek, Find, Speak, the outdoor theatre companion to bestselling book The Lost Words as well as the English festival premiere of Jony Easterby’s new interactive performance Tree and Wood. Plus, learn the powers of strategy in the board games tent, get creative at a mask making workshop or explore nature within the Woodland Library.
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Feast on the journey of food from the ground to how it reaches our plates or listen to compelling sound instillations and storytelling. There are also opportunities to breathe with Tai Chi, immerse yourself in the forest with forest bathing or soak in the vibrant landscape by learning to “think like a tree.” And you will be encouraged to do something we were never allowed to as kids – tree climbing. Plus, family yoga sessions make it brilliantly revitalising for all. So much to do, there is something for everyone.
Tickets from £10 (10% off for National Forest residents).
Boundless Summer
Gather your friends and your favourite picnic blanket and celebrate summer at Boundless Summer – an open-air concert in a magnificent country garden at Borde Hill, Sussex.
A Boundless Summer 2018 is a spectacular open-air concert at one of England’s most magnificent country gardens. Amazing music in truly glorious surroundings - the perfect way to enjoy a summer’s evening with family and friends!
Headline artists include UB40 and Gypsy Kings (7 & 8 July). Tickets start at £40.
Taste of the South
Taste of the South festival is returning with a brand-new feature for 2018 on 21-22 July. The festival in Christchurch, Dorset, encourages you to eat healthy, get active and feel amazing.
This year you are invited to come and find your zen with the launch of the new health and wellbeing area – the Zen Den. The zone encourages you to listen to what your body needs through inciting self-love and growth.
Alternatively, have you ever fancied trying out yoga or are you searching for a hangover cure which actually works? Whichever it is, you can discover both with taster yoga sessions by Yoga Lounge Bournemouth and a range of hangover prevention products produced by Indulge Hangover Cure.
They will also be showcasing a range of cruelty-free and plastic-free product alternatives alongside live chef demonstrations and vegan and vegetarian specialty stands. Leave feeling refreshed and with your new-found zen.
Advance tickets £4, on the door £7; free entry for children under 12.
Soul Circus – Yoga & Wellness Festival
Dispersing melodies and magical voices into the air, Soul Circus is returning to the idyllic Cotswold countryside (Elmore, Gloucester) on 17-19 August with bigger and better headline acts, buskers and live acoustic performances which will “set the soundtrack to your perfect wellness weekend”.
A place where mindfulness meets music, Soul Circus is the yoga and wellness festival with a difference. It has a beat for both the early riser and the night owl with outdoor sunrise yoga classes to DJ after parties in the woods. DJ Yoda & National Presenter Nemone will be spinning tracks alongside BBC 1xtra’s DJ Emily Rawson to ignite your yoga energy. And it doesn’t stop there!
With food at the heart of what they do, you can also nourish your soul with local tasty delights; they claim: “Whether it’s detoxing or retoxing, Soul Circus has the meal and drink for you!” Spread across three glorious days of summer, you can camp in their private new field and absorb the stunning views of the surrounding area. In The Moment's Tiffany Jackson and Kate Bennett went to Soul Circus last year – find out how they got on.
For a hassle-free camping experience, you can arrive to a pre-erected tent which come complete with single air beds and optional sleeping bags. Embrace wellness with this sustainable and musical festival. Tickets start from £79 (glamping is extra).
Good Karma Cardiff – Festival of Wellbeing
If you are looking for a natural way to discover better health and happiness then Good Karma Cardiff’s Festival of Wellbeing on 8 September at City Hall is for you. Their mission, since establishing in 1995, has always been to inspire the mind, body and soul. They provide a platform in Wales for people to meet, learn about and enjoy a better way of living.
The festival brings together a community of inspiring teachers, authors, therapists and retailers through lectures, workshops, music and demonstrations. And it is all accompanied by a dynamic mix of delicious vegan and vegetarian food. The programme of free lectures includes everything from confidence building, crystal therapy and yoga to meditation, healing and nutrition.
This year energy medicine teacher, Madison King, and The Barefoot Doctor will be amongst the guest speakers. Create good karma in Cardiff with through a relaxing and varied approach to a healthier and happier you!
Tickets are £5 online, £6 on the door.
London Yoga Festival
An annual celebration of awareness, community and sharing – the London Yoga Festival on 23 September provides you with the opportunity to experience different yoga styles and be enriched through classes, exhibits and keynote speakers.
Spiritual guide Yogini Shambhavi will be educating audiences with her specialist yoga knowledge which stems from ancient traditions of Tantra, Jyotisha, Ayurveda and Vedanta. Or you can learn devotional Kirtan with the musical Brenda McMorrow.
A space to nurture, heal and gather with the people of London and beyond. All proceeds from the festival are in support of Anova. A schedule and ticket sales will be released shortly.
FitLiving UK
Bournemouth’s beach fitness festival, FitLiving UK returns for a second year on 28-29 September 2018.
This fun event aims to boost your physical and mental wellbeing with lots of invigorating activities from fitmix (that’s an Ibiza-style party featuring Clubbercise) to beach bootcamp. There’s also beach yoga if you need something more relaxing!
As well as over 50 energetic sessions to enjoy, there are also more than 60 nutrition and fitness brands to explore at the festival.
Tickets start from £13.29 and vary depending on the date.
OM Yoga Show London
Start practising your downward dog! This autumn on 19-21 October, OM Yoga Show will grace Alexandra Palace with its presence once again.
Over three days, you can get involved with over 200 open classes, learn from leading yoga teachers or focus on a specific discipline. You can also attend a local yoga session or access the practice instantly through their online yoga.
Suitable for all levels, OM Yoga aims to provide “a uniquely rejuvenating and refreshing weekend for yoga lovers and newcomers alike.” Plus, “little yogis” can also get involved at the children’s yoga studio.
Presenters include Teen Yoga’s Charlotta Martinus and yoga instructor Sophie Boo who has an in-depth knowledge of the human body. Meanwhile, Vegan Life Magazine and Pukka Herbs will be exhibiting their products.
A ticket to the OM Yoga Show also includes entry to the Mind Body Soul Experience in the adjoining hall – free yoga and buy-one-get-one-free on shows! What more could your inner yoga guru want? As a guest, you can also gain a special reference code for accommodation in the area.
Online tickets: adults £12, concessions £10. On the door: adults £15, concessions £12 (two and three day tickets also available).
Wild & Well
Taking place in Bristol on 20-21 October, Wild & Well is a new wellbeing festival based around four themes – Move, Eat, Connect and Explore.
Wild & Well will take place in venues around Bristol’s harbourside with a beautiful yurt on Brandon Hill providing the focus for its Eat events and a shuttle bus linking the festival to Ashton Court for the Explore programme.
Wild & Well’s Move programme puts the emphasis on feel-good fun rather than feeling the burn, offering a huge line-up of fitness classes from drum ‘n bass workouts to ballroom dancing, HIIT sessions to paddle boarding on the river.
The festival has also teamed up with Bestival to bring SPIINBOX to Bristol – a unique spinning studio, created by Radio 1 DJ and Bestival founder Rob Da Bank and former Olympian Tim Weeks. With classes set to headline DJs, SPIINBOX is like a gig, on a bike!
The festival will also have two dedicated yoga venues offering a diverse programme of classes and workshops.
Wild cooking, sustainability and communal eating will be the focus for Wild & Well’s Eat strand. The Wild Kitchen will offer thought-provoking talks, cooking demos and hands-on workshops on fermentation, cooking over fire, butchery, growing your own produce and much more.
At We The Curious, a packed programme of panel talks and workshops will explore the world within us and the world around us, looking at how both influence our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
With 850 acres of beautiful woods and parkland, Ashton Court is the perfect setting for Wild & Well’s outdoors activities. The Explore strand will empower people to connect with nature and the outdoors through activities like trail running, mountain biking, forest school, hiking, foraging, wild cooking and much more.
Tickets are now available from just £35.
Photography by Elad Itzkin Yoga Photography, Drishti Yoga Photography, Cecilia Cristolovean, Form, Marion Michele and Kyson Dana on Unsplash
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