Yoga, wild swimming, forest bathing and more…get ready to reconnect with yourself and nature at the best wellness festivals taking place across the UK in summer 2024.
Move over Glastonbury: wellness festivals are set to take centre stage this summer, offering a spoilt-for-choice selection of yoga and meditation classes, sound healing sessions, cold water immersion, and loads more. If you’re looking to get your zen on, these rural retreats – often nestled in the wild and wonderful British countryside – are perfect for wellbeing newbies and seasoned yogis alike. Come rain or shine, it’s time to fill your summer calendar…
Family-friendly summer wellness festival: Wild Canvas
What: Wild Canvas
Where: Turvey House Estate, Bedfordshire
When: July 25-August 27
Price: From £30 per person per night (+£10 for children) when pitching your own tent or campervan. Furnished tipis and yurt tents available to hire from £180 per night, based on four sharing
Website: wildcanvas.uk
With a new riverside sauna and a huge selection of daily activities – from yoga and paddleboarding to a kids’ crafts club and disco – this pop-up camping festival is perfect for wellness-seekers of all ages, running for five whole weeks over the summer. Nestled within the picturesque riverside meadows of the historic Turvey House Estate, it’s the perfect opportunity to escape the everyday and immerse yourself in nature, music, creative arts, and wellness. Plus, each weekend hosts an all-star roster of live DJs.
For your accommodation, you can either pitch your own tent or campervan on generously spaced grass pitches, or hire out a fully furnished modern yurt or traditional handmade tipi. During your stay, you can expect a range of campsite staples and more from the on-site café, including hot breakfasts, BBQ options, wood-fired pizzas, and fresh, wholesome salads, while authentic courtyard bar Wild HQ will be serving up local beers and signature cocktails. If you’re looking for a unique camping experience this summer – this is it!
Wellness by day, party by night: Waves of Wellness Festival
What: Waves of Wellness Festival at Bedruthan Hotel & Spa
Where: Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
When: June 14-16
Price: Adult day tickets from £110; weekend tickets from £285; three-night hotel stay inclusive of weekend tickets from £570 per person
Website: bedruthan.com
Treat yourself to a weekend of wellness, holistic practices, and fresh sea air on the Cornish coastline. Created in partnership with London-based wellness consultancy, Oyogo, the Bedruthan Hotel & Spa’s new Waves of Wellness Festival is centred around movement, mindfulness, creativity, and nature. Guided by expert practitioners – including surfer and environmentalist Sophie Hellyer, former international rugby player Anthony Mullally, and yoga therapist and psychologist Dr. Alicia Ray – you can expect restorative breathwork sessions, meditation, cliff-top yoga, sound baths, ecstatic dance, cold-water swimming, arts and crafts, and so much more.
Keep your festival short and sweet with day ticket entry or make a weekend of it at the Bedruthan Hotel & Spa, a colourful, Scandi-inspired retreat atop the Cornish clifftops. Not only does your relaxing stay include full access to the festival, you’ll also be able to enjoy the hotel’s Sensory Spa Gardens, relaxation lounges and pools at your leisure, and sample new menus focused on simplicity and sustainability.
Nature, music, and luxury snoozes: Wilderness Festival
What: Wilderness Festival
Where: Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
When: August 1-4
Price: Weekend tickets from £278 per person (including general camping with your own tent). Meadow tent hire from £600 (various accommodation options available, prices vary)
Website: wildernessfestival.com
Get back to nature with this outdoorsy weekend of wild swimming, fireside cooking, and foraging workshops, complete with a daily programme of mindfulness and yoga classes and a range of relaxing treatments and facilities at the on-site spa. Alongside the focus on nature and wellness, this summer getaway also retains many aspects of traditional music festivals, with a stellar line-up of talented artists including Michael Kiwanuka, Faithless, and Jessie Ware, plus comedy gigs, thought-provoking talks, and family-friendly shows.
In terms of accommodation, you’re spoilt for choice with a range of different bell tents, huts, yurts, ensuite lodges, cabins, and motorhomes all available to hire in the luxury Meadow and Boutique camping areas – or you can pitch your own tent in the general campsite, located alongside the swimming and boating lakes. There will also be a variety of food and drink stalls, and clothing, accessories, and homeware markets to explore at your leisure.
Jam-packed programme and posh loos: Orbit Wellbeing Festival
What: Orbit Wellbeing Festival
Where: Hopton Court, Shropshire
When: June 7-9
Price: Day tickets from £50 per person and weekend tickets from £140 per person (discounted rates for children). Camping pitches from £30 and bell tent hire from £408
Website: orbitfitnessfestival.co.uk
Now in its fifth year, this award-winning summer wellness festival takes place in the stunning private estate of Hopton Court and features an incredible itinerary of yoga, meditation, workouts, live music, children’s entertainment, and more. Balancing wellbeing, fitness, and fun, a typical day might include listening to motivational talks, enjoying street food in the walled garden, immersing yourself in forest bathing sessions, shopping for clothes and wellbeing products in the trade village, hitting the trails for guided group runs, and relaxing with breathwork practices in the Orangery. Plus, on the Saturday night, you can enjoy a medley of Ibiza club classics from the past 30 years at the Symphonic Sundown concert.
Taking pride in being a civilised and family-friendly summer wellness festival, the camping and glamping facilities include posh loos and showers, which are available for everyone to use – whether you’re pitching your own tent or hiring a luxury bell tent. There’s even a quiet camping zone, complete with stunning views, which is ideal for those looking to pitch up away from the festivities.
Words: Lily Smith. Images: various brands
