Yoga festivals
The best of this year’s summer yoga festivals
OM Yoga Show London - When: 18-20 October, 2019 - Where: Alexandra Palace, London
Europe’s biggest yoga event returns to the iconic Alexandra Palace in North London again this October. For more than a decade, the OM Yoga Show has grown ever more popular to become one of the largest events of its kind in the world. If you’ve never experienced it before, there’s nothing quite like it. All things yoga under one roof, it’s the ideal introduction to this ancient Indian practice, renowned for relaxing the body and de-stressing the mind: the perfect counter to today’s modern world. Hang out with some of the world’s top yoga instructors and thousands of kindred spirits. Hundreds of free classes, plus workshops, great food, meditation, talks and lectures, and much, much more. This is a family-friendly show with its own children's yoga stage, plus there’s a marketplace with over 200 stalls for all your yoga goodies too, from jewellery and leggings to teacher trainings and retreats. Come have some fun at the UK’s biggest yoga gathering.
Visit: omyogashow.com
Soul Circus - When: 16-18 August, 2019 - Where: Hollow Farm, Elmore, Gloucestershire
Set in the backdrop of the beautiful rural Cotswolds, yoga and wellness festival Soul Circus offers an opportunity to escape the daily grind and be treated to a few days of rejuvenation away from it all. An expertly curated collection of talks, activities and masterclasses come together to make an exciting itinerary — whether you want to enjoy a health-boosting detox, or properly let your hair down with a carefree ‘retox’. Now in its fourth year, wellbeing is at the heart of the event’s ethos, which is centred around yoga and wellness, delicious foods, music and arts to complement a true festival experience. And 2019 looks set to be the festival’s most impressive offering yet, with a host of new headline acts, key speakers, event partners and shows. They include Drum & Bass legend Goldie, who is set to headline on the Friday, leading an energetic set that’ll rock the whole festival. Accompanying Goldie will be a live DJ yoga class and transformational meditation sessions led by the talented Yogangster team (Stewart Gilchrist, Michael Eley and Elisa Devlin). “Music is at the very heart of Soul Circus,” say festival founders Roman and Ella Wroath. “By day, soothing acoustics and beautiful gongs will create a sense of peace and harmony, whilst at night, beats and bass from talented bands and DJs will be sure to get the party started.” For those seeking the quiet life, then look out for the plentiful hot tubs and the massage treatments available. Oh, and the food: you’ll also find an array of culinary delights waiting to be devoured.
Visit: soulcircus.yoga
World Yoga Festival - When: 18-21 July 2019 - Where: Beale Park, Berkshire
With around 1,500 people from over 40 nations celebrating classes, workshops and concerts, the World Yoga Festival will be one of the summer’s biggest yoga get togethers. The festival integrates meditation, yoga, ayurveda, astrology and knowledge through great masters from the authentic traditions of all eight aspects of yoga on a path to non-dual self-realisation. If you are seeking more than just exercise, then this festival is for you. Learn to overcome the trance of day-to-day living by making whatever you think, say or do more meaningful. Move in harmony with your natural state of being. Learn to live fully. The festival is also a time for great enjoyment. Dancing and music performances from world-class performers will take you into a different realm of experience, giving your mind a chance to rest and connect with the moment once more. This is a retreat and a festival combined. 100% vegetarian and alcohol-free. Plus a full family programme too for little yogis.
Enjoy £10 off an adult ticket with the code: OMYOGA19
Visit: yogafestival.world
Holistic International Festival of Yoga - When: 27-28, July, 2019 - Where: Victoria Baths, Manchester
Manchester’s international yoga festival returns for its second outing this summer, taking over all three pools at the city’s Victoria Baths. The much-loved building will be transformed into a big holistic hub for the entire weekend. Working with communities to empower mindful living, the Holistic International Festival of Yoga is held every summer as a joyful celebration of yoga, meditation, power of breath workshops, conscious conversations and talks from wellbeing leaders. There’s also a holistic marketplace that will take over one of the pools entirely. The festival prides itself on an East meets West philosophy with leading yoga and mindfulness experts from India taking the main stage interspersed with classes by local teachers. This year, the line-up promises to be more international than ever and includes the likes of Achal Mehra of Yoga House Mumbai and Manchester’s own Andrea Everingham. “Our vision is to bring new and experiential ways for the city to explore yoga,” says event co-founder Mayur Mirwani. “We hope to work closely with the community to empower city-wide joyful and peaceful living.”
Visit: holisticmanchester.com
OM & Bass Festival - When: 26-28 July, 2019 - Where: Watlington Hill Farm Animal Sanctuary, Oxfordshire
A wellbeing event that intertwines yoga, moving meditation and conscious dance. OM & Bass was created out of a love for yoga and a passion for dance, self-discovery and personal liberation. The class format has been mindfully developed to take participants on a unique journey through the chakras…each day culminates in a chakra shakedown two-hour workshop to banging beats, dance and yoga to ignite your soul. Come here to rejuvenate your chakras (your energy centres), starting gently with ambient music, moving through various genres, and building up to an energetic Drum & Bass climax…except this time it’s OM & Bass. Now in its fifth year, you’ll find over 130 wellbeing workshops included in the price (which also includes free camping, parking, showers; it’s also free for kids), and the organisers promise more fun than you can shake a stick at. On top of all the yoga, it’s a total health-fest: there’s no bar, it’s vegan food only and there’s zero plastic on site. You’ll also be supporting charity while you boogie on down: funds from the event help to support African Vision Malawi.
Visit: omandbass.co.uk
Brighton Yoga Festival - When: 27-28 July, 2019 - Where: Brighton & Hove Sixth Form College, Brighton
First established in 2014, the Brighton Yoga Festival is now one of the largest yoga events in the UK. Join in the fun this summer for over 100+ yoga classes and workshops, inspiring talks, live music, as well as lots of delicious, healthy food and drink to try. The theme of this year’s event is Yoga for Everyone. And, regardless of age, experience or fitness level, you’ll find something for everyone here: as well as all the yoga you can handle, there’s also a meditation zone, a wellbeing marketplace, plus lots of children’s activities and entertainment for the whole family. This year’s festival is a ‘Pay What You Can Afford ’event, with all profits going directly to the Brighton Yoga Foundation’s community outreach work. Since becoming a charity in 2016, the Foundation has supported numerous projects to bring yoga to many diverse groups in the area. Thousands of people are expected to attend (in recent years, around 3,000 people have attended, previously making it the largest free yoga festival in Europe), so do plan ahead.
Visit: brightonyogafoundation.org
Life Arts Wellbeing Festival - When: 15-16, June, 2019 - Where: Chelmsford City Racecourse, Chelmsford, Essex
Yoga, live music, pain relief workshops, mindfulness, meditation and more will be on offer at the Life Arts Wellbeing Festival at Chelmsford City Racecourse this June. A new yoga studio has been created for this year’s festival, billed as ‘the largest wellbeing event in East Anglia’. The studio will offer festival-goers yoga for pain and stress management, restorative yoga, pilates, hatha yoga, chair yoga, gong baths, a drum circle, yoga flow and a family rave. There will also be a Buddha Cave for meditation classes, plus a relaxing chill-out space where visitors can sit back and relax to gentle background music and healing from Buddhist monks. The festival will feature over 120 stands, allowing visitors to find out more about a wide range of holistic therapies offering taster treatments. Tickets: £5 for adults, £4 concessions, £4 for NHS employees & carers of visitors with a disability. Under 16s are free. A fast-track ticket is also available for £6 so you can jump the entrance queues. All yoga classes both days from 9am to 5pm are free!
Visit: lifearts.co.uk
UDAYA Live - When: 14-19 August, 2019 - Where: RIU Pravets resort, 35 miles outside Sofia, Bulgaria
Why not turn your festival fun into a super sunny holiday abroad this summer? Udaya Live is an all-inclusive five-night yoga and music retreat in Bulgaria, south-eastern Europe. Taking place in the plush four-star RIU Pravets resort just outside Sofia, the capital, the festival has something for everyone. From early morning until late at night, the schedule is bursting at the seams with yoga, meditation, ecstatic dance, educational workshops, and live concerts. But that doesn’t mean you have to do everything: be as active or as chill as you like. You’re pretty much guaranteed sunshine here so poolside will look very inviting too. Join in for yoga, fitness, live music, dancing, swimming, community, and fun in the sun… just like summer camp! Come and celebrate your practice with a community of likeminded folks and some of the finest and most diverse yoga teachers and musicians on the planet (familiar UK names include Adam Husler and Emma Henry). Drop into an invigorating vinyasa class and flow to a live band, or follow your bliss to a restorative class. Suit yourself by curating your own ideal yoga retreat experience, from the massive main stage to the small, intimate workshops. Tickets range from €75 for a one day pass (excluding meals, accommodation, spa access) to €1,250 for the full five-night retreat package staying at the resort in a single room.
Visit: udayalive.com
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
