Offering an alternative to the usual hedonism, these UK summer festivals use music, literature and wildlife to bring people together
This festival ‘for people and planet’, held in an ancient woodland in Berkshire, is the leading light of a new breed of wellbeing festival – it’s alcohol-free and focused more on fire circles and cacao ceremonies than mosh pits.
The founders aim to ignite a deeper understanding of how we can tread lightly on the planet via talks and workshops with tribal elders from across the globe. The musical lineup includes singer-songwriter Natty and folk singer Sam Lee, as well as indigenous musicians from Brazil, Ghana and Colombia.
There are talks with Bruce Parry and Satish Kumar, fire ceremonies and a colourful family space with flower headdress making and acroyoga. All profits go to support indigenous tribes.
Image: Medicine
This new children’s book festival dedicated to nature, animals and the great outdoors is held among the trees of the breathtaking National Arboretum at Westonbirt in Gloucestershire, and features some of the UK’s most famous children’s book authors, illustrators, wildlife presenters and storytellers.
Young bookworms can listen to talks from Michael Morpurgo and Katz Cowley (pictured), join workshops and drawing masterclasses with bestselling illustrators such as Horrible Histories’ Martin Brown or take part in craft sessions and trails among the 2,500 species in the tree garden.
Image: Wild Wonder
A new one-day nature festival held at the 4,000-acre Wild Ken Hill rewilding project, which in 2019 dropped traditional arable farming in favour of restoring nature, tackling the climate crisis and growing food regeneratively on the north Norfolk coast.
There will be talks from gamekeeper and author Jake Fiennes, and the chairman of Natural England, Tony Juniper; natural dye workshops using botanical colours foraged from plants on site; tours of the newly introduced beaver landscape and wetlands; sauna and ice cold plunge sessions; sound baths and locally grown food.
Image: Gathering
Maim image: Medicine
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