5 Australian Wellness Festivals That Can Change Your Life

Acroyoga? Meditation? Healthy food trucks? Slip into something more soulful and head to one of these wellness festivals. By Alison Boleyn.

Wellness festivals are on the rise, offering their attendees meditation and inspiration among like minds. Here are five health and wellbeing celebrations across Australia that take a sense of community to a higher level.

The Wellness Festival

Energised by its 2016 successes, the Colour & Coconuts team is already planning next year’s line-up for The Wellness Festival, the stylish happy hub Sporteluxe declared “the Coachella of the health world”. This year saw model Laura Dundovic emcee one-day events in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne that blended fresh coconuts on arrival with speakers and workshops, stalls with free samples and a lunchtime workout led by the trainers/sisters behind Base Body Babes. Melbourne, around April, 2017; Sydney, around October, 2017.

Wanderlust 108

Billing itself as “the world’s only mindful triathlon”, Wanderlust 108 combines a five-kilometre run (or saunter – “We don’t mind,” says the site) with a 75-minute DJ-powered yoga session and a 30-minute guided meditation. There’s also plenty to do around the main event: hooping, Acroyoga, organic-snacking or just hanging in the Kombucha Garden. Canberra, November 19, 2016.

The MindBodySpirit Festival

Lasting three days and with more than 200 exhibitors, MindBodySpirit is the big one – the largest health, wellbeing and natural therapies event in the country. That means there’s a seminar, stall or workshop for every type of foodie, yogi and spiritualist, with free meditation sessions and raw food and fermentation tutorials sitting alongside the Angel Wisdom seminar and Tarot Masterclass. Melbourne, November 18-20, 2016; Brisbane , March 17-19, 2017

Vegan Festival

This is a family-friendly event in the centre of Adelaide at Victoria Square/ Tarntanyangga, with activities and shows scheduled all day, both days, for kids including free face-painting, drumming workshops and the Children’s Olympics. There’s also a wealth of health for adults too, with cooking demonstrations, yoga sessions, a beard competition and the “Vegan Single Mingle”. Adelaide, November 5-6, 2016.

Conscious Life Festival

This two-day festival abounds with educators and interactive workshops alongside stalls committed to wellbeing and sustainability. There’s a strong musical component too at this health and eco-event north of Brisbane. There’s also the Kids Culture Festival, with free activities, therapies and dedicated quiet spaces for children. Bokarina, Sunshine Coast, November 12–13, 2016.