Freelance writer and editor specializing in music and culture, with bylines in Dazed, Clash, and The New Humanist.

We’re witnessing the ‘wellnessification’ of absolutely everything. Beyond boosting their physical health with fitness and nutrition, people are looking for a path to being well in all aspects of their lives.

Being+

Amid technologically-driven existence, people are anchoring themselves in their bodies, using physicality as both a compass and a revolt.

Primal Yearning

As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and pessimism, we are moving away from a moment in which consumers expected brands to rise up to society's challenges and into one when they’re demanding genuine allyship from businesses.

Shared Values

For decades, the UK festival experience was defined by hedonistic pursuits – enduring mud, sleep deprivation and warm cans to see your favourite acts. But driven by young people’s rejection of binge-drinking culture and the mainstream elevation of holistic health to a modern-day status symbol, organisers are pivoting. 

 Now, festivals are becoming destinations to restore yourself. We’re witnessing a fundamental shift in which events are blending music with extensive, integrated wellness programming, transforming from spaces that leave attendees wrung out to environments optimised for physical and mental rejuvenation.

This wellness revolution has become front and centre. Ten years ago, meditation and yoga were largely relegated to niche ‘healing fields’ on the periphery of the festival grounds. Today, wellness is enjoying main-stage billing. We see this evolution everywhere, from huge events such as Glastonbury hosting mass workouts with fitness guru Joe Wicks, to forward-thinking festivals such as We Out Here programming gong baths, therapeutic workshops and wild swimming alongside the music. 

Globtrender

 A breed of fitness-first festivals, such as 

, is also entirely rewriting the rulebook by putting ultra-marathons and curated sauna line-ups ahead of the music. For modern attendees, these restorative, community-driven activities are expected to be just as engaging, diverse and meticulously curated as the musical acts.

This shift goes beyond physical fitness to encompass a focus on mental health, psychological safety and inclusive community building. In a sensory-heavy environment, modern attendees expect proactive care and spaces designed for emotional and physical regulation. “More people want to experience the music, togetherness and joy that festivals offer, without foregoing routine, the ability to practice self-care or self-development,” says Ellie White, head of marketing at Love Trails Festival. “It's no longer one or the other; they can now go hand in hand.” 

Interview with Ellie White conducted by the author

Ultimately, these activities are no longer bolted on as an afterthought – they’re a vital strategy for attracting young and increasingly mindful attendees. But what exactly has led to this new baseline of self-care, where attendees desire control, connection and holistic restoration?

The pursuit of intoxication has faded considerably among Britain’s youth, replaced by a widespread embrace of the ‘sober-curious’ lifestyle. Binge-drinking and the messy hedonism of previous decades are no longer seen as essential rites of passage. The data reflects this stark generational shift – while 24% of all adults abstain from alcohol entirely, this trend is skewed by youth. 

Nearly four in ten (39%) young men and a third (31%) of young women (aged 16-24) now identify as non-drinkers. 

 And this ethos of abstinence extends beyond the bar. Only 16.7% of 20- to 24-year-olds had taken a narcotic drug in the previous year – a near halving of the 31.3% recorded at the turn of the millennium. 

Office for National Statistics

Driven by a combination of social media influence, a desire for self-optimisation and a cost-of-living crisis where the price of a pint has surged past £5 nationally, young people are redirecting their disposable income towards physical and mental wellbeing. 

the drinks business

 Gym memberships among Gen Zers have almost doubled since 2020. 

The Guardian

Today, 30% of the demographic regularly works out in fitness facilities, compared to 15–25% of the wider adult population. 

Les Mills

 Social currency is increasingly being found in fitness classes, weekend park runs and waking up with a clear head.

However, this shift does not mean young people have abandoned partying – rather, they’re demanding a more intentional kind of nightlife. Yes, clubbing has been significantly eroded over recent years, with the UK losing roughly 37% of its nightclubs between 2020 and 2024. 

Night Time Industries Association

 But in their place, we’re seeing a rise in highly curated, culture-led nights, with young people rejecting chaotic, unpredictable sticky-floored superclubs in favour of environments that guarantee a specific community and psychological safety. “It’s not just about dancing or listening to music,” says Avigail Lev, a licensed clinical psychologist. “It’s about engaging in a way that feels present, intentional and aligned with their values.” 

Interview with Avigail Lev conducted by the author

 is a model example – it’s a thriving queer-led club project built on an inclusive membership model that hosts hedonistic parties alongside community workshops and grassroots creative activities. Exercise is also being increasingly built into socialising in a way that feels organic. 

 is a monthly, leaderless cycling event in London where hundreds of riders take over city streets accompanied by mobile sound systems on the last Friday evening of every month. It effectively functions as a rolling rave, blending the galvanising energy of a night out with physical activity and spontaneous community solidarity – and it’s free. It’s precisely within this intersection (intentional socialising that delivers value for money) that modern music festivals are now being tasked to operate within.

Is engagement with music festivals declining?

For a long time, attending a UK music festival was considered a definitive teenage rite of passage. However, that tradition is colliding with the harsh economic realities of today. While the demand for partying still exists, affordability does not – drink and ticket prices have soared while real wages have stagnated. 

 Over two-thirds (68%) of 18–30-year-olds are going out less due to prohibitive drink and event entry costs. 

Consequently, GWI data reveals that one in five Gen Zers actively reduced or avoided festivals in 2025. 

The Standard

 Overall interest among this demographic declined from 46% in 2019 to 39% in 2025. 

The same report found that less than a third (29%) of this cohort actively seek out live music events. 

This financial friction and post-pandemic economic downturns have had detrimental impacts on the independent sector in recent years, with 192 music festivals disappearing between 2019 and 2024. 

The Association of Independent Festivals

 Production costs have also skyrocketed, forcing ticket prices up and fundamentally changing how people evaluate these experiences. When a weekend ticket costs upward of £300, prospective attendees start to consider whether the financial hit of attending is worth it. But all is not lost. To combat the crisis of affordability and shifting expectations, organisers are reframing the festival value proposition. “It's true that, in general, on the events I've worked on, the average age has risen to around 25–30, while before we might expect the majority to be around 18–25,” says White. “However, there remain festivals attracting a younger generation effectively. Reading and Leeds have recently revamped their campsites for the first time in decades, with areas organised by sustainability, wellness and inclusivity. It feels very hard to imagine that at Reading and Leeds ten years ago.” 

She points to a growing focus on wellness offerings, demand for no/low drinks, activities earlier on in the day (when previously early rising would not have been on the cards), as well as ‘chill out’ late-night spots. “All these programme changes echo the shift in attitude for festivals being more than places for hedonism and excess,” she says. “They’re becoming places for balance, to try new things and to leave feeling refreshed and replenished rather than burnt-out and spent.” 

 These restorative spaces allow attendees to reclaim a sense of control over their festival experiences, transforming a simple party with a hefty price tag into a multi-faceted getaway that balances nocturnal socialising with daytime self-care.

The integration of wellness as a main stage attraction

To combat falling youth attendance and cater to the wellness-as-community crowd, festivals are adapting their programming. Rather than being relegated to a fringe healing field, wellness and self-care are now front and centre. Modern attendees want a well-rounded experience where they can dance at night but wake up to a cold plunge and a breathwork class, leaving the weekend feeling rejuvenated and culturally fulfilled. This is particularly apt during the warmer months of festival season, with 67% of 25– to 34-year-olds finding summer a more motivating time to make wellness-related lifestyle changes. 

Legal & General

 “Audiences increasingly want a full, immersive experience,” says Lev. “When you expand the experience to include movement, breath, interaction and intentional design, you engage not just the body, but all five senses, as well as cognition and emotion. It becomes something that touches the whole human experience.” 

Forward-thinking events are treating this restorative itinerary with the same curation and respect as their musical line-ups. Festivals such as We Out Here and Shambala are programming significant wellness schedules featuring gong baths, woodland spas, wild swimming and paddleboard yoga. Events on-site also actively reflect this change; activities such as early morning runs with groups including 

 are now drawing attendees in their hundreds. Meanwhile, fitness-first festivals such as Love Trails and 

 have inverted the traditional model entirely, anchoring their events around long-distance trail running, hiking, swimming and recovery sessions – while also providing a party in the evening. “As the world's first running and music festival, Love Trails’ development from 40 people ten years ago to 5,000 today reflects this rise and appetite,” says White. 

And this wellness evolution extends beyond physical fitness, addressing the need for psychological care in high-stress, sensory-heavy festival environments. Recent industry research highlights that prioritising mental health is now viewed as essential risk management, equal in importance to traditional medical and security services. 

Ticket Fairy

 More and more festivals are introducing dedicated zones for decompression, sober spaces and roaming peer-support teams – such as Boom Festival's 

. By treating emotional distress with proactive compassion rather than leaving it to security guards, organisers are fostering a highly connected, inclusive community and tangibly reducing medical incidents. This holistic approach to mind and body provides the vital psychological safety net that modern attendees now expect from their festival experience.

Enable healthy eating and wellbeing routines

Many festival attendees are now seeking out products and activities that actively restore rather than deplete them, enabling people to maintain their wellbeing regimens even while enjoying a weekend-long party. As White points out, organisers are putting “more care and consideration into food trader programming and ensuring healthy options such as smoothies, acai, more veggie and vegan alternatives – again, a way of ensuring festival-goers don’t have to give up their day-to-day regime in favour of ‘festival food’.” 

 There's a real opportunity for functional food and NOLO beverage brands to make some headway here, particularly in helping attendees own the morning after with hydration stations, vitamin-infused breakfasts or recovery hubs. Functional vitamin and immunity drinks brand 

 activated at We Out Here festival in 2025 by building the '

' – a shot bar and chill-out area that also served as the official finish line for the festival’s daily run club, allowing attendees to instantly refuel with ginger shots.

Design purpose-led spaces that solve real needs

To meaningfully engage with modern festivalgoers, brands must move beyond traditional, logo-slapping sponsorships and build environments that serve a genuine function. As White observes, the most effective activations “move from sponsors to create a space that is purpose-led and fixes a real need, rather than just a place to sell product.” 

Cotswold Outdoor and Runners Need activation

 at Love Trails. Recognising the growing trend of solo festival-goers, the brand created ‘The Sole Searcher’s Club’ – a dedicated social hub designed not just to showcase trail gear, but to foster community through inclusive group runs, walks and interactive games that help attendees find new friends and running partners. Similarly, brands can solve the need for sensory regulation by creating branded quiet zones, bookable saunas or somatic therapy tents that provide a sense of control for wellness-focused attendees. Oat brand 

, hosting a Quadrophonic listening lounge with soft seating that offered a relaxing retreat for audiophiles while serving coffee with its signature oat milk.

Curate an atmosphere of wellbeing support

Rather than treating wellness as a token add-on or a generic healing field, forward-thinking festivals are making it an integral, heavily considered part of the core programme. A pioneering example of this is Portugal’s 

' – a comprehensive harm reduction and psychological support hub. Operating in collaboration with university researchers and government health agencies, Kosmicare provides evidence-based care and treats attendee wellbeing as a shared responsibility. This shift towards legitimate, structural support is essential, according to Lev. “Too often, when psychology shows up in entertainment spaces, it can be diluted or misrepresented, with people stepping away from evidence-based practices,” says Lev. “There’s a real opportunity here to do something different – to integrate science, art and human connection in a way that is both engaging and grounded.” 

 find summer a more motivating time to make wellness-related lifestyle changes

 in the UK are going out less due to prohibitive drink and event entry costs

UK music festivals are pivoting from exhaustive hedonism to holistic getaways that balance nocturnal partying with daytime rejuvenation

Squeezed by rising ticket prices, modern attendees are demanding intentional, psychologically safe environments that deliver genuine community connection and tangible value for money

Brands can authentically engage this health-conscious crowd by moving beyond traditional sponsorships to build purpose-led spaces that serve real needs

Ellie White is a freelance marketing lead specialising in the festival and events industry. She currently heads up marketing for Love Trails Festival, alongside customer research and community marketing projects. Previously, she was the head of marketing at We Out Here Festival. Her particular interest is rooted in using customer research to sharpen marketing strategy, elevate experiences and build stronger communities.

Dr Avigail Lev is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Bay Area CBT Center in California and a certified mediator. She uses evidence-based practices, including cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance-based treatments, to treat people grappling with mental health issues

Gen Y (born 1982-1996)

Gen X (born 1967-1981)

United Kingdom

Physical health

Mental health

Music, radio, and podcasts

Live broadcasts and events

With young attendees increasingly favouring sober-curious lifestyles and intentional socialising, the traditional UK music festival is being forced to evolve. How are these staples of British summertime integrating the two seemingly opposing worlds of hedonism and health?

Analysis

Dan McCarthy

Ellie White

Avigail Lev

Related Macro Behaviours

Being+

Primal Yearning

Shared Values