Be immersed in wellness, community and creativity
Wellfest is returning to Kawarau Falls this weekend, offering a space to celebrate community, creativity, connection and all aspects of well-being. It will showcase local wellness practitioners and artisans, while equipping you with tools for a healthier life through interactive workshops.
The immersive festival will include live performances, DJs, saunas, river swims, ecstatic dance, yoga, meditation, family-friendly activities and onsite camping. One of the event’s organisers, Natalija Makarenko, explains that the event is community-orientated and will also include market stalls featuring local artisans showcasing their wares.
“It’s a festival focused on holistic well-being. There are two reasons for the festival; one is to provide our community of Queenstown with tools for their well-being, which could be emotional, mental, physical, financial, sexual – all the kinds of well-being you could think of, and it’s from a holistic perspective,” Makarenko says. “There will be a lot of workshops like yoga, meditation, and breath work.”
The other reason for the festival is to allow local practitioners, healers and artists to gain more exposure and explain their offerings. It goes for three days and two nights, with camping available on-site at the private space, surrounded by nature. One of the highlights from this year’s event is Liquid Bloom, aka Amani Friend from Desert Dwellers, who will blend world music and electronic elements into ethereal and hypnotic melodies.
Each day there’s a packed schedule to keep you occupied, and there’s also a kitchen for campers to use. Feedback from festivals passed has also included that people are happy to have built relationships with like-minded people.
“We have had so many reviews from people who have experienced loneliness in Queenstown because it’s such a transient place. They found so many friends after the festival, so it’s amazing from that perspective – that it’s helped to build a community together. The festival is for the purpose of nurturing deep connections within ourselves, community and nature.”
One event on the schedule that Natalija wanted to highlight was the open mic, thanks to its ability to bring creative people together. She also wanted to say a big thank you to Wellspace, who own the land and allow this great event to happen there.
Wellfest 2025 will return to the stunning Wellspace Grounds at 59 Boyd Road, Kawarau Falls from 14–16 February. There’s a range of different entry options available, from a day pass to full festival camping pass. You can head to wellfest.co.nz to view the full schedule, find out more information and grab tickets.
