Happy Place Festival Review: Gunnersbury Park 2025
Happy Place Festival is the brainchild of Fearne Cotton, a cultural icon for millions of millennial and Gen Z British women. She began her career at 15 as a television presenter, burned out, and pivoted to build a multi-dimensional wellness brand. Her life may be one of privilege, but her relatability comes from her raw talent to connect and communicate. She’s on a forever journey to work out life like we are, and she’s not afraid to show the real bits.
Happy Place began as a podcast, with Fearne interviewing celebrities and high profile wellness experts about their lives through the lens of wellness. It’s since been evolved into a whole new wellness company publishing books, selling products, creating branded podcasts (like Happy Place Holidays with BA) and curating their very own Happy Place Festival in London and Manchester every summer.
I attended the first Happy Place Festival date of 2025 in London’s Gunnersbury Park on Saturday 12th July. This was on one of the heatwave days, with highs reaching 27 degrees.
I went alone, labelling it a “me day”; I don’t have many of those and am growing increasingly interested in the wellness space. I wanted to deepen my learning of topics like breathwork, immerse myself into the experience of following my intuition, and proving that I can do things on my own.
For those who aren’t keen readers and don’t need a whole deep dive on packing, what’s there and top tips, let Sabrina from Brighton Girl tell you below:
“Happy Place Festival is a multigenerational event that genuinely leans into learning new skills, sharing knowledge and feeling good. There are some classes that you have to pay for, costing around £15. They’re a huge bargain for the level of expertise you get and highly recommended if they’re within your budget. Otherwise, you get more than enough for your money on the standard day and weekend ticket. The food choices are vegan and vegetarian, priced at the expected £12-15 per meal, and it’s a sober festival with plenty of drink choices from £2.50 to £7 (plus the free refillable water taps). If you have an interest in wellness, no matter how “beginner” you may feel, this is a great day out. ”
A Run Down of My Day at Happy Place Festival
My Happy Place experience began at 9.30, settling onto my Yoga Collective travel mat at the front of the centre stage. Ever the keen bean, I was the first one to put my mat down, readying myself for the first class of the day with Donna Noble.
The centre stage is where all of the “free” classes were held. They’d programmed a whole range of 20 minute classes including yoga, meditation, Pilates, dance and a DJ set by Rod da Bank to finish it off.
At that time of the morning, I was able to do sun salutations with the glorifying golden sun above. Attendees congregated to the shaded tent away from the stage by the end; though that didn’t stop all the fun and laughter from every class.
If I’m honest, I was a little self-conscious on the way to the festival that I’d stick out like a sore thumb for not being “wellness enough”. Despite the Manchester Girls raving about their experience and its dedication to inclusivity. I’ve been in similar situations where my “wobbly bits” and lack of wellness literature have made me feel isolated.
But Donna’s very first session reminded me that wellness doesn’t embody a look. And this is a place where you can wobble on your yoga mat without judgement. Liberatingly, I didn’t worry at all about how I looked after that and walked around most of the day in my Inclusiv Inc sports bra.
I had a gorgeous chat with Donna afterwards when she was in the Book Tent, doing signings for her book ‘Teaching Body Positive Yoga’. We spoke about the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in the yoga community. Something the CGN community cares deeply about.
A wander around the festival led me to the Ancient and Brave’s Expressive Tent, listening to the wonderful poetry of Jennifer Mary Jones. I sat sipping on an Ancient and Brave True Hydration sample, listening to the whimsical tales of mermaids, sea adventures and dogs.
From there, I visited the talented Danielle Close of My Skin Close, who was selling her award-winning skincare products in a beautifully organised “shopping tent”. The tent was showcasing a collection of brands including in Happy Place’s online marketplace where they sell ethical brands.
“Happy Place is my favourite weekend of the year. Not just as a trader, but to see so many fabulous women well and truly being themselves, enjoying life and makin gnew friends is so wonderful to witness. Fearned has well and truly created something special!”
My next class was a sleep workshop in the Meditation Tent, led by Tempur. We were all given a Tempur Prima Pillow to lie on whilst we listened to the different ways that we can enhance our sleep. It was a short and sweet experience, with lots to think about and the added treat of getting to take the pillow home.
I’ve slept better in the week since than I have all year on that pillow.
And then it was onwards the lunch: I went for a vegan duck rice bowl from Duck Duck. All of the food at the festival was either vegetarian or vegan - a shock to some in the queue, but a delight to me as someone with a cow’s milk allergy. I also have a wheat intolerance, which was a bit of a challenge to find, with the majority of vendors not able to cater. Duck Duck weren’t 100% sure of the vegan duck ingredients but there was such a minor amount in comparison to the delicious flurry of veggies that it was a risk I could take. It was absolutely delicious and 100% worth it.
Please do comment if I missed a vendor who can cater, but I’d recommend those with more severe gluten intolerances to come prepared.
I ate my lunch in the sunshine listening to a crowd of people sing along at the Expressive Tent with ‘Sing for your life! With James Sills’. I joined in after I’d finished.
After a great sing-song amongst a crowd of happy people, I laid my yoga mat on the grass outside of the Talk Tent and listen to Julia Bradbury. The award-winning TV journalist and health advocate spoke about her experience of health optimisation through biohacking, cortisol management and getting out in nature.
Next came a Sound Bath with Katie Wolf, who took us through a trance for 45 minutes with her beautiful bowls and angelic voice. I take a deep breath and a soft smile just thinking about it.
Then onto something completely different: the Craft Tent! I took part in a workshop that focused on Upcycling with Frenchic Paint. We learnt this incredibly fun, fast and satisfying technique decorating round wooden circles with patterned serviettes and Frenchic Finishing Paint. This was followed by a demonstration of how to achieve old vintage looks with paint. I enthusiastically nodded at the front - as pointed out by the host, Karen. My bedside cupboard is going to love that I did that workshop.
I meandered again over to one of the many drinks vendors at the festival. It was a sober festival, with lots of juices, Ancient and Brave mocktails and iced beverages available. I had the best iced vegan kinder bueno drink I’ve ever had in my life, with vegan whipped cream on top.
A Happy Place can be a sweet treat, as well as a sound bath.
I took my delicious sweet treat back to Ancient and Brave’s Expressive Tent, listening to the soothing sounds of Aayushi.
“I really like coming to happy place festival. You come every year and cultivate something really precious.”
Then onto to the final class of my day: Cosmic and Ecstatic Breathwork with Rob da Bank, a meditation teacher of 6 years and co-founder of Bestival. A wonderful 45 minutes learning two different types of breathwork that will stay with me forever. I’ve already used the cosmic breathwork technique as a tool to get back to sleep and gather my thoughts when they’re running chaotically in my head.
I snuck a listen to Fearne’s podcast recording with Harriet Hemsley before getting the train(s) back home.
Thinking about my experience at Happy Place brings on a great big Cheshire Cat grin and the irresistible urge to take a deep, soothing breath.
“I had the very best day! Fearne cotton literally created my happy place. In that beautiful park as well, walking in felt like a sigh of relief. Highlight was Hannah Barrret’s yoga this morning... Quite literally magical, the music she chose, words used and the dancing flow of her sequence and seeing waves of people moving together was so beautiful it made me cry 🤦♀️
Also caught a Donna Ashworth reading - how does one woman write so many poems that speak to every other women?! I don’t think there was a dry eye. Really beautiful.
The whole festival felt a safe welcoming space to cry and laugh, and move in complete freedom. So many friendly people, wherever you went and no matter who you bumped into with your yoga mat!
And lots of freebies! Turmeric levels currently running high!
Also how cute are all the decorations around the place, the happy place bench, bath and phone box🤩😍
We started with a breathwork session with Aisha Mckanzie which was the perfect start to arrive, ground and breath. Really gorgeous. We let the afternoon flow, drifting between the expressive arts and talk stage.”
Perfect for groups, perfect for a solo adventure, perfect for the day and perfect for the weekend.
I can’t wait to hear about the experience from the Manchester Girls at the end of August (30th - 31st August) Grab your tickets here.
Written by Pippa Moyle
We were kindly gifted a ticket in exchange for a review. All views are my own.