Balance Festival 2019: what to see at this weekend’s 3-day wellness event

If you happen to be near the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch this weekend, it’s likely you’ll see a slew of people in yoga gear.

That’s because East London is once again welcoming Balance Festival, a wellness event that will run from Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 12 – and is expected to have close to 10,000 attendees.

Tickets are still on sale for the event (and will be available at the door), where you can expect to discover new wellness trends, be pampered with natural beauty products, take part in one of the 150 exercise classes on offer or attend a talk from a yogi or nutritionist

Below, we’ve detailed the best bits to check out this weekend.

Food

The Market, open throughout the festival

The Market is the best place to discover a host of healthy foods that will soon become a staple in your diet. Our pick is Moscow bakery Len and Grechka, backed by Alexander Lebedev whose family publish the Evening Standard. The bakery will be launching new gluten free buckwheat bread and health snack crisps into the UK and will be showcasing them at the festival this weekend.

Food At Heart Presents: Mindful Chocolate Meditation with Meredith Whitely, throughout the festival

Combine meditation with single origin dark chocolate in this sensory-filled mindful eating session. Here, you’ll learn the practice of mindful eating and why it’s so important in our modern day society.

KeVita Kombucha Mocktail Workshop with KeVita and Matt Hollidge, Friday May 10 at 4:10pm

The wellness drink of the moment, Kombucha can be enjoyed in mocktail form which is what the team at KeVita will teach you during their workshop.

Fitness

Ru-Paul’s Drag Race class with Boom Cycle, 5pm Saturday May 11

This Drag Race-themed class will have you ready to ‘sashay away’ at the end of it. Led by Mother Ru and fellow ‘kweens’, you’ll be cycling along to soundtracks from the show.

F45 workout, throughout the weekend

It’s the workout everyone’s talking about, and the festival is the perfect opportunity to try it for yourself. The F45 class will see you combine cardio with strength and resistance training for a full-body workout.

PWR session with Kelsey Wells, 10:25am Sunday May 12

One of the biggest names on the Instagram fitness scene, Kelsey Wells will guide you through her renowned PWR workout program that you can find on the fitness app Sweat. The 45-minute workout will target your whole body and is designed to help you build muscle and increase strength.

Beauty

The Skin Wellness Clinic by Murad, throughout the weekend

Drop in to one of Murad’s Skin Wellness Clinics for a complimentary skin consultation and express facial treatment which are personalised to address your skin concerns.

The Locker Room, open throughout the festival

Visit The Locker Room to be pampered by leading skincare experts and discover a number of natural beauty brands.

Mindfulness

How to develop self-knowledge with The School of Life, 12:30pm Sunday May 12

Spend this session learning techniques to help explore your own mind and spot the things you may not be able to see about yourself, mastering the true art of self-awareness.

How to fulfil your potential through meditation with Will Williams, 1:30pm Sunday May 12

This 25-minute class with Will Williams, founder of Beeja Meditation, will provide you with tips and techniques to help reduce stress and anxiety while improving sleep and increasing focus.

Just Breathe Presents: An Austrian Tea Ceremony And Sound Bath with Harriet Emily and Michael James Wong, 2:50pm on Saturday May 10

This tea tasting session weaves in a bout of mindfulness with its sound bath, leaving you feeling like you’ve just been on a week-long holiday.

Standard Admission tickets to Balance Festival are priced from £24.50 for day tickets and from £50 for VIP day tickets. Weekend entry is currently priced at £90. Tickets are available from, balance-festival.com/