words by Tori Dance
“You can hear the thumping bass in the background. Conversations on the wind. Let them come and go.” Not the intro to your average sound bath, but this is how Jasmine Hemsley welcomed dozens of hot, sweaty, partied-out bodies to the Slo Studio for her hour-long sound bath at Camp Bestival last weekend. Lying down under canvas during the session, the gentle vibrations from crystal alchemy singing bowls washed over everyone, shifting tired adults and (some) buzzing kids (not mine!), into a state of meditative stillness.
Between frantic family schedules, the relentless invasion of screens, and the domestic friction of modern life, finding space to truly slow down together can feel like an impossible task. Having just returned from a sun-drenched weekend at Lulworth Castle, it’s clear that this Dorset festival has mastered the art of the holistic weekender. A rare haven where multi-generational revelry coexists seamlessly with unpressured time to unwind.
Under scorching skies, with temperatures climbing, the festival grounds were alive with 30,000 revellers of all ages dancing shoulder-to-shoulder to icons including Self Esteem and Fatboy Slim. But whenever dancefloor fatigue hit, the Slomo Wellness Field provided a serene, shady haven of calm away from the main-stage buzz. Offering a three-day programme of free sessions for all, it served up meditation sessions, mindful movement, breathwork, and more for both body and mind.
Within the sanctuary, Mama Shrooms’ Food Is Medicine Camp functioned as a stylish laboratory for the curious. Bypassing the old school festival fuel of lukewarm lager, founder Gemma Ogston offered a tactile, hands-on masterclass in adaptogenic fungi. Rather than just peddling powders, she invited festival-goers to touch, smell, and understand the raw ingredients behind the blends. “Functional mushrooms have become such a trend that people have heard the buzzwords but don’t always know what they do, so being able to show people the real, whole mushrooms which they could smell and touch, was so rewarding.” Naturally, after long days with kids in tow, festival-goers flocked to the tent seeking restorative remedies. “The Nighttime blend was definitely the most popular during the weekend – a mix of Reishi, Chaga and magnesium, designed to improve sleep quality, deepen REM, and even make dreams more lucid,” Ogston explained. “It’s such a good fit for festivals because sleep is so often the first thing to suffer.”
Perched on the fringe of the site, the Slomo Sanctuary operates less like a tent in a field and more like a high-end hideout for the sensible hedonist. Their contrast therapy setup was nothing short of miraculous for weary legs: swapping the soothing heat of wood-fired saunas and bubbling hot tubs for the violently crisp shock of a cold-water plunge. Throw in a pamper lounge equipped with hot showers, flushing toilets, and beauty stations stocked with natural Bamford body products and sustainable Davines hair care, and it turned the usual festival grime into a distant memory. My eight-year-old daughter and I took our sweet time “getting ready” together, maxed out on the organic potions and lotions and emerged back out into the fray thoroughly scrubbed, revived, beautified and fit for more dancing!
Hemsley wryly noted at the start of her sound bath, “I’ve never seen so many people rush to lie down on the floor of a tent before.” In the oppressive midsummer heat, it was a sharp observation, yet tellingly, no one was in any hurry to get back up, let alone leave the Slomo field. A genuinely restorative enclave within a sprawling festival playground, Camp Bestival subtly rewrites the rules. It stands as proof that late-night multi-generational party culture and high-tier wellness can comfortably occupy the very same field. We returned from Dorset high on life, with core memories made and a renewed sense of balance all round.
Camp Bestival by Debenhams will take place from Thursday 29th July – Sunday 1st August 2027. Early Bird Weekend Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 7th August. For more information and to buy tickets visit campbestival.net.
