Deer Shed Festival returns to Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire from 24 to 26 July 2026 with its biggest wellbeing programme yet, introducing the new Wilderwild Retreat.
Feature Photo by Andrew Benge
This expanded woodland haven brings together wild swimming, forest saunas, sound baths, yoga and a wide mix of reflective and restorative activities designed to help festivalgoers recharge before exploring the festival’s wider music, comedy and arts offerings.
The festival’s wild swimming schedule has grown again for 2026, offering more places than ever. Sessions will be led by experienced swimmers Debbie Adams and Claire Sutton, alongside guest guides Rowan Clarke, Johnny Hartnell, Sarah Banks and Thao Do. Visitors can choose introductory, advanced or social swims, and new for this year are Night Wild Swimming sessions where the River Swale is lit by soft luminous floats under the evening sky.
Sauna experiences also expand significantly. Deer Shed co-founder Oliver Jones has collaborated with Hive Sauna to build an Off Grid Sauna and River Plunge Experience featuring wood fired sauna sessions and supervised river plunges. Team GB ice swimming captain Fenwick Ridley returns to guide visitors through safe hot and cold contrast therapy and help them connect with nature, their bodies and the festival community.
The festival has partnered with Yoga Kula to deliver a full programme of classes inside a dedicated Yoga Yurt. Sessions will include Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga, as well as breathwork workshops, sound baths and a cacao ceremony. Floating sound baths, family yoga and moon bathing add further choice for visitors wanting to relax, reset or try something new.
A wide range of forest based activities is also available, including intuitive healing, tai chi, massage therapies, forest meditation, dusk bathing, barefoot walking and a variety of guided woodland walks. With easy introductory sessions across yoga, sauna and swimming, the Wilderwild Retreat is designed to welcome all ages and levels of experience.
Festivalgoers can enjoy this reflective space alongside the rest of the Deer Shed programme which features headliners Sleaford Mods, Everything Everything and Say She She, plus comedy from Stewart Lee, The Adam Buxton Band and Rachel Parris. The festival’s literary and spoken word strand will include a conversation between Stewart Lee and Sleaford Mods, while the cinema and theatre programme draws on the 2026 festival theme Into The Labyrinth.
Bookable sessions for the Wilderwild Retreat are on sale from 10am on 11 March, with full details available on the Deer Shed Festival website.
The Wilderwild Retreat and wellbeing programme will take place at Deer Shed Festival at Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire from Friday 24 July to Sunday 26 July 2026.
