what’s on

The Sondering is an intentionally intimate gathering you’ll share with just 300 fellow mortals. (Weekend tickets only.) Who will you dance, laugh, cry, and connect with in the fells?

Arrivals open at 3:00 PM on Friday. Programming runs through midnight on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday across an energetic arc of Reflection, Release, and Return.

Below is a flavour of what’s in store; though bear in mind it remains fluid, because, well... life! If emotions ever overflow, our experienced care team is on hand to help you ground and re-regulate with free tea and optional hugs in the Sondering Support bowtop caravan.

Sonder with us this autumn equinox.

LAST TICKETS

Final release selling fast
£190+ booking fee

friday

REFLECT

welcome - festival founders 

OPENING CEREMONy - SOPHY BANKS GRIEF TENDING 
HANNAH FOX - IMMERSIVE SONDERING CHARACTER 
STORYTELLING, POETRY & FOLK  - SIMON SYLVESTER. JESSICA OLIVIA NEILL. MARK BORTHWICK. EMILY C. COOKE. 
SPUME - IMMERSIVE ART INSTALLATION. HORIZONTALISM
ROSA FOX - AERIAL ARTIST
JACK MCNEILL - CLARINETTIST
SPIRITED FOLLOWERS - EXPERIMENTAL FOLK
OORYA - QUEER ELECTRO-PUNK FOLK
LONÁN - HEART FILLING DJ SET

SATURDAY 

REFLECT

GUIDED WILD SWIMMING IN RYDAL WITH LAUREN MUNRO-BENNETT
ROWAN & LISA CARR - death YOGA nidra MEDITATION
Emily Johnson - end of life rights and realities TALK
emily fairlie baker - natural fabric dyeing workshop 
abi griffin, woven farewell - willow coffin weaving and crafts
rewilding death care panel talk - radical undertaker Rosie Grant of Natural Endings, eco-creative funeral maker KATY VIGURS OF Dead Good, and community funeral director Joanna Shears, HOSTED BY comedian and funeral celebrant Hal Branson
jessica olivia neill - letters to loss workshop 
evie fehilly - clowning workshop  
grace emily manning - spirit of kites, sondering blanket stitching workshop
Kate Unwin - Working with the Wheel of the Year ritual workshop
LUCI BRIGINSHAW - SOPRANO OPERA 
SIMON SYLVESTER - PERSONAL STORY WORKSHOP & communal poem making
Rachel Clara Reed - Between conflict & connection WORKSHOP 
RHEGOLITH - FIELD SOUND RECORDING WORKSHOP 
RE-TURNING RITUAL - SOLO GUIDED RITUAL WITH NATALIE VICKERS AND KATY MOLLOY 
ROBBER’S DAUGHTER TAROT TENT & TRUE BLue massage tent

PLUS SELF-LED ACTIVITIES FROM DEAD GOOD
9D BREATHWORK SESSIONS and more
BOOK WEEKEND TICKETS

TICKETS + ADD-ONS // BOOK HERE //

TICKETS + ADD-ONS // BOOK HERE //

SATURDAY

RELEASE

RYDAL CAVE SUNSET VOCAL RITUAL

JAMES ROWLAND -'james rowland DIES AT THE END' THEATRE 
MARK BORTHWICK - FIRESIDE STORYTELLING  
CAVE VOCAL sunset RITUAL - RYDAL CAVE. mouthful.  
EMöSHPIT - GUIDED R.A.G.E RAVE 
Lonán Jenkins - IRISH WAKE TRADITIONS TALK 
DEAD GOOD FILM CLUB - FILMS ABOUT DEATH. CHATS ABOUT LIFE
LAUREL MORGAN - KEENING INSPIRED LAMENT
SHKIESHA - DANCE OF GRIEF 
RHEGOLITH - AUDIO VISUAL EXPRESSION FROM WORKSHOP BEGINS
LADIES OF MIDNIGHT BLUE - AFRO-LATIN PERCUSSION & BRASS
YARD - POST-PUNK NOISE & TECHNO 
MADAM WEST - EUPHORIC DJ set
BOOK WEEKEND TICKETS

SUNDAY

RELEASE & RETURN

COFFIN

ROUTE

PILGRIMAGE

ROWAN CARR - ANCESTRAL HEALING 
MIDNIGHT MOTH talk & RITUAL making - DEAD GOOD 
EVIE KING - GET AHEAD OF BEING DEAD talk
ANDREW WAITE - TRAD FOLK ACCORDION
MOUTHFUL - SINGING WORKSHOP & PERFORMANCES
ELLA JARMAN PINTO - FOLK & JAZZ 
DEEP CABARET - SONGS OF DECAY FOR  NATURE
RACHEL CLARA REED - TREE/BODY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOp
GROUP GRIEF TENDING - SOPHY BANKS and team
COFFIN ROUTE RITUAL & PILGRIMAGE 
JOHN HAYCOCK - PERFORMANCE IN ST OSWALD’S CHURCH GRASMERE
LEÏLA ALICE SMITH - LIGHT & SHADE EQUINOX ART WORKSHOP 
SOLO BANTON - DUB & REGGAE
DEEP LISTENING 
CLOSING CEREMONY

+++

DELICIOUS LOCAL FOOD

GLAMPING UPGRADES AND SAUNA PASSES AVAILABLE

BOOK WEEKEND TICKETS

TICKETS + ADD-ONS // BOOK HERE //

TICKETS + ADD-ONS // BOOK HERE //

cloud 9

kitchen

A plate of food containing a grilled meat dish, sliced red onion, a lime wedge, and a bowl of dark broth with herbs.

Gemma & Bryony partners in life and as owners of Cloud Nine Kitchen, bring restaurant-quality world street food to the festival.

Serving bold global fusion vibes from 'Florence', their iconic converted ambulance with friendly smiles, pricing and using local goodies including meat from the farm.

Made with love.

  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

  • Friday - Monday

  • Full menu including meat from the farm

  • Coffees and sweet treats

earthworm

kitchen

Colorful mural depicting oversized mushrooms, green radishes with pink roots, large green leaves, a packet of milk, a ladybug on a mushroom, a worm, a shell, and a stylized tree trunk with mushrooms and berries, all in a vibrant cartoon style. The mural is signed by Bethan Thorsby for the Earthworms.

Local legends Earthworm Kitchen will be bringing 100% plant based, vibrant and nutrient dense scrumptiousness to the festival.

Feed the worms!

  • breakfast lunch and dinner options

  • Friday - Sunday

  • 100% plant based menu

  • Coffees and sweet treats

BUY TICKETS . BUY TICKETS .

BUY TICKETS . BUY TICKETS .

BUY TICKETS