‘WellFest feels like my left arm. I’m protective of it. It’s my little baby’: Meet the Northern Ireland woman who sent an email and ended up running one of Europe’s largest health and wellness festivals
Love Your Local: Newcastle native Sarah King never imagined that a cold email would one day see her head of WellFest and bringing it home to Belfast for the very first time
Ten years ago, I never would have pictured myself as the head of a festival that draws thousands of people together every year in the name of feeling good. Yet here I am. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
I first came across WellFest the way most people do: as an attendee. It was 2016, and I’d just returned home from backpacking through Southeast Asia, with a head full of yoga and a freshly completed events management degree. My big sister and I headed to Herbert Park in Dublin for a day of classes with yogis from all over the world - people you would follow on Instagram and never dream of actually practising with. I had such a good time that I did something a little bold: I found the general inbox and sent an email. It was something along the lines of - ‘I studied event management, I came to your festival and I’d love to be involved.’
That email changed everything - I was taken on for an internship ahead of the 2017 festival, starting out with managing traders and supporting the smaller operational elements. From there, things grew. By the time WellFest had its first sell-out year, we’d outgrown Herbert Park entirely and moved to Kilmainham. I moved with it, taking over marketing and gradually stepping into a role that now has me overseeing the whole thing.
WellFest, at this point, feels like my left arm. I’m protective of it. It’s my little baby.
The festival itself has always been something a bit different. You’re not walking into an expo - you’re outside, you’re free to move, and you don’t need to pre-book every session. Of course people do plan ahead, but I must say I love it when someone turns up without a plan and finds themselves drawn to something completely unexpected. Maybe it’s a class they’d never have tried at home, a talk by a nutritionist, or a breathwork session. People come with open hearts and open minds, and that’s everything to us.
It’s also alcohol-free, and the crowd it attracts is one of the things we’re proudest of. People always comment on how lovely and respectful the atmosphere is, and that means the world, because you can’t manufacture that. It reflects the kind of community WellFest has built over the years.
But back to the big news. We’re bringing WellFest to Belfast.
It’s something we’ve been quietly working on for about two years, and I’ll be honest - I was holding out for Ormeau Park. It’s the ideal location, and definitely worth the wait.
Being from Newcastle, just down the road, this one feels personal. I’ve watched the wellness scene in Northern Ireland grow into something genuinely exciting. It felt like the right time to bring the festival to people who’ve maybe wanted to come for years but never made the trip down to Dublin.
The bones of WellFest NI will feel familiar - that festival atmosphere, the freedom to explore, the sense of community - but it’s also a chance to shine a light on the incredible local talent we have here. We’re thrilled to have Kathryn McKinstry, Glen Wilkinson and
Carla McGreevy as part of the Belfast lineup. Carla, who’s an extraordinary breathwork facilitator, has actually been working with us in Dublin for the past couple of years, so having her front and centre for Belfast feels really right. And then alongside our local stars, we have Joe and Rosie Wicks, Maeve Madden, Richie Norton and some brilliant dance acts on the lineup too.
What I love most now is the brand partnership side of things. It’s where so much of the magic happens. Without our partners, we simply couldn’t do what we do. I love sitting down with the people behind brands, understanding their goals, and building something genuinely meaningful together - not just for the weekend of the festival, but before and after it too.
Some of our Dublin partners have been with us since 2018, and they keep coming back because it’s a collaboration, not a transaction.
As for where we go from here - I want to grow WellFest NI into something as established as Dublin, and then perhaps look at a third location down the line, who knows! What makes
WellFest special is that it’s always stayed boutique and stayed true to itself. No matter what, our goal is to be inclusive and open to all - I’m a strong believer that wellness should be accessible to everyone.
For now, though - Belfast, I cannot wait.