Evolve Festival Nelson is a boutique, family-friendly wellness festival, where conscious beats, holistic workshops, and well-being pioneers meet good vibes
Find your tribe, make kindred connections
Glamping, camping and day-passes
Venue
A photogenic open-air museum, the iconic Founders Heritage Park, Nelson is transformed into a pop-up village for three days and two nights over the festival. Explore history, ride the train, fly the plane, get high on life!
Festival highlights
What's on
While the entire Evolve Festival is family-friendly, we also create a special Kids Zone. Here your children can discover and explore in a safe environment close to the main stage, so you can easily keep an eye on them.
There will be a range of exciting activities, including crafts, dance, circus skills, face painting and yoga.
It is, however, essential to note that the Kids Zone is not a babysitting service - you will need to supervise your little ones.
Free entrance for kids under five, discounts for teens.
Soak up music and entertainment from international and local artists throughout the weekend, from the uplifting Friday night opening to the high-energy Saturday evening performers. Our daylight entertainment and music programme will continue delighting you on both Saturday and Sunday.
From indigenous tribal beats, folk, conscious ecstatic dance music, uplifting electronic, alt-country, circus performers, aerial artists and comedy acts.
STAY TUNED FOR THE 2023 PROGRAM
Join some of the world’s most inspirational presenters at a range of exciting and engaging panel sessions, seminars, and workshops about health, wellbeing, and sustainable living.
Inspirational presenters at more than 70 seminars and workshops covering;
- permaculture
- organic food production
- foraging, nutrition, and cooking
- food security
- shamanic healing
- sustainable business development
- renewable energy
- meditation
- chanting, yoga
- dance, sound healing and more.
STAY TUNED FOR THE 2023 PROGRAMME
A delicious array of nutritious whole foods, with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options and lots of yummy raw treats, ensures Evolve Festival feeds not only the mind and soul but also hungry tummies.
Staying onsite means that not only is it super-convenient to the festival, but campers have the chance to connect with friends and other like-minded festival-goers. With handy access to extras such as early yoga sessions, you’ll get the most out of your weekend. You can take the festival at your own pace, enjoy a rest or have a hot shower when you like.
We have a selection of camping facilities to suit all budgets, from campsites, sites for motorhomes, and romantic lotus tents.
We strive to minimise waste going to landfills and increase the volume of materials being reused, recycled, or biodegraded. We work alongside Waste No More Whakatū with their wash station for all food crockery. BYO plate, cup, and utensils. Compost and recycling bins will be provided. Let’s work together to keep it beautiful here!
Our camping area features compost toilets and wood-fired showers.
Glamping & camping, & day passes - oh my!
With all these options, let us explain how it works. We have four ticket releases, each with a limited number of tickets available. We are starting with super earlybird, then earlybird, general admission, and at the gate. Simply put, the sooner you buy, the more you save!
Glamping
Super earlybird
Available now!
The ultimate luxury festival experience for Friday and
Saturday night, in a romantic
bell tent
Children 0 - 5 free
Glamping tickets are inclusive of a 3-day festival pass, starting at only $640 for two people.
There are options for two, three, or four glampers per tent.
Camping
Super earlybird
Available now!
Camp under the starry skies
in tents or vans
Children 0 - 5 free
Campsite/ Van Friday to Sunday, inclusive
of a 3-day festival pass
- Adult $145
- Teen (14-17) $105
- Kids (5-13) $30
Day passes
Super earlybird
Available now!
Enjoy an entire weekend of Evolve antics or drop in for a day
Children 0 - 13 free
3-DAY PASS
Friday 7pm to Sunday 5pm
Adult $85
Teen (14-17) $70
2-DAY PASS
Saturday 7am to Sunday 5pm
Adult $60
Teen (14-17) $45
FRIDAY
7pm - 11pm
Adult $40
Teen (14-17) $10
SATURDAY
10am - midnight
Adult $70
Teen (14-17) $15
SUNDAY
10am - 5pm
Adult $55
Teen (14-17) $10
Evolve is a safe and friendly environment for connections of the heart and mind. To transform the world you need to start with yourself.
Let's evolve together.
“It’s an awesome festival with a decent range for everyone. There’s plenty of alternative stuff, and with plenty of music and drumming, it was a great experience. We’re coming again this year for sure.”
“I was a bit worried the camping would be crowded and busy, but there was heaps of space and it was peaceful. Camping meant I could catch a band, and then come back to chill out between acts”
“I thought about staying at a friend’s or backpackers, but being able to camp by the lake and birds is so much nicer. If you leave and come back it just breaks the connection with the space”.
"I've been to a lot of wellness festivals and this differs from the others in that it's gentler and family-friendly, with beautiful healing modalities all in place. As it's located in town you can experience the festival without having to go remote. You can enjoy a day or night or the whole weekend, you make it work for you."
“The early morning yoga classes were a highlight for me”.
“Nelson's Evolve Festival definitely achieves the spiritual health and well-being vibe it sets out to create." Stuff.co.nz
About
Festival Directors Chai and Bex Deva have been running the event for ten years. Their lives revolve around personal growth, both their own and guiding others to thrive. They walk the talk! As experienced, trained practitioners and Yoga and Nia teachers, both are respected leaders in the NZ health and wellness industry. They also run a community-focused yoga studio. Actually, it's far more than just a studio with these two at the helm!
Our heritage
Evolve Festival began its life as the Festival of Possibilities. Now we are New Zealand’s longest-running wellness event. Evolve Festival is proudly celebrating 33 years in 2023!
Evolve is a biennial celebration of old and new ways to transform the wellbeing of individuals, the community and the earth. Feed your mind, soul, heart – and body!
Our kaupapa
- Our vision is a festival of education, inspiration, and consciousness, a celebration to evolve the health & wellbeing of individuals, communities and our planet.
- To connect with others who know that, in order to transform the world, we need to transform ourselves.
- To expand our minds with thought-provoking sessions and up the energy in our bodies.
- To create a space for connection, understanding and love.
- To leave no trace.