PlayFest Retreat

An intimate, skills-based, nature-led movement arts retreat for curious souls to connect and play.

PlayFest brings together embodied practice, movement arts, creative expression, and community collaboration within a low-impact, high-resonance environment.

Returning for its fifth edition, PlayFest continues to evolve as a grounded, intentional retreat experience — rooted in nature, guided by the body, and shaped by the people who gather.

What is PlayFest?

PlayFest is inspired by a nomadic, village-like way of living — where healers, artists, movers, coaches, families, and curious humans come together to share skills, deepen embodiment, and co-create culture.

It is a place to reconnect with our human nature in nature — a place to play.

It is not a performance or passive learning environment. Learning happens through movement, sensation, participation, and lived experience.

PlayFest is part of a growing regenerative wellness network — one that continues beyond the retreat itself through relationships, collaborations, and shared practice.

Our Intention

To create an intimate, skills-based, nature-led retreat for curious souls to connect and play — inspiring embodied expression, community collaboration, honouring the land, and nurturing wellbeing.

Our Dream

A movement-arts retreat where curious souls reconnect with nature, play, and plug into a growing wellness network of holistic practitioners, coaches, artists, and movers.

Our Foundations

🌿 Low-Impact, High-Resonance Nature-Led Living

We gather in harmony with the land — slowing down, listening, and aligning with natural rhythms. Country is honoured as an active collaborator, and our footprint is kept light and respectful. High resonance is cultivated through attuned presence and shared intention, where people, practices, and place meet to create a collective experience that is deeply felt and long-lasting.

🔥 Embodied Practice & Experiential Learning

We honour the intelligence of the body. Learning happens through direct experience rather than theory alone. Through movement arts, breathwork, somatics, ritual, and sensory exploration, expression becomes lived and integrated — supporting both personal and collective evolution.

🤹 Play as Teacher

Play is remembered as one of our earliest teachers — not childish, but essential. Through play, curiosity guides growth, confidence is rediscovered, connection deepens, and creative vitality is restored in both individuals and communities.

♾️ A Regenerative Wellness Network

PlayFest moves like a village — woven by many hands. Rooted in the nomadic spirit of A Gypsy’s Edge, it brings people together to co-create a regenerative culture of wellbeing for people and planet. Relationships and practices formed here continue well beyond the retreat.

The Experience

PlayFest is grounded in embodied experiencing rather than theory alone.

Across four days, you are invited to:

  • explore movement arts and creative expression

  • participate in guided embodiment workshops and somatic practices

  • move, rest, swim, wander, and integrate

  • share nourishing meals and meaningful connection

  • engage in ritual, reflection, and play

This is a playful, participatory environment — not performative.

No prior experience is required. You are welcome as you are.

Who PlayFest Is For

PlayFest is for curious souls — movers, creatives, practitioners, facilitators, and humans drawn to embodied growth, collaboration, and connection.

Children and families are welcome at the discretion and responsibility of parents; however, all workshops and offerings are designed for adults, and there are no child-specific activities.

Visual storytelling, programming, and facilitation centre adult embodiment and play.

Facilitators

  • Jill

    Collage Mandala Art & Meditation

  • Anna

    Breathwork & Elemental Embodiment

  • Tashi

    Kung Fu, Ancient Wisdom, Exponential Tech & A.I.

  • Efrat

    Holistic Sexual Wellness

  • Naomi

    Aerials, Sculptures & Dance

  • Sabine

    SCI-MAA Somatic Semantics In Movement Awakening Awareness

  • Fernando

    Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Non-Verbal Communication

  • Lillian

    Contact Improv, Animal Flow & Aerials

  • Ali

    Somatic Sexology & Embodiment

  • Emma

    Sanctum of Shen: Zenthai Shiatsu & Kinesiology

  • Ash

    Intuitve Massage & Reiki Healing

Read More About Your Facilitators

Location and Land

 

PlayFest takes place on Bundjalung Country in the Northern Rivers, NSW.

Surrounded by subtropical rainforest, rolling hills, and rich biodiversity, the land offers a naturally held environment for connection, movement, and rest.

Workshops are held in a state-of-the-art function room with an indoor/outdoor, open, dance space — sheltered from the elements while remaining immersed in nature.

 

Nourishment

Nourishment is an essential part of embodied wellbeing.

We share catered dinners on three evenings of the retreat, offering a simple and supportive way to come together, connect, and unwind after a full day of movement and practice.

Breakfasts and lunches are self-catered, with complimentary hot beverages available on-site.

Practical Details

 

Accommodation options include camping and limited lodge beds.

Facilities include hot showers, toilets, and shared gathering spaces.

Full details, inclusions, accommodation options, and FAQs are available via the booking page.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. PlayFest Retreat welcomes all adventurers and explorers and many participants attend on their own. The community is warm, welcoming, and inclusive, and the retreat is designed to support connection while also honouring personal space and boundaries.

  • No. All workshops and activities at PlayFest Retreat are invitational. Participants are always welcome to join, pause, observe, or simply witness the arts without taking part. Listening to your body and choosing what feels right for you is fully respected and encouraged.

  • There are 18 beds across three lodges, accommodating 5, 6, and 7 guests respectively. If you're attending with friends or family, you may provide the name(s) of the participant(s) you would like to share with at checkout. We’ll do our best to accommodate requests, subject to availability.

  • Yes, children are welcome when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please note that PlayFest is primarily an adult-focused retreat, and parents remain fully responsible for their children at all times. There are no child-specific workshops or supervision provided.

  • Children are welcome to attend PlayFest Retreat at no cost when camping with a parent or guardian. Due to limited capacity, all lodge beds are fully ticketed. If a child requires a bed in a lodge, the full accommodation price applies and there are no child discounts for lodge beds.

  • The venue includes wheelchair-accessible toilets and showers, ramp access to key areas, and accessible pathways. The site is also suitable for prams, with level access across most communal spaces. As with many nature-based venues, some outdoor areas may include uneven ground and limited access but overall the site is designed to be welcoming and accessible. If you have specific accessibility needs, please get in touch before booking so we can support you as best as possible.

  • We understand that circumstances can change. However, due to the nature and logistics of this event, all tickets are non-refundable, as significant costs are committed well in advance.

    If you’re unable to attend, you’re welcome to resell or transfer your ticket to someone else. Please note that ticket resales and transfers are the responsibility of the ticket holder and are available until 2:00pm, 28th September 2026 due to event admin & logistics.

Reserve A Ticket

Please note this is a LEAVE NO TRACE venue and no glass is allowed.

There are no council pick-ups for trash so please take all you brought in back out with you.

 What to bring

 

  • Your proof of purchase - name & email used at checkout. This will be checked at the gate so please ensure your details match.

  • Yoga mat & cushion

  • Journal & pen

  • If you’re camping, pack an esky & cooking equipment

  • Swimmers & beach towel

  • Reusable plate / bowl / cutlery for your meals

  • Bin bags & containers (beware - wildlife can easily get into bags so containers are great) - Take ALL your rubbish home please

  • Comfortable clothes for dancing and movement - favourite costumes also welcome 

  • Musical instruments, fire / L.E.D flow toys welcome

  • Wet weather gear, sun protection, and a torch

  • Shoes fit for the bush 

  • Slack lines & Hammocks

  • Only natural & biodegradable sunscreen + mosquito repellants 

  • Warm jackets & trousers for the nights

  • Sense of adventure & an open heart

Additional Highlights

  • Professional Bodywork and Energetic Practitioners, including Zenthai Shiatsu, Reiki, Relaxing Massage sessions on offer.

  • Guest Facilitators and more workshops to be announced

  • Fire Dancing and Live Interactive Art

  • Cacao and breakfast delights to boost your energy

  • Aerialists and Acrobats

  • Live Music & Original Artists

  • Shibari Artistry

 PlayFest Retreat Ticket 

RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW (click here)

Accommodation, Dinner, and Workshops are included. 

See what people are saying…

  • I went to Playfest with no idea of what I was walking into. I didn’t know anyone. It was a truly amazing and magical experience. The workshops were diverse, fun, and interesting. I met some wonderful people and new friends. If you are an open-minded individual looking to learn, grow, connect, and above all play I highly recommend Playfest.

    Felicity

  • I wanted to thank you for your pioneering spirit. You’ve created something really special. Thank you so much for following your passion and putting playfest together. Coming by myself I felt instantly comfortable, everything felt easy, safe and respectful. Your event stood out to me as a must do bucket list item. I would recommend your event to others 💯..I have made mates for life. I felt so empowered when I left the space. It’s had a really positive impact on me. I can achieve anything I want, I am supported, I am free. How nice it is to walk around as a female in the dark, alone and feel completely safe. So much love.

    Lauren

  • Leaving playfest, I feel calm, joy, gratitude and inspired. A calmness from grounding myself in nature, and disconnecting from day to day lists and routines. A much needed pause, and reconnect. Joy, from all the play, creativity and movement! Gratitude for the land that held us, the facilitators, and all the beautiful people I connected with and shared this experience with. Inspired to call in more play into my everyday, inspired to soften into each moment and welcome it with curiosity. Thank you playfest!

    Jasmine

  • For me, Playfest was about rediscovering myself. It helped me connect with people and my environment in ways I could not appreciate before.

    Anonymous PlayFest Participant

  • This is a great one. Beautiful rural venue. Menu of embodied activities- participate when you want and chillax when you don’t. Fully centered with organic food or BYO economy option. Stay in a cabin or your own tent/camper. Recommended.

    Stephanie