The programme is now live. That moment always feels significant - months of conversations, research, instinct, experience and then finally, it’s shared. So we thought I’d speak a little about the thinking behind it.

When we curate VERVE, we look for depth and calibre - for people who are truly embedded in what they teach and share, for facilitators who understand how to hold a space, for speakers who can share and explore complexity without reducing it.

Across the movement offering alone, there’s real lineage present - Jivamukti, Dharma, Mandala, Chandra Krama, Satria, Yin, fascia-informed practices, Pilates, therapeutic approaches. These aren’t interchangeable styles. They come from systems with history, philosophy and structure and it's really important to us that the teachers leading them understand that architecture beneath the flow.

The breathwork strand has been shaped just as carefully. Holotropic Breathwork carries decades of transpersonal psychology behind it. 9D Breathwork uses an immersive approach via headsets to guide altered states with precision. Conscious connected breath and chakra-based practices bridge somatic science and energetic traditions. These are powerful modalities and they require facilitators who understand pacing and integration as much as peak experience.

The conversations we’re holding this year reflect where wellbeing is evolving. Patrick Cox (of shoe design fame) joins us in conversation on sound, music and psychedelics - bringing a fascinating perspective from both design and creative culture. Kirsty Gallagher will be exploring lunar living and cosmic purpose. Emma Mumford is speaking on manifestation and capacity in a grounded, practical way. There are panels on perimenopause, circadian rhythm, nervous system literacy and ethics in wellbeing. These are thoughtful, nuanced spaces.

Nigel Shaw’s concert, LICHENHEART, will be something very special - his relationship with land and sound carries decades of devotion. David Edward, The Northern Poet and others bring texture and humanity. Some of the artists joining us rarely appear in festival settings, and a few are exclusive to VERVE this year. 

One element I’m especially excited about is Qi Gong on the Main Lawn each morning. In China, Qi Gong is practised daily in public parks at dawn. Groups gather and move together - breath guiding form, repetition building internal strength. It’s simple and consistent. Rooted in Daoist philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, designed to regulate and cultivate qi over time. We intend to bring that same spirit to the Main Lawn at Larmer Tree Gardens. Instead of a city park, we have open grass and ancient trees. The principle remains - slow, deliberate movement, shared focus, steady cultivation. It’s a calm way to begin the day and will anchor everything that follows.

Alongside the headline sessions, there are the quieter spaces that matter just as much - grief work, nervous system regulation, voice as healing, mandala workshops, life drawing, Femigami, vision boarding, the literature tent (more to come on that very soon!), the healing garden. And we’ll close one our evenings  with a movie night - something collective and simple.

When I step back and look at the whole shape of the weekend, what I notice is rhythm. Energy builds and settles. Intellectual exploration sits alongside embodied practice. Challenge is balanced with restoration.

VERVE has always been about steady growth. About creating a space where people feel can learn, of stretch, rest and rise.

So there you have it - some of the thinking behind this year’s line up! It’s been shaped carefully and we can't wait to share it with you.

The VERVE team x