If you live in a city – if your idea of nature is a fox in your bins – you might be feeling a bit cooped up. Especially in late summer, when everyone seems to be frolicking somewhere foreign looking, or giggling on the beach in front of an enormous Aperol.
I was dying of cabin fever when the opportunity arose to spend three days at the Into The Wild Festival in the Sussex countryside.
A Warm Welcome
As we approached the campsite on Saturday morning, our brand new tent in tow, my nervousness about camping disappeared. Surrounded by young families and older couples alongside the normal festival crowd, it was clear right away that the welcome would be warm.
We made a beeline for the food trucks, but were immediately spoilt for choice. Settling on a fresh pizza, it was time to plan out our weekend, choosing between a dizzying range of talks, workshops and activities.
After a quick tour of the woodland campus, we split up and headed for a meditation session and a talk on conservation, meeting over a cup of coffee to compare our experiences.
A Magical Evening
As the evening drew on, the whole vibe changed, with campfires and fairy lights brightening the starlit sky. We found ourselves at the colourful Woodland Stage, dancing to Mongolian throat singing.
It was hardly a normal Saturday night. But I was beginning to appreciate that about Into The Wild – while other festivals herd you from stage to stage, with a grinding obligation to have fun, here we were free to wander in and out of different worlds.
Waking in the Woods
The next morning, we were woken in our tent by birdsong, and strolled out to explore the festival for another day. A stop by the Wild Craft area, especially popular with families, allowed us to explore questions such as ‘Am I a master of the pottery wheel?’, and ‘Can I whittle?’.
I gave it a good shot, but with the answer to both being a resounding no, it was time to balance out all our crafting and meditation with some serious retail therapy. Wandering through the range of stalls selling everything from solid perfume to adorable party tops, it became difficult to focus on the lessons of enlightenment.
Laden down with shopping, it was time for some Sunday night entertainment. A firelit dance party by the campfire offered a perfect mix of relaxation and fun. We were pleasantly exhausted as we headed back for another night sleeping under the stars.
As the Bank Holiday Monday sun rose over our tent, we roused ourselves for one more round of forest yoga with a warm cup of coffee. We reluctantly packed up our tents, chatting with the campers who had become our neighbours.
Heading out of the woods and back onto the motorway, I knew that our lost weekend on the Surrey plains had left us a little calmer, a little slower, and yes – a little more wild.
Into the Wild is an annual festival, and super early bird tickets for 2026 are already selling in record time. Check it out at intothewildgathering.com.
