The idea for Out & Wild started during COVID. We had no idea we would end up creating the UK's biggest Festival for LGBTQ+ women and those who are non-binary!
Polly and Becky, the Co-founders met. Polly had been on the Pride in London Board and felt there was space for a festival that was designed specifically for LGBTQ+ women and those who were non-binary.
Becky had always dreamt of a 'Pride in the Country' with more of a focus on outdoor experiences.
Our research told us that the audience wanted a festival where they could connect through shared experiences, with a real focus on wellness.
We then got lucky and found an amazing festival site in Pembrokeshire. This has everthing we needed to run areas focused on music, comedy, wellness, workouts, spoken word, talks, sport, hikes and workshops.
After a successful pilot event in 2021, where the attendees begged us to launch Out & Wild, we ran our first full Festival in June 2022.
It was a massive success and we are proud to have doubled attendance in 2023.
We run Out & Wild Festival in Pride Month (June) and are also growing new events, including a Pride Swim, a Menopause Cafe and smaller weekends away.
Out & Wild is a festival focused around connecting through shared experiences. We will host dozens of activities over the three days, from wild swimming to yoga to creative writing and tasters of sport. There will be music every evening, with silent DJ sets under the stars at the end of the night.
The festival is a supportive space. We will have meeters and greeters for those who come solo and a safe space area for anyone that needs it during the three days.
We are focused on creating a welcoming, safe and supportive spaces for all LGBTQIA women and those who identify as non-binary. We also strive to reflect diversity in our acts and artists.
We aim to also make the festival as accessible as possible for those with a disability or that have accessibility needs.
We want Out & Wild to celebrate our community. We want to showcase female and non-binary talent, which is often under represented at festivals. We will be working with local charities and organisations to offer bursary tickets. Every year we will choose a charity partner.