A friend of mine was organising successful yoga festivals up and down the country. I was studying for my master’s in mindfulness at the time and it made me think… was there something like a mindfulness festival in Manchester?  

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It was June 2021. I had just submitted my last essay for the first academic year. The country was still coming out of lockdown and work was slow. With spare time on my hands, I Googled to see if a “Manchester Mindfulness Festival” existed. It did not. 

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Of course, there were plenty of wellbeing events. Some included “mindfulness,” but going by the information about the workshops, it seemed clear to me that something was off. As is so often the case, it was about relaxation. Blissing out. An escape from the everyday grind. But that's hyper-individualised mindfulness, without any trace of its original ethical framework to help us become better people and a better society. 

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Inspired by my studies, my love of Manchester and bringing people together, I decided to have a go at creating an event entirely dedicated to authentic mindfulness. Just four short months later, the first edition of the Manchester Mindfulness Festival took place at Friends Meeting House. 

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Following its modest success and with the encouragement from speakers and attendees alike, a second, third, and fourth edition followed. Now all taking place at the wonderful Bridgewater Hall and all growing in size and output. 

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The Manchester Mindfulness Festival has since welcomed many leading experts in the field, hosted the 2024 Innovations in Mindfulness Awards (organised by The Mindfulness Initiative), and enabled many wholesome mindfulness-based collaborations among visitors to come into existence.

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None of this could happen without the unwavering support from my husband Ed, our dear friend Liz Lord, all the incredible speakers who donate their time and expertise so wholeheartedly, and our very wonderful volunteers. 

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The actual event is only one day, but it takes many, many months to prepare. As a no-profit event run at cost, it’s a real labour of love. I cannot express my gratitude enough to everyone who helps make it all happen, including the event team led by Ryan at the Bridgewater Hall. 

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Finally, a deep bow of gratitude to all our visitors. This annual event would not exist without you. Thank you for your generous feedback and helping us grow. 

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Tickets for our milestone 5th edition in October are now available! An exciting collaboration with Mindfulness in Schools Project, marking more expansion.

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We look forward to seeing you there!

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Christoph Spiessens and the MMF team.

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(The lovely volunteers in this image are Lucy Woods, Stassie King, and Louise Haynes.)