The Ilkley Healing Alternatives Festival returns to The King’s Hall and Winter Garden on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th September 2025, from 10am to 5pm, offering two full days of holistic and alternative therapies.
Visitors can explore massage, reiki, homeopathy, reflexology, acupuncture, hypnosis, herbalism and much more, with taster treatments allowing attendees to discover new approaches to wellbeing in a supportive environment, and readers, psychics and teachers offering insight, guidance and inspiration.
Alongside the therapies, visitors can also enjoy a unique marketplace featuring crystals, aromatics, handmade gifts, art, books and health supplements, many of which are difficult to source online.
Renowned independent retailers such as Global Tribe Leeds, Earth Spirit Hebden Bridge and Mel-Jay Crystals will be joined by jewellery makers, artists, including the acclaimed Wyn Abbot, and wellness practitioners from across the UK.
The festival’s programme also includes a series of inspirational workshops led by respected holistic experts.
Katharine Haworth, Shamanic Practitioner from Orange Blossom Old Ways, brings ancestral wisdom and earth-based healing, Ant from I AM YOGA, trained by Deepak Chopra and Delores Cannon, will share insights into Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique and integrative yoga practices, and Marianna Easter, founder of the award-winning Smink Makeup, explores makeup as a pathway to empowerment and self-expression.
A special highlight is a two-hour workshop with Edwin Courtenay, author, clairvoyant, channel and healer, who will share his 34 years of experience working with angelic energies. Participants will learn how to conjure and apply the hallows of the angels in everyday life. The workshop is priced at £12 and includes entry to the festival on Saturday (tickets available in advance via Eventbrite)
Refreshments will be provided throughout the weekend by local business Arlo, via its pop-up café.
To mark the start of the event, a lantern-lit procession will take place on Friday 5th September. The evening will begin with song and storytelling at the Cow and Calf, led by Katharine Haworth and featuring Rachel Davies of Coracle Choir and the YSS Choir. This free community gathering invites participants to connect with the land’s folklore, medicine and ancestral spirit and attendees are invited to meet at 6.30pm in the Cow and Calf car park with masks, costumes, lanterns, drums and rattles to join the parade down to The King’s Hall and Winter Garden.
Festival organiser Judy Beckett says:
“We’re thrilled to welcome everyone back to The King’s Hall this weekend. This event is deeply rooted in Ilkley’s heritage, as many will fondly remember the original Ilkley Complementary Medicine Festival that started in 1988. The Healing Alternatives Festival continues to grow each year, and visitors now come from across the UK, and beyond, to experience the unique blend of therapies, workshops and community spirit. It’s a wonderful experience for everyone and a cherished highlight in Ilkley’s calendar. And it’s going to be even more special this year with the introduction of the special procession on the Friday evening. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone of all ages.”
Tickets are £6.50 on the door. Children are free. Tickets in advance at a discount via Eventbrite.
For the full schedule of workshops and more information, visit: www.healing-alternatives.co.uk
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