Latitude Festival – The best things to do if you’re not just there for the bands

Lewis Capaldi, Little Simz, Foals, Snow Patrol, Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers will all have festival-goers on their feet in the stunning grounds of Henham Park in Suffolk this weekend – but Latitude’s never been just about the music. Escape the Obelisk Arena and you’ll find explosive arts programming, a secret spa haven, an outrageously good food lineup, and louche late-night revelry in the woods. But where to start? Let us help you… 

Expand your mind 

Be your best self and squeeze in some spoken word over the weekend. New stage, The Listening Post, is stuffed full of writers, speakers, poets, podcasters and authors, all under one roof. Check out The Barbican’s Young Poets programme alumni, including Siana Bangura, one of the most powerful voices on London’s poetry circuit and the founder of Black British Feminist platform, No Fly on the WALL. Multi-award-winning poet, musician and composer Samatar Elmi is another you shouldn’t miss. His writing plays in the liminal spaces between racial, socio-cultural and political identity claims.

The Listening Post is also your one-stop-shop for words of wisdom on sex and relationships; accidental Agony Aunt Rosie Wilby combines humour and heartache in a live recording of her hit podcast The Breakup Monologues; whilst Diggory Waite and his mother, sex therapist Cate Campbell record a live version of their podcast, The Real Sex Education.

Sing along with the Common People

There’s plenty of late-night mischiefs to be had at Henham Park, from Groove Armada and Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon in the Sunrise Arena to Queer House Party at The Alcove. If you’re serious about seeing the weekend out in style, pack your parka and your bucket hat and head to the In the Woods stage on Sunday night as indie and dance night Common People brings the festival to a banging Brit Pop close. Get ready for all your nostalgic 90s dreams to come true as you dance the night away to singalong anthems from the likes of Oasis, Blur, Pulp, The Chemical Brothers and Prodigy.

Get your smug on 

Is there a better place to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding than a festival?! Yes, probably. Your balance may not be on point after all those late nights and suspicious shots, but it will make you feel insanely wholesome and ready to tackle a fresh day of festival action. Brand new for Latitude 2022, there are Paddleboard Yoga and Mindfulness sessions, where instructors will guide you through a series of yoga poses, focusing on your thoughts, feelings and sensations around you. The SUP lessons are taking place on the picturesque Latitude lake and cost an extra £15 but will no doubt do you more good than those two extra ciders at 2 am. For more soul-enriching experiences throughout the weekend get yourself down to Mind, Body & Zen where you’ll find all manner of wellbeing workshops from Shamanic Drum journeys to Goddess Dance, Sound Healing, Tarot Reading and Mindful Scrolling. A blissed-out haven for wellness junkies.

Roll up to the Big Top

Acrobats are mind-blowingly impressive at the best of times but even more so when you’re four drinks deep and feeling a little wavy. So head to the Theatre Arena to be wowed by Circus Abyssinia, the first circus company created by and for Ethiopian artists. The African daredevils show off their stupendous strength, crazy contortions and some seriously impressive fire-juggling. If you get the bug and feel inspired to run away to the circus, make sure you check out Casus Creations Circus Skills Workshops first, a mashup of contemporary circus meets street dance — Hula Hooping Hip Hop style! 

Feast like a footballer 

Gone are the days of surviving a long weekend on a box of cereal bars, half a tube of Pringles and a bag of Star Mix, festival food gets more appetizing by the year. Enter The Guest Chefs, four foodies each set to host their own mouthwatering feast at a new indoor restaurant slap bang in the middle of the festival action. Ex-England striker Gary Lineker will be the first to step up to the plate, with a hearty Spanish menu inspired by his time as frontman for Barcelona. Food writer and presenter Georgina Hayden will follow him on Friday, serving up a vegetarian feast of Greek and Middle Eastern dishes — as she puts it, “It’ll be like the Big Fat Greek wedding you’ve always wanted to go to!” Comedian, presenter and Celebrity Masterchef Judi Love will be cooking up a Jamaican Feast on Saturday before Amanda Owen aka The Yorkshire Shepherdess serves up the roast of all roasts on Sunday. Sign us up.

Buy tickets for Latitude and find out more here