A yoga festival is a gathering where people come together to practice yoga, learn, connect, and enjoy a mix of wellness activities. It’s not just about doing yoga; it’s also about spending time in nature, attending workshops, listening to music, and being part of a like-minded community.
California Yoga Festivals
The idea of yoga festivals was started in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as the interest for holistic living and group wellness experiences began to grow. Ever since then, these festivals have become a popular way to experience yoga in a fresh and open setting.
And, California has become one of the top places for yoga festivals. The state’s natural beauty, like mountains, beaches, deserts, and forests, makes it a perfect location.
Festivals here take place outdoors, with views of the ocean or the trees, fresh air, and plenty of sunshine. Each festival offers something different. Some focus on traditional yoga and meditation in California, while others include dance, music, healing workshops, and vegan, organic food. Most of them bring in experienced teachers, musicians, and speakers. But at the core, Yoga Festival California is about coming together to move, breathe, learn, and feel grounded!
So, let’s check out the yoga festivals of California –
Wild Lotus Yoga Festival
About –
Wild Lotus Yoga Festival is one of the newest yoga festivals on the California scene, but it has quickly made a name for itself with its soulful energy and mountain charm. This festival was started in 2024 by Seán Johnson, a well-known yoga teacher and musician. With years of experience leading yoga and music events around the world, he wanted to create a festival that felt warm, welcoming, and uplifting.
Their first Wild Lotus Yoga Festival took place by the lake in North Tahoe, bringing together yoga lovers, musicians, healers, and teachers for a one-day celebration. It was filled with yoga classes, live music, community gatherings, and moments of peace under the open sky.
For over three days, the guests can enjoy yoga on paddleboards, guided hikes, aerial yoga CA, sound healing, breathwork sessions, cacao ceremonies, and magic-filled live music. There’s also a wellness market with food, crafts, and handmade goods.
Yoga Festival Offering –
- They offer a variety of indoor and outdoor yoga classes in California, suitable for all skill levels.
- You’ll experience morning SUP (Stand-Up Paddleboard) yoga on the serene waters of Lake Tahoe.
- The festival is known for its unique movement styles with aerial yoga, aerial Pilates, and aerial barre.
- You can try your hands at aerial silks that are guided by instructors from Moonlight Movement.
- You can also enjoy dynamic yoga × DJ sessions that combine traditional practice with live music and participate in sculpt × DJ classes, which are high-energy sculpt workouts.
- The festival will help you reconnect with stillness through guided meditation and restorative yoga nidra CA sessions.
- You can enjoy sound healing and breathwork for emotional and energetic release.
- Their heart-opening cacao ceremonies are designed to nourish the body, mind, and spirit.
- You can feel free to connect and share your thoughts in their intentional men’s and women’s circles, which are built to develop a community and encourage introspection.
- The festival hosts ceremonial and cultural experiences where you can engage in guided sacred ceremonies to bring a spiritual dimension to your festival journey.
Website – https://www.wildlotusyogafestival.com/
Big Bear Yoga Festival
About –
The Big Bear Yoga Festival takes place in the peaceful San Bernardino Mountains, which brings together nature, movement, music, and mindfulness. It’s not just a yoga festival, but also a joyful gathering where people of all ages come to stretch, breathe, laugh, and connect.
Their very first festival took place at YMCA Camp Oakes, as a free, one-day event filled with yoga classes, live music, nature walks, vegetarian food, and even camping under the stars. The goal was to bring people together in the mountains for a weekend of wellness, fun, adventure, and community.
The festival is a much-loved annual tradition with classes for all levels, inspiring talks, healing workshops, and activities that nourish both the body and soul. It’s a celebration of health, happiness, and the simple bliss of moving together in nature.
Yoga Festival Offering –
- Their Opening Ceremony sets a peaceful tone for the festival, which is followed by a grounding guided meditation to help everyone settle into the space.
- It has Ecstatic Dance and Meditation sessions that mix free-form movement with guided mindfulness practices for emotional release and clarity.
- Their Anahata-themed Yoga Flow focuses on the heart chakra using gentle and heart-centered movements to open emotional pathways.
- The Gentle Heart Chakra Flow offers slow and nurturing postures that are built to soothe the heart space.
- The Acro Yoga in California introduces playful and partner-based movement that encourages trust, balance, and communication.
- Meditation and Chanting (Kirtan) sessions bring people together in sound by creating a shared space of vibration and devotion.
- The Yoga Nidra Chakra Journey mixes hiking, asana, and rest through guided relaxation and subtle energy work.
- Their Body–Mind Flow under the trees brings together mindful movement, journaling prompts, and gentle rituals for emotional release.
Website – https://www.bigbear.com/events/big-bear-yoga-festival-2/
The Bhakti Fest Group
About –
Bhakti Fest is more than just a festival; it’s a soulful gathering where music, yoga, and devotion come together under the open skies of Joshua Tree, California. It’s rooted in the spirit of bhakti, which means love and devotion. This festival brings people together to sing, move, meditate, and celebrate life in a heart-centered way.
The very first Bhakti Yoga Festival California took place in September 2009, and it’s been lighting up the desert since then. The idea came from Sridhar Steven Silberfein, a long-time spiritual seeker who wanted to create a conscious vibe festival. He dreamed of a festival that focuses on kirtan (devotional chanting), yoga, meditation, and healing arts, all in a family-friendly, alcohol and drug-free environment.
Yoga Festival Offering –
- Core Yoga & Movement Sessions – They conduct a three-day comprehensive session in yoga with meditation, chanting (kirtan), and sound healing.
- The breathwork sessions and sound healing are combined with yoga to relax and for energetic release.
- Hot Yoga + Sound Bath is a signature class that mixes heated asanas with sound healing instruments.
- The festival has a Kidsland space with creative, age-appropriate movement, arts, and crafts.Â
Website – https://www.bhaktifest.com/about
Tahoe Yoga Festival
About –
The OMNI Tahoe Yoga Festival was born in the mountains of South Lake Tahoe, where the air is fresh and pure!
This heart-led festival was founded by Jess Broyles, a passionate yoga teacher and the mind behind OMNI Tahoe. For years, Jess led yoga classes on the stone deck at the top of Heavenly Mountain, where the beauty of nature made every practice feel extra special. However, in 2023, she decided to take things one step forward by turning a simple idea into a full-blown mountaintop celebration of yoga, music, and connection.
What started as a one-day gathering quickly grew into a two-day festival filled with inspiring classes, soulful movement, and a strong sense of community. It is situated in the mountains where the festival offers a unique way to practice yoga while surrounded by the sky, trees, and breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe.
The festival’s goal is to bring people together through meaningful movement, mindfulness, and love for the earth.
Yoga Festival Offering –
- The festival features a variety of yoga classes that are suitable for all levels, including Vinyasa Flow, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Gentle Flow & Sound, Hot Vinyasa, Candlelight Hot Vinyasa, Creative Vinyasa, Detox & Restore, Rise & Energize, Yin Yoga in California.
- This festival also includes workshops with regular classes like Alignment workshop, Embody Your Light, Sound Bath Immersion, Redesign Your Life (3-part series), etc.Â
- The festival features a dedicated Rest & Reset Tent offering Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, Breathwork Sessions, IV Therapy, and Lymphatic Drainage.Â
- They have Live Music & Dance elements like Sol Rising, DJ Justin Smaine for vibrant beats, and Yogi Bryan for his humor-guided meditations.
Website – https://www.omnitahoe.com/
Moonlight Yoga Festival
About –
Yoga takes on a whole new meaning under a sky full of stars, with the gentle glow of the moon guiding your every yoga move. The Moonlight Yoga Festival brings a unique experience to life in the quiet desert of Panamint Valley, outside Death Valley National Park in California.
This brand-new festival is hosted by the Eastern Sierra Observatory, which is a group dedicated to nature, stars, and mindful living. The festival focuses on connecting with the earth and sky in a simple and peaceful way. It’s situated on a beautiful 80-acre piece of land, enjoying yoga sessions by the day and experiencing healing sound baths, meditation, and stargazing through telescopes under the moonlight.
The place has no electricity or running water on the site—only clean porta-potties, solar-heated showers, and nature around. Attendees bring their own tents, RVs, or campers, and prepare to relax, move, and breathe under the stars.
It’s an ideal place to slow down, find calm, and connect deeply with nature under the wide desert sky.
Yoga Festival Offering –
- They conduct Yoga sessions like Daytime Yoga, Moonlight Yoga, and Sunset Yoga.
- Their Sound Healing & Meditation sessions include Sound Baths, Yoga Nidra, and Breathwork Experiences.
- They also host Aerial Workshops that are optional workshops which introduce participants to the art of aerial silks, combining strength and grace.
- You can also enjoy optional add-on sessions like Sauna & Cold Plunge to rejuvenate the body.
- They also create a SHIFTPOD Moon Temple, which is a unique space for reflection and connection, improving the festival’s experience.
- You can enjoy many other activities like Stargazing, Elixir & Mocktail Bar, Market Booths, Food Truck, and Giveaways.
Website – https://www.easternsierraobservatory.com/moonlight-yoga-festival
Wanderlust
About –
The very first Wanderlust Festival was celebrated in 2009, which is a one-of-a-kind gathering where yoga, music, nature, and mindful living all come together.
The idea came from three close friends, Jeff Krasno, Sean Hoess, and Schuyler Grant, who had backgrounds in music, events, and yoga teaching. Together, they dreamed of creating a fun yoga event. They wanted a full experience that helped people reconnect with themselves and the natural world.
From morning yoga sessions in fresh mountain air to evening concerts under the stars, the festival has everything that you wish to explore! It isn’t just about fitness or fun; it’s also about living with purpose.
Wanderlust is a global movement to make people feel grounded, inspired, and alive!
Yoga Festival Offering –
- They conduct Multi‑level yoga sessions each day, including various styles like Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, and more.
- Their Meditation classes are perfect for grounding and mindfulness practices.
- They offer Musical meditation hikes, combining walking, breathwork, and ambient music.
- The yoga classes conducted by them include Yoga with live DJs or musicians, SUP (Stand‑Up Paddleboard) Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Group trail runs, and guided hikes.
Website- https://wanderlust.com/festivals/squaw-valley/experience/
Trilogy Yoga & Wellness Festival
About –
The Trilogy Yoga & Wellness Festival was born out of a desire to celebrate 10 years of healing, movement, and community at Trilogy Sanctuary, which is a beautiful rooftop space in La Jolla, California. It’s been known for its aerial yoga, plant-based café, and conscious lifestyle offerings.
The studio was founded in 2014 by Joe and Leila Caldera, who had a vision where people could come to feel held, inspired, and free. With years, it has grown into a lively community hub for growth.
The festival is a three-day celebration filled with movement, mindfulness, music, and meaningful connection. More than the collection of yoga classes, it’s created as a beautiful journey for you to reset the body, renew the mind, and nourish the soul.
Yoga Festival Offering –
- The festival conducts over 50 yoga classes from vibrant aerial and vinyasa flows to restorative Yin and heated infrared sessions.Â
- Their evening headliner events include Vinyasa Flow + DJ set, Rhythmic Vinyasa with Shiva Rea, and a soulful Sound Bath with Reiki.Â
- They have a Totem Marketplace, where local artisans and wellness vendors showcase offerings throughout the weekend.Â
- The festival shares community-focused features like Mindful Mixer, a digital-detox session, and wellness lounges where you can immerse yourself under the stars.
Website – https://www.trilogysanctuary.com/#trilogy-section
Final Words –
California doesn’t just host yoga festivals—it lives them! These gatherings aren’t only about moving your body, they’re also about waking up your senses, connecting with others, and feeling grounded in something bigger than yourself.
What makes these yoga festivals in California truly special? Well, here nature joins your practice and becomes a quiet partner in your journey.
California Yoga Festival is not some random weekend escape, but it’s like a holistic spark in your life that helps you slow down, breathe well, and return to life with inspiration by feeling a little more alive!
