If you’re a seasoned festival goer in search of something fresh, or you’re after an antidote to the hedonistic vibes of the British festival season, L’Atitude 13° North Beach and Wellness Festival in Barbados might just be the answer.

The free festival takes place on the beautiful Caribbean island from 2^nd to 3^rd September and is promising the perfect blend of wellbeing and Bajan beats. More fun than a yoga retreat, better for the soul than an all-night rave, it is a celebration of the quality of life in Barbados that everyone is invited to sample a taste of. From reggae you can’t help but move to being performed on the main stage, to massage and yoga tents, to the BBQ on the beach closing both days, there’s plenty to experience and the party wraps up at 10pm so you’ll even get a good night’s rest instead of clambering through a field of tents in the rain at 3am.

This is the first ever time the festival has been run, but it’s already being hailed as the beach and wellness festival of the Caribbean. Designed for the locals, and bringing together some of the island’s best music stars, fitness instructors and wellness professionals, this is one of the most authentic experiences tourists can have of Barbados.

Serving up feel-good vibes are reggae, soul, and funk artists including Biggie Irie and Debbie Reifer. Biggie Irie is the not-to-be-missed name whose stage presence gets any party started with catchy soca/reggae tunes. Born in the UK and moving to Barbados at the age of three, Biggie Irie has been working in music since 1986 and is a household name across the Caribbean. Debbie Reifer, a relative newcomer, has already won over audiences with her richly soulful voice and smooth R’n’B songs, which have even caught the attention of filmmakers, with her music featuring heavily on the soundtrack for locally-produced, internationally-acclaimed movie ‘Chrissy’.

Other names confirmed on the line-up include David Kirton, DJ D.Luxe, and Israel Lovell Foundation. We guarantee you’ll come back feeling refreshed and restored with a new-found love of Bajan culture and a whole new Spotify playlist to prove it.

L’Atitude 13° North Barbados Beach and Wellness Festival takes place from 2^nd to 3^rd September 2017 on the Hilton Peninsula and is free of charge, though fees apply to some fitness classes and treatments. For more information visit www.visitbarbados.org

Words: Olivia Pinnock