From 23rd–26th May 2025, The Big Retreat Festival, set in the scenic Pembrokeshire countryside, will introduce a bold addition to its line-up: the Xanadu tent, an adult-only sanctuary dedicated to sensuality, conscious connection, and empowered exploration. Nestled in the lush Feel Good Field, Xanadu aims to create a safe, inclusive space where attendees can embrace their desires, reconnect with their bodies, and engage in unfiltered conversations about pleasure. With a programme blending science, somatics, and sex-positive perspectives, the tent promises transformation over mere titillation, making it one of the most anticipated features of the festival’s 2025 edition.

Xanadu is designed for adults ready to shed societal shame and explore their sensuality with purpose. The tent’s offerings focus on fostering curiosity, self-awareness, and meaningful connections through a carefully curated selection of workshops and talks. Organisers describe the space as “daring and deliciously bold,” with an electric atmosphere where pleasure takes centre stage. The programme includes sessions led by experts in sexual wellness, somatic practices, and scientific research, ensuring a balance of provocative and profound experiences.

Highlights of Xanadu’s programme

• Why Orgasms Are Good for Our Health & Happiness – Professor Joyce Harper. Groundbreaking science meets cheeky charm as Professor Harper reveals how pleasure improves immunity, sleep, and stress – all backed by decades of research and delivered with warmth, wit, and wisdom.
• The Pleasure Circuit – Jodie McLean. Breathe it in. This immersive energy activation session uses Microcosmic Orbit breathwork and gentle somatic flow to awaken vitality, dissolve blocks, and plug you into your own sensual power.
• Let’s Talk About Sex – Emma Sayle & Polly Hazlewood. No topic off-limits. Two of the UK’s leading voices in sexual empowerment invite you to rethink intimacy, explore your desires, and speak your pleasure with confidence—on your terms.
• Conscious Self: A Journey Through Touch & Presence – Jodie McLean. A fully clothed but deeply embodied experience exploring self-touch, breathwork and inner awareness. Expect to feel nourished, expanded, and more at home in your own body.

The Big Retreat Festival, known for its holistic approach to wellbeing, has long attracted attendees seeking personal growth and connection. Xanadu builds on this ethos, offering a space where participants can learn, unlearn, and awaken parts of themselves through guided practices and open dialogue. Professor Joyce Harper, a renowned researcher in reproductive health, will bring scientific rigour to the tent, explaining how orgasms contribute to physical and mental wellbeing. Her session draws on decades of peer-reviewed studies, highlighting benefits such as improved immune function, better sleep quality, and reduced stress levels.

Jodie McLean’s sessions, meanwhile, focus on somatic practices that encourage participants to reconnect with their bodies. Her Pleasure Circuit workshop uses breathwork and gentle movement to unlock vitality, while Conscious Self invites attendees to explore self-touch and presence in a fully clothed, deeply nurturing environment. Emma Sayle and Polly Hazlewood, both prominent figures in the UK’s sexual empowerment movement, will lead candid discussions on intimacy, kink, and confidence, encouraging attendees to embrace their desires without judgment.

Xanadu’s emphasis on safety and inclusivity sets it apart as a space where curiosity is celebrated, and boundaries are respected. Organisers have ensured that all sessions are facilitated by experienced professionals, creating an environment where participants can feel empowered to engage at their own pace. The tent’s design, tucked within the festival’s tranquil Feel Good Field, enhances its appeal as a sanctuary for self-discovery.