‘Soul nourishing joy’: Arts + Health 2026 – A weekend filled with connection…
The much-loved Weston Arts + Health Festival returned last weekend for its seventh year, bringing a programme jam packed with free creative activities, performances, and workshops to Weston-super-Mare’s beach, promenade, and hospital spaces. Co-produced by Super Culture and the City and Weston Arts & Culture Programme, part of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, the event focused on a central theme for 2026: ‘Connect’. Inspired by the Five Ways to Wellbeing, this year’s festival explored how meaningful connections can reduce stress, boost mood, and support healthier communities.
‘Bottle this feeling up and give it out to the whole world and it’ll solve everyone’s problems’
The programme balanced high energy with moments of reflection and the festival’s beach hub-a stretch tent pitched next to Revo Kitchen-served as the heart of the weekend, offering a welcoming space for people to relax, talk, and enjoy tea on tap.
Opening night featured The Disco Ceilidh launch party and Saturday saw the tent come alive with the Bird Rave, a participatory performance celebrating extraordinary birds and the freedom to dance, whilst the rest of the weekend offered early morning bird walks, beach yoga, and a sound bath from The House of Figs.
‘I’ll bring my tent and camp on the beach next year so I don’t have to miss a second’
On the promenade crowds met the Walk of the Dandelion’s Daniel — a beautifully crafted eight-foot puppet bringing gentle, reflective interaction, and Beth Calverly’s Poetry Machine returned once again to gently connect people with words. Nearby on the sand, The Community Chest by artist Matthew Harrison attracted people of all ages to escape the chambers through working together to solve puzzles and share clues.
A clear emotive highlight of the weekend was Saturday’s Flag Carnival. Led by the rhythms of the North Somerset Samba group, the procession moved along the prom, showcasing hand-made flags created by over 40 different community groups. These flags remained on the beach all weekend, beautifully celebrating the many cultures and connections that make North Somerset so special.
‘There’s people from all different walks of life here, and we’ve all just come together as one in this tent. That’s really special’
The festival tent hosted a variety of cultural and creative exchanges, compered by Diverse Artists Network’s Tenzin Sangmo. Visitors took part in nature-based sessions like botanical sun-catcher making with Growing at Grove, a nettle cordage workshop, creative food sessions including samosa making with Aisha’s Food Charity and preserving with Weston JarSquad. Meanwhile, the South West Heritage Trust, captured portraits and stories to create a collective profile of the town’s people to be exhibited at Weston General Hospital Portraits of Weston project.
Sunday in the tent began to wind down with a communal Sofra Brunch by Loves Cafe in collaboration with Global Kitchen and Refugees Welcome North Somerset. A truly fantastic atmosphere filled with lovely background music that focused on ‘Songs of Connection’, beautifully performed by the hospital’s musician in residence, Beth Roberts.
And the festival came to a close with kite flying on the beach, a sea swim with Mudlarks, and a relaxed iced chocolate & coffee wind-down from Alliance Homes.
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