18-21 SEPT 2026

Stylised line art of two dancing humanoid figures with sun and moons for heads, outlined in pink, yellow, and white gradient.
Stylised black script reads The Sondering
Black text on a white background reads, "A Festival For Mortals".

Rydal Lake District

for curious souls

Death - we can’t avoid it, so we may as well get better at dealing with it. Together. At a festival. Naturally.

Join us and 300 fellow mortals for a wild, welcoming, and deeply human weekend of arts, music, ritual and nature to reclaim the conversations we've all been politely avoiding. It’s the most life-affirming thing you can do while contemplating your own mortality.

First wave tickets coming very soon.

JOIN MAILING LIST
Decorative shrine with floral patterns, a small disco ball, and tealight candles, placed on the ground amidst fallen leaves and moss-covered roots.

SONDER

[SON-der] noun.

The felt sense of shared humanity upon realising that each passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own, in which they are the central character in their story, as you are in yours.

A death festival eh?

Yep. But this isn’t about doom and gloom.

The Sondering is as much a celebration of life as it is a meditation on death. There will be reverence, there will be laughter. We’ll dance our sorrows and our joys. We’ll gather to make the subject less scary, less awkward and far less lonely.

Come as you are with an open mind and humble heart. See you there.

A row of white canvas glamping tents set up on a grassy field, with trees in the background and some branches and leaves in the foreground.
Outline fine line illustration of a pill shaped portal on transparent background. 
expect

LIVE MUSIC. talks. end of life EXPERTS. COFFIN ROUTE PILGRIMAGE. WORKSHOPS. DJs. dark CAVE RITUAL. writers. WEllness. PERFORMANCE. CRAFTING. LOCAL FOOD. WILD SWIMMING.
CARE & SUPPORT. B&B. GLamping. Camping.
FREE TEA & HUGS. FRIENDLY FOLK.

EARLY BIRD TICKETS COMING SOON

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SIGN UP FOR UPDATES

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EARLY BIRD TICKETS COMING SOON ✳︎ SIGN UP FOR UPDATES ✳︎

Interior of a large rustic barn with wooden beams and stone walls, string lights hanging from the ceiling, and sunlight coming through an open door to an outdoor area.
Outline fine line illustration of a pill shaped portal on transparent background.
Scenic view of a farm with stone houses, surrounded by green hills and mountains under cloudy sky in Rydal, Lake District.
Outline fine line illustration of a pill shaped portal on transparent background

this is not a rehearsal

You’ve made it this far. Nice one. Breathe.

We’re Soph and Cam, Lake District sisters raised on music, moss and macaroni cheese. Our personal experiences, both sad and glad, showed us how much we’ve lost touch with communal rites around death, dying, and grief.

That’s why we created The Sondering CIC, to (re)build the compassionate and honest spaces people are quietly craving, always with care for each other and the land we’re on. It is our belief that by engaging with mortality - consciously, creatively and together - we can live fuller, richer lives.

Sonder on.

Old photo from the 1990s shows two young white girls with colourful face paint and clothes, standing indoors.
Outline fine line illustration of a pill shaped portal on transparent background.
GET IN TOUCH

ARTISTS & COLLABORATORS

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GET IN TOUCH NOW

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ARTISTS & COLLABORATORS ✳︎ GET IN TOUCH NOW ✳︎