evolve — Yoga & Mindfulness Festival

Yoga Festival at Helenesee — Seven Worlds, Four Days

From Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, August 30, 2026, the evolve festival will take place at Helenesee — one of Brandenburg's most beautiful swimming lakes, nestled in a former open-cast mining landscape 1.5 hours east of Berlin and near Frankfurt (Oder): four days of yoga, mindfulness, music, dance, and rituals. The festival is organized as a cooperative (evolve.coop) and sees itself as a platform for a new art of living — rooted in connection, community, and conscious growth.

Seven Thematic Worlds

The program is spread over four days with 200+ sessions in seven thematic areas:

• Music: 15 live concerts, mantras, kirtans, handpan workshops, medicine music, singing circles
• Dance: 12 ecstatic dance sessions, contact improvisation, capoeira, acrobatics, Sufi whirling, Qi Gong
• Yoga: 45 yoga classes — handstand workshops, aerial yoga, yoga philosophy, meditation, breathwork
• Discover: 35 talks and workshops on mindfulness, biohacks, healing, conscious relating
• Rituals: 30 sessions — shamanic rituals, cacao ceremonies, sound journeys, ancestral healing, astrology
• Arts: 15+ performances, improv, storytelling, poetry, children's program (ages 3–14), fire and circus acts
• Wellness: Relaxation spa, ice baths, energy work, sauna, massages, aromatherapy

Substance-Free, Family-Friendly, Regenerative

The evolve festival consciously positions itself as a 100% substance-free festival — no alcohol, no drugs. This decision attracts a different audience than classic summer festivals, creating a relaxed and safe atmosphere where yoga, meditation, dance, and encounters are the focus. The festival is family-friendly with its own children's program for the 3–14 age group and LGBTQ+ friendly. The language is bilingual German and English — bringing together an international festival community. Catering: vegan-friendly, with plant-based options throughout the festival grounds.

Cooperatively Organized — 10% of Profits to Contributors and Nature

A special feature is the organizational structure: The evolve festival is organized as a Cooperative (evolve.coop). 10% of profits go to contributors and nature projects, with the goal of increasing this quota to 100% by 2035. An unusual and consistent organizational form that clearly distinguishes the festival from commercial yoga festivals.

Helenesee — A Perfect Festival Landscape

Helenesee, formerly a pit lake from open-cast mining, is now one of Brandenburg's most beautiful swimming lakes — a clear, deep body of water with sandy beaches, surrounded by reforested mining landscapes. In summer, it serves as the festival grounds for several events — and it is precisely this combination of water, beach, and natural landscape that makes it the ideal stage for a festival that wants to experience consciousness, dance, yoga, and encounters in a free, expansive environment. On-site camping is organized — from small tents to permanent cabins. Shuttle connections from Berlin and Frankfurt (Oder) are offered.

Participate, Don't Just Attend

The festival thrives on participation: Artist applications are open, volunteer programs offer free festival access in exchange for three shifts of work, and a vendor marketplace welcomes regional and sustainable providers. This creates a festival that is not just consumption-oriented, but participation-oriented.