Fusion of art, wellness, and nature: Fari Islands Festival 2025 set to inspire

Patina Maldives and The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, have partnered to launch the inaugural Fari Islands Festival – a celebration of culture, creativity, and conscious living – taking place from 19-22 September 2025. This first edition will bring together internationally renowned contemporary creatives and thought leaders, including Canadian poet and illustrator Rupi Kaur, British DJ Kim Turnbull, and Tokyo-born fine food movement Wagyumafia. The Fari Islands Festival is set to establish itself as a distinctive new moment on the Indian Ocean’s cultural calendar.

This unique collaboration unites two leading resorts in a shared commitment to fostering an inspired and mindful Maldivian experience, set within the serene and forward-thinking Fari Islands archipelago.

Designed not as a spectacle but as an experience of resonance and reflection, the Fari Islands Festival invites discerning guests to immerse themselves in a world of ideas and artistry.

The four-day programme has been thoughtfully curated to offer guests opportunities to connect with contemporary thought leaders, creators, and innovators in immersive, considered, and wholly original ways.

• Creative Artistry: Internationally celebrated poet Rupi Kaur will lead the festival’s creative discourse, delivering a series of intimate readings and reflective dialogues that explore language, emotion, and personal truth.
• Body, Mind, and Soul: The Bamford Experience, hosted by wellness expert CJ Jones-Leake alongside sustainability advocate and former professional athlete Anthony Mullally, offers a daily rhythm of grounding rituals, including breathwork, movement, and integrative therapies.
• Nature Amplified: National Geographic Explorer and shark scientist Gibbs Kuguru, in partnership with the Olive Ridley Project, will guide a series of explorations designed to deepen awareness of the Maldives’ marine ecosystems. Guests will be invited into a renewed relationship with the ocean through guided snorkelling trips, conservation workshops, and reflective discussions.
• Sonic Immersion: British DJ and creative force Kim Turnbull will curate the island’s sonic identity, shaping ambient soundscapes and live performances that align with the gentle cadence of the natural environment.
• Culinary Exploration: Gastronomy will become performance with Wagyu Mafia’s celebrated Kobe beef ritual, presented through a limited series of curated dinners. Meanwhile, award-winning cocktail studio Nutmeg and Clove will reimagine the island’s bar culture through sensorial storytelling and spirited artistry.

The festival will be hosted across the Fari Islands, a rare example of architectural clarity and community-led design. At the heart of the archipelago lies Fari Marina Village, a shared destination that seamlessly connects both resorts through curated experiences in dining, design, and the arts.

The Fari Islands is the only destination in the Maldives where two distinct resort philosophies coexist in effortless harmony. Patina Maldives embodies transformative luxury and artistic curiosity, encouraging guests to look beyond the moment and create lasting memories. In gentle contrast, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives embodies heritage, craft, and natural flow, guided by the principle of the Circle of Life.

Together, the two resorts offer a fluid experience of rare depth, inviting guests to cross between both resorts and engage in a dynamic yet intimate cultural programme crafted to nourish both inner and outer worlds.

According to Anthony Gill, General Manager of Patina Maldives, “Patina Maldives was created as a place of purposeful presence, where guests are invited not only to passively experience but to participate. This festival extends that vision, encouraging guests to connect actively and meaningfully with ideas, artists, and the natural world.”

Oscar Postma, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, adds, “At The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, we honour the rhythm of nature and the richness of human connection. The Fari Islands Festival reflects that ethos, a gathering where culture, creativity, and community come together with intention. It is an invitation to slow down, to listen deeply, and to be moved by the beauty of meaningful exchange.”