The 7^th annual vegan festival VegfestUK London drew to a glorious close on the weekend October 26-27 at Olympia London, with a comprehensive showcase of the best of a vegan way of life.

Attendee Numbers broken down as follows:

Saturday – 5,600 Visitors and 1,400 Workers
Sunday – 5,200 Visitors and 1,300 Workers

(Workers include Exhibitor Stall, Speakers, Entertainers, Crew, Volunteers, Contractor Staff, Venue Staff)

Playing host to an unprecedented amount of vegan products,  activities and visitors, this year’s event aimed to cover as many bases as possible for visitors looking for information and advice in relation to being vegan, as well as those looking for an amazing day out.

Highlights of the event include

• the Vegan Food Village, with a wide variety of globally inspired vegan cuisine from 25 caterers
• a cornucopia of fantastic vegan products from over 300 Exhibitors with a number of one-off special offers,
• the VGN Climate Summit on Sunday looking at climate issues in relation to veganism,
• the VGN News room on Saturday with a variety of talks and panels looking at veganism as a wider social justice issue
• the Animal Rebellion stream, with talks and panels on Animal Justice, Animal Rebellion and the Climate Emergency from leading individuals behind Extinction Rebellion, Animal Rebellion and the wider movement
• the Wildlife Summit focusing on wildlife issues and veganism,
• the Vegan Activists Support on Saturday with a selection of tips for up-and-coming vegan activists
• the New Vegans Support on Sunday offering advice for those aspiring to become vegan
• the Animal Rights & Activism area, examining the history of animal rights and some of the tactics employed in defence of animals
• the Plant Based Health talks looking at evidence-based recommendations for health on a plant-based diet,
• the brand-new Natural Therapy Zone with a focus on natural health, a series of yoga classes for adults and kids,
• a couple of Fitness areas looking at getting fit and strong on a plant-based diet
• the Veganic Growing area, looking at growing your own food in the vegan organic way, hosted by Vegan Organic Network
• the Cookery Demos showcasing everyday cooking with plant-based ingredients, and especially the Faith Cooking Stream on Sunday with a selection of faith-inspired dishes from around the globe,
• the Foodies Stage with a mix of entertainment from live instrumental music to standup comedy, theatrical plays and quick-fire food demos
• the Holistic Health Hub
• the Art of Compassion Project Exhibition with a display of art posters inspired by veganism and animal rights (proceeds going to Hunt Saboteurs Association)
• the Mature Zone with emphasis on veganism for later life
• a couple of Kids Areas, with book readings, vegetable based entertainment, a party for kids hosted by Lush, plus two full days of cookery classes

The VegfestUK organisers added, “This year’s festival is on a different scale from all our previous events, in relation to the amount of activities that we were able to accommodate over 4 exhibition halls. We hope visitors enjoyed the variety, breadth and depth of products and information offered on the weekend. We really loved this year’s event so much that we wish we could have been visitors ourselves. Many thanks to all our supporters, from our sponsors and exhibitors, to the contractors, area hosts, speakers, entertainers, volunteers and venue staff – this event would have been impossible without your support.”

Visitors to this year’s event are welcome to fill out the online survey at the link here for comments, feedbacks and suggestions: http://surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ldn2019visitors

VegfestUK London will be returning to Olympia London on November 14^th 15^th 2020, however it will be moving into the Grand Hall, with altogether 14,355 sqm floor space, natural daylight and a capacity of 10,000 attendees at a time. The event website will be live in early 2020, with advance tickets going on sale in the summer of 2020.

Meanwhile, VegfestUK’s next stop is Plant Powered Expo, a  new consumer event celebrating the best of plant-based living, on February 1^st 2^nd 2020 in the National Hall of Olympia London. With 235 exhibitors, 12 exciting features and 100 expert speakers,  right after Veganuary 2020, Plant Powered Expo is set to capture the imagination of new vegans, Veganuary participants and the plant-based curious. Advance tickets for the event will go on sale from November 1^st 2019 at www.plantpoweredexpo.co.uk