Review: Elevate FitFest 2025 a healthy hit for the minds, bodies, and souls of Tipperary

There are very few festivals that could incorporate health, fitness, wellbeing, nutrition, and body positivity in such a seamless fashion, yet that’s exactly what locals were treated to at the 2025 edition of FitFest over the weekend.

Located at the scenic Shanbally House just outside of Nenagh, Elevate FitFest offered two-days of talks and classes with industry professionals that proved to be a real treat for mind, body, and soul.

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The festival was divided into eight subcategories of wellbeing; Flow, Move, Reformer, Chill, Run, Cook, Talk, and Balance. From this, visitors were able to navigate a busy timetable and attend hour-long segments that suited their personal needs and preferences.

The Move tent was the perfect setting for those looking to build up a sweat, with a mixture of zumba classes, HIIT workouts, beginners boxing, hula hoop classes, a cardio rave, and boogie bounce on trampolines!

While the Flow section was a bit more of a mindful mix with body movement; refine and align Pilate, crystals, meditation, and visualisation workshops, living well through yoga practices, and breathwork for performance and recovery.

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It was the offering of a reformer Pilates studio that proved to be one of FitFest’s most desired offerings, so much so that hour-long classes were divided on both the Saturday and Sunday into 30-minute classes so more people could join in the fun and try their luck on the trendy reformer machines.

The reformer studio was really something to marvel at, with 15 reformer machines provided by Flexera and local industry professionals like Shannon Quirke of Thurles’ forme studio offering people a bite-sized introduction to one of the biggest fitness crazes of recent times.

The Talk tent proved to be one of the most endearing and unique offerings over the whole weekend, with body positivity, breathwork, gut health and nutrition, and sobriety all discussed at length by some of the sharpest wellness minds the country has to offer.

The Cook tent was a clever and well utilised section located by the food and drink section. This saw chefs and food influencers such as Trisha Lewis and Samantha Forest showcasing simple but delicious recipes for people who want to balance a busy lifestyle with eating well and looking after themselves.
The food on offer included freshly made sandwiches, salads, pizza, vegetarian options as well as coffee and overnight oats for a light snack. This was all contained in the one area where a number of brands set up stalls to showcase skincare ranges, gymwear, home workout gear, home decor, and much much more.

Flexera, Symprove, Smooch, Flahavan’s, New Dimensions, RedBull, and Herology were just some of the major players in the fitness and wellbeing world that jumped on board and gave FitFest 2025 that slick and professional feel, as did the array of talent constantly on display at the multiple tents filled to the brim across the weekend.

READ NEXT: IN PICTURES: 2025 Elevate FitFest offers Tipperary locals a mix of health, fitness, and fun!