The ninth annual festival has become a can’t-miss event on the East Coast’s experiential wellness calendar. In time, founder Kenny Santucci believes it can rival the New York City Marathon
Strong New York is returning to NYC this fall, staging its ninth annual event that blends workouts, wellness experiences and above all, community.
Billed as “the East Coast’s premier fitness and wellness festival,” Strong New York 2025 will feature surfer Laird Hamilton and former pro volleyball player turned entrepreneur Gabby Reece as headline speakers, along with a new fitness competition and breakout sessions for industry executives.
Over 5,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival, where they’ll be able to partake in workouts with top fitness instructors, attend expert panels on health, wellness and longevity topics, and engage in experiences including ice baths, sauna sessions and healthy food options. Live DJs will also be on-site to create a party atmosphere.
Title sponsors include Celsius, SweatPals, Hydrow and Impact Kitchen. In total, at least 40 fitness and wellness brands are set to activate as vendors, showcasing new products and staging giveaways.
The event will be held Saturday, September 27, at The Glasshouse NYC in Manhattan.
Kenny Santucci, owner of The Strength Club, founded Strong New York in 2015, sensing a gap in the market for an event that could bring together NYC’s rabid fitness and wellness community.
“Back in 2015, one thing the city didn’t have was a fitness event that showcased all the incredible talent, studios and energy here,” Santucci tells Athletech News. “I’d attended fitness events around the country and the world, but most leaned heavily toward bodybuilding and supplements.”
“That wasn’t what New York fitness was about,” he adds. “I wanted to create a space where brands could launch, experts could connect directly with people who needed their knowledge and New Yorkers could feel inspired to live healthier lives.”
Over the past decade, Strong New York has grown into a staple event on the East Coast’s fitness and wellness calendar as demand grows for experiential wellness events. Attendees include consumers, celebrity fitness instructors and influencers, and entrepreneurs and executives from top brands.
At Strong New York 2025, brands including Pvolve and Rumble will stage workouts, while TRX, Raw Nutrition and David Protein, among many others, will showcase products and stage giveaways.
Other experiences include a “Recovery & Wellness Zone” stocked with ice baths from Chilly Goat Cold Tubs, sauna experiences from SaunaBox and massages, as well as a “Healthy Food Marketplace” featuring food, supplements and meal-prep services.
This year’s festival will also feature interactive breakout sessions for fitness and wellness professionals, with the industry’s top thought leaders leading talks. In addition to Hamilton and Reece, speakers include entrepreneur Don Saladino, celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson and HumanCo founder Jason Karp, among others.
New for 2025 is the “Strongest in New York Competition,” a hybrid fitness competition featuring strength, speed and endurance movements.
Santucci says the new competition “allows top athletes to compete against each other on a local stage, while also giving anyone — regardless of age, size or skill level — the chance to test their strength.”
“Participants will receive a ‘Strong Score,’ which they can take back to the gym and use as a benchmark for their ongoing training,” he adds.
Above all, Santucci wants Strong New York to serve as an annual gathering place for wellness-obsessed New Yorkers. He hopes the festival can one day rival the New York City Marathon in terms of cultural importance for fitness junkies.
“My vision is for Strong New York to become two incredible days where the city comes together to celebrate fitness, health and strength,” he says. “I want people to leave feeling energized, inspired and motivated, and to carry that energy with them for as long as possible.”
For more information on tickets for Strong New York 2025, click here.
