District Fit, a four-day festival of music, fitness and wellness, is returning to sunny West Palm Beach, Florida. for its ninth year, connecting top instructors, medical experts, founders and creators locked into optimizing longevity and health-focused lifestyles.
Across Related Ross’s CityPlace and Hilton West Palm Beach, the District Fit festival will host curated panels on themes such as focused performance optimization, as well as immersive activations and brand pop-ups along “Restore Row” on the CityPlace esplanade.
“The response over the past few years has been incredible and inspired us to expand District Fit into a multi-day experience as we continue strengthening our focus on health and wellness in the community,” said Related Ross director of marketing Eileen Sturgis. “As wellness takes center stage globally, District Fit brings together innovators, leading brands and dynamic cultural experiences in the heart of CityPlace — reinforcing its role as West Palm Beach’s premier gathering place.”
The festival kicks off on April 7, running through April 11, bringing top brands all in one place, with 15+ complimentary classes hosted by leading fitness brands including Equinox, Pvolve, TRX, Higher Order, Hyrox with 1401 Athletics, Sweat 440, Celis Run Club, yoga with Lululemon, Traphouse, Jiu-Jitsu Self Defense and more.
Renowned instructors will lead the workouts, including owner of The Strength Club and founder of NYC’s own wellness festival, Strong New York, Kenny Santucci.
On the wellness and recovery side of the festival, attendees will have the chance to try out technology from Hyperice, including firsthand access to its trademark Normatec compression boots with zero-gravity chairs and Hyperboots. The healthy restaurant chain Pura Vida will be handing out wellness shots from Pura Vida, while Cleveland Clinic is providing personalized stretching sessions.
On top of that, Bluemercury is hosting an SPF and hydration station and zero-sugar energy drink brand Gorgie will have its own fuel-up bar set up.
Premium ticket holders can experience peak wellness and rejuvenation at the VIP Lounge, designed by Perigold and presented by Cleveland Clinic, a spot to reset between classes and experiences throughout the day and check out curated wellness activations by Higher Order.
Those VIP attendees will also receive complimentary valet parking and an exclusive tote filled with gifts from participating wellness brands. Proceeds from VIP ticket sales will benefit The Path at The Park, a local nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to wellness, movement and healthy living for all members of the community.
To top it all off, the event will see the biggest industry leaders come together for an invite-only evening curated in partnership with Athletech News founder and CEO Edward Hertzman.
The event will showcase two expert-led panels on longevity and the evolving role of wellness, featuring leading industry voices like Yoga Joint CEO Bernie Zarco, ORA founder Kim Ross, founder and CEO of Eudēmonia Summit Sean Hoess, JetSet Pilates CEO Bertus Albertse and more.
“CityPlace was designed to be a gathering place for the community, and District Fit is a reflection of that vision in action,” said executive VP of Related Ross Webber Hudson.
“We’re focused on creating experiences that activate our public spaces in meaningful ways, and bringing together thought leaders, brands and residents in a way that feels authentic to West Palm Beach,” said Related Ross executive vice president Webber Hudson. “Seeing this evolve into a multi-day celebration speaks to the kind of vibrant, connected city we’re continuing to build.”
The ongoing popularity of District Fit reflects the power of in-person events to not only foster community among the like-minded, but to also provide crucial exposure and platforms for brand activations to connect meaningfully with that community.
Numerous brands are looking to capture that all-important singularity of in-person connection that appeals to growing interest in health, with the emergence of fitness competitions from Crunch and Fitstop riding the success of Hyrox, while more festivals and retreats are seeking to provide one-of-a-kind wellness experiences.
