Women-only events have emerged as one of the notable growth areas in the UK events market. From fitness events and wellness retreats to music festivals and networking gatherings, events designed exclusively for women and those who identify as women are attracting growing audiences and attention. The trend reflects broader conversations about safety, community, and the desire for spaces where women feel fully comfortable and represented.
The range of formats
Women-only events in the UK span a diverse range of formats and interests.
Fitness and outdoor events. Women-only running events, cycling sportives, swimming events, and outdoor adventure experiences have seen significant growth. These events create environments where women who might feel intimidated or unwelcome in mixed-gender competitive settings can participate with confidence. Some of the largest mass-participation events in the UK now include women-only categories or editions.
Wellness and retreat events. Women-only wellness retreats, yoga events, and mindfulness gatherings offer spaces focused on women's specific health and wellbeing concerns. These events often combine physical activity with workshops, talks, and community-building in environments designed to feel supportive and non-judgemental.
Music and entertainment. Women-only music events, club nights, and festival experiences have emerged in response to concerns about safety and harassment in mixed-gender music settings. These events offer an environment where women can enjoy music and nightlife without the unwanted attention or safety concerns that many women experience at conventional events.
Professional networking. Women-only networking events, conferences, and workshops address the gender imbalance in many professional sectors. These events provide dedicated spaces for women to connect, share experiences, and support each other's professional development.
Why the growth
The growth of women-only events is driven by several interconnected factors.
Safety concerns. The conversation about women's safety in public spaces -- including event spaces -- has intensified in recent years. Reports of harassment, spiking, and assault at events have created demand for spaces where women feel genuinely safe. Women-only events address this concern directly by removing the situations that most commonly give rise to safety issues.
Community and connection. Women-only events create spaces for a specific type of social connection that participants value. The shared identity and experience creates an immediate sense of community that can be harder to achieve in mixed settings. For many attendees, the social and emotional benefits of being in a women-only space are as important as the event content itself.
Representation and visibility. In sectors and activities where women have historically been underrepresented -- outdoor sports, certain music genres, technology -- women-only events create visibility and normalise women's participation. They can serve as entry points for women who are interested in an activity but have been deterred by the perception that it is male-dominated.
Market opportunity. From a commercial perspective, women represent a significant and often underserved market for events. Organisers who create events specifically designed for women's needs and preferences are tapping into unmet demand rather than competing in oversaturated mixed-gender markets.
The debate
Women-only events are not without controversy. Some critics question whether gender-segregated events are progressive or regressive, arguing that the goal should be making all events safe and welcoming for everyone rather than creating separate spaces. Others raise questions about inclusion -- specifically, how women-only events define "women" and whether they are welcoming to trans women and non-binary people.
Most well-run women-only events in the UK have addressed the inclusion question by explicitly welcoming trans women and, in many cases, non-binary people. The focus is on creating a space that is free from the specific dynamics of male-dominated environments, rather than policing gender identity.
The broader debate about whether women-only events should exist at all is perhaps best resolved by acknowledging that they serve a genuine need. In an ideal world, all events would be safe, welcoming, and equitable for everyone. In the current world, women-only events provide something that many women cannot reliably find elsewhere: a space where they feel completely comfortable.
Organising women-only events
For event organisers considering women-only events, several considerations are important. Clear, inclusive language about who the event is for sets expectations and avoids misunderstandings. Safety and safeguarding policies should be robust and clearly communicated. Programming and content should be designed with the specific audience in mind, not simply adapted from mixed-gender events. And the marketing and promotion should reach the intended audience through channels where they are active.
Ticketing for women-only events follows the same principles as any event, but transparency is particularly important. Women attending these events are often making a deliberate choice based on the specific nature of the space being offered. Any aspect of the purchasing experience that feels unclear or misleading can undermine the trust that is central to the event's appeal.
The future of the market
The women-only events market is likely to continue growing as the underlying drivers -- safety concerns, community demand, and commercial opportunity -- show no sign of diminishing. The market will also likely continue to diversify, with new formats and niches emerging as organisers respond to specific interests within the female audience.
At the same time, the growth of women-only events should prompt the broader events industry to reflect on why these spaces are needed. The factors that drive women to seek separate events -- harassment, lack of representation, unwelcoming environments -- are problems that the industry as a whole should be working to address. Women-only events are a valuable and legitimate part of the market, but they should complement rather than substitute for the effort to make all events safe and welcoming for everyone.