TeaCha at READY FEST 2026: A Day of Tea and Music

Some visitors bought tea from us four or five times during READY FEST. For us, that was the best feedback of the day.

On 29 August 2026, we brought TeaCha to Wondersala in Riga for a full day of Chinese tea tasting at READY FEST. Our tent was one of the largest at the festival, right beside the VIP area. With red lanterns overhead and a blue CHINESE TEA sign outside, we spent the day brewing, pouring and talking to the people who stopped by.

We had plenty of tea to share. What stayed with us afterwards were the conversations.

Three teas, served throughout the day

We kept three drinks available all day: hot Shu Pu-erh, GABA tea and a cold fruit tea that we prepared on site using Pu-erh.

Shu Pu-erh was an opportunity to introduce visitors to ripe Pu-erh and talk about what makes this style different from other teas. A cup in hand gave us a starting point for explaining the leaves, their processing and how to brew them at home.

Alongside it, we served GABA oolong. Having different teas available meant people could explore their preferences through tasting, with someone there to answer questions.

Our cold option showed another side of Pu-erh. We made it at the stand with added fruit, giving visitors a different way to enjoy the tea. It also gave us a chance to show how a tea usually associated with hot brewing could become a refreshing festival drink.

Visitors could choose a hot cup or a cold one, try something unfamiliar and come back whenever they felt like another.

Talking tea, one cup at a time

We held tastings throughout the event and talked about different tea types, varieties and brewing methods.

There is a lot to take in when you first explore Chinese tea. Names such as Shu Pu-erh, Sheng Pu-erh and oolong can seem like a vocabulary lesson before you have even put the kettle on. Tasting makes those names easier to connect with something you can recognise and enjoy.

We talked through the practical side, too: choosing a tea, preparing it and understanding how brewing changes the result. The aim was to help people feel comfortable making their own tea after the festival.

These conversations are a part of TeaCha that we love. Online, we can write descriptions and share brewing advice. At an event, we can pour a cup, listen to someone’s reaction and take the conversation from there.

Tea to take home, and something sweet to go with it

Alongside the drinks, we sold pastila with no added sugar, a fruit confection to enjoy with tea. It proved popular enough that many visitors bought whole packs.

There was also tea to take home: tuocha, or nest-shaped compressed tea, pressed tea cakes and sets of different teas. Visitors bought these throughout the event, taking their interest beyond the cup they had tried at our stand.

A tasting set is a useful way to keep exploring at your own pace. You can brew one tea at a time, return to it on another day and gradually work out what you enjoy. Our High Mountain Tea Discovery Set offers a way to do that at home, with five teas to compare.

For us, helping someone choose tea to brew later was a satisfying part of the day. It meant the conversation could continue long after the festival.

The people who kept coming back

We met and spoke with so many interesting people at READY FEST. As the day went on, we began recognising visitors who returned to buy another tea.

Some told us they enjoyed the lift they felt after drinking it. Others said they were happy spending the festival with tea and did not feel they needed alcohol to enjoy themselves.

Those were their personal impressions, and it was a pleasure to hear them. Tea had found a place in their festival day because they enjoyed drinking it.

We also noticed how much interest there was in having an alcohol-free option worth getting curious about. People wanted to taste, ask questions and understand what was in their cups. That interest encouraged us. We want Chinese tea culture to feel approachable, and a festival turned out to be a wonderful place to share it.

A prize box that travelled to Germany

We also ran an Instagram giveaway as part of our READY FEST experience. The winner was from Germany and has already received the prize: a box filled with different teas and delicious sugar-free treats.

Packing several teas into the box meant the winner could keep tasting and comparing at home, with something sweet to enjoy alongside each cup. It was a lovely way to carry a little of our festival experience beyond Riga.

Thank you to everyone who took part, and congratulations to our winner. We hope you enjoy working your way through the box.

Thank you, READY FEST

Thank you to the READY FEST organisers for welcoming TeaCha and giving us the space to share what we do.

And thank you to everyone who stopped at our tent, tried a tea, bought a pack of pastila, took some leaves home or stayed for a conversation. We enjoyed meeting you.

We hope to return next year with more tea to pour and more time to catch up with familiar faces.

Until then, you can explore the TeaCha collection and find something for your next cup at home. If you met us at READY FEST and need help finding a tea you enjoyed, tell us what you remember. We’ll be happy to help.