Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is coming to Sydney. And she chose a room of 300 women over a press tour.
That is not nothing.
The Her Best Life Retreat lands at the brand new InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 April and it is the kind of event that makes everything else on your calendar look like it needs to rethink its ambitions.
Two nights of luxury accommodation by the ocean.
A gala dinner. A disco. Yoga at sunrise. Sound healing. A women's psychology session with Dr Justine Corry.
And on Saturday, an in person conversation with one of the most discussed, most written about, and most fiercely herself women on the planet right now.
Three hundred tickets. Not a metaphor.
Main Image credit: Photo: Fuzheado, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Video
Video: Yahoo Australia / Her Best Life
Location
Address: InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, NSW 2034
Website: herbestlife.org
Instagram: @herbestlifepod
Dates
Next Event Date: Friday 17 April to Sunday 19 April 2025
Frequency: One off event
Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Price
Early Bird: $2,699 per person (twin share) limited availability
VIP Experience: $3,199 per person (twin share)
Availability: Limited to 300 people. Priority access opens to the Her Best Life community first. Register interest via herbestlife.org
The BioHax Take
Here is how this happened. Because the origin story is almost better than the event itself.
In late 2025, a man named Markus Anderson sent Gemma O'Neill a text message. Markus is a Soho House consultant and long time close friend of Meghan's, the kind of friend who has known her long before the royal wedding, the Netflix deals, and the global scrutiny. He was at Meghan's house when he messaged Gemma to ask, casually, whether she would ever want to collaborate with Meghan if she came to Australia.
Gemma said yes. Gemma then tried to get Jackie O to take over the whole event. Jackie said no. And so Gemma O'Neill, former assistant to Nicole Kidman, former Chief Content Officer of NZME, founder of the Her Best Life podcast, found herself agreeing to host a fireside chat with the Duchess of Sussex in front of 300 women at a five star hotel in Coogee.
On her podcast she put it perfectly: How has Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, this incredible woman, gone from Oprah to talking on stage with just little old me, Gemma in Sydney?
The answer is that Meghan said yes because she believes in what this community is about. Women trying to grow, trying to be their best selves, trying to help other women. She is doing this as a favour to a mutual friend, and because the room is worth showing up for.
This will be Meghan's first time back in Australia in seven years. Her last visit in 2018 as a working royal is still talked about as one of the great royal tours. She walked Bondi Beach. She lit up the Sydney Opera House forecourt. The country fell for her completely and the feeling, by all accounts, was mutual.
She returns now on her own terms. No royal duties. No institutional constraints. Just a woman who has spent years being one of the most written about people on the planet, walking into a room of 300 women in Sydney to have an honest conversation.
TIME and Vogue have both named her one of the most influential women in the world. She co-founded Archewell Philanthropies and Archewell Productions. She hosted the record breaking podcast Archetypes. She starred in Suits for seven seasons while serving as a UN Women's Advocate and World Vision Global Ambassador. She wrote a New York Times bestselling book. She launched her lifestyle brand As Ever. She has used every platform she has ever been given to champion mental health and the rights of women and girls.
And now she is coming to Coogee Beach for a fireside chat with Gemma O'Neill.
The weekend is built around far more than one moment though. Dr Justine Corry, one of Australia's most respected psychologists and a regular voice on the Her Best Life podcast, runs a dedicated women's psychology session. There is yoga to start the mornings, a sound healing experience, a meditation and manifestation session with Gemma, a full gala dinner, and a disco night that, based on the community Her Best Life has built, will absolutely go off.
Three hundred people. Coogee Beach. April. This is the one that people will still be talking about at Christmas.
Who It's For
• Women who want a weekend that actually changes something, not just resets it
• Her Best Life podcast listeners ready to step into the room they have been listening from
• Women navigating reinvention, growth, and the louder version of their lives
• Anyone who has wanted to hear Meghan speak in person and knows this is a rare window
• The woman who arrives solo and leaves with a table of people she did not expect to find
What's On Offer
• In person conversation with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
• Women's psychology session with renowned psychologist Dr Justine Corry
• Meditation and manifestation session with Gemma O'Neill
• Morning yoga session to start the day
• Sound healing experience
• Gala dinner with all alcohol included
• Disco night and dinner celebration with all alcohol included
• Saturday lunch
• Breakfast on both mornings
• Two nights luxury accommodation at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach (twin share)
• Time by the pool overlooking Coogee Beach
• VIP upgrade available: front two row gala seating, group photo with Meghan, premium ocean view room, and an exclusive goodie bag
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tickets are available?
The retreat is strictly limited to 300 attendees. Priority access opens to the Her Best Life community first. Register your interest at herbestlife.org.
What does the ticket price include?
Your ticket includes two nights luxury accommodation (twin share) at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, a gala dinner with all alcohol, a disco dinner celebration with all alcohol, Saturday lunch, breakfast on both mornings, and access to all speaker sessions, wellness activities, and experiences across the weekend.
What is the difference between Early Bird and VIP tickets?
Early Bird tickets are $2,699 per person (twin share) and include the full weekend experience. VIP tickets are $3,199 per person (twin share) and additionally include seating in the front two rows at the gala dinner with Meghan, a group table photo with Meghan, a premium ocean view room, and an exclusive VIP goodie bag.
Can I attend solo?
Absolutely. Tickets are priced per person on a twin share basis. Solo attendees will be paired with another solo guest for accommodation. Come solo, come with your best friend, or bring a group.
Where exactly is the retreat held?
The retreat takes place at the brand new InterContinental Sydney, Coogee NSW 2034.
When does the retreat run?
Friday 17 April to Sunday 19 April 2025.
Who is Gemma O'Neill?
Gemma O'Neill is the founder and host of Her Best Life. She has spent more than 25 years in media and entertainment across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. She previously worked as an assistant to Nicole Kidman and became a creative executive at Kidman's production company Blossom Films. She went on to serve as Chief Content Officer for NZME in New Zealand and Head of the Hit Network at SCA in Australia. She holds a Master's degree in Business Administration and is currently completing a PhD in Business Leadership. She is also a non-executive board director for Carrie's Beanies for Brain Cancer.
How did Meghan get involved with the retreat?
Gemma shares a mutual friend with Meghan, Markus Anderson, a long time close friend of the Duchess and a consultant for Soho House. In late 2025, Markus messaged Gemma while visiting Meghan's home to ask whether she would ever like to collaborate if Meghan visited Australia. From that text message, a fireside chat at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach was born. Meghan agreed to participate as a favour to their mutual friend and because she supports the Her Best Life community's mission of women helping women grow.
Will this be Meghan's first visit to Australia?
No. Meghan last visited Australia in 2018 alongside Prince Harry as working royals, in a tour widely regarded as one of the most successful royal visits in recent memory. She returns in April 2025 for the first time in seven years, this time as a private citizen on her own terms.
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