First NEST Experience — Finally! 🎉

[Anthdawg90]

After being part of the community and living in the area (NY/NJ) for years, I’m finally going to NEST for the first time and I’m honestly so hyped. I’ve heard so many great things about it from people over the years, so I’m really excited to see what it’s like in person.

Most of my experiences have been one-on-one, so getting to experience this in a group setting with others in the community is something I’ve been wanting to try for a long time. Looking forward to meeting folks, sharing laughs, and seeing what it’s all about! 🤘

 

[Sadisticler]

I’m attending as well. I’m looking forward to it I hope you have fun.

 

[Im_a_dragon]

I will never go to NEST. Ew.

From what I’ve gathered over years of research, this event is super clique-y. Better to start at a smaller event unless you 1) already know people, 2) are a female lee, or 3) are REALLY willing to put yourself out there, and you’re socially capable of doing so. Otherwise it’s most likely going to be a disappointing/miserable experience.

 

[Sadisticler]

I have

I will never go to NEST. Ew.

From what I’ve gathered over years of research, this event is super clique-y. Better to start at a smaller event unless you 1) already know people, 2) are a female lee, or 3) are REALLY willing to put yourself out there, and you’re socially capable of doing so. Otherwise it’s most likely going to be a disappointing/miserable experience.

I have a couple friends going so I’m hoping to have fun. Unless I’ve experienced it for myself I’m not gonna judge.

 

[Im_a_dragon]

I have

I have a couple friends going so I’m hoping to have fun. Unless I’ve experienced it for myself I’m not gonna judge.

If you’re going with friends, that’s great. Enjoy

 

[Anthdawg90]

I will never go to NEST. Ew.

From what I’ve gathered over years of research, this event is super clique-y. Better to start at a smaller event unless you 1) already know people, 2) are a female lee, or 3) are REALLY willing to put yourself out there, and you’re socially capable of doing so. Otherwise it’s most likely going to be a disappointing/miserable experience.

Not gonna lie, this was a concern of mine too and honestly one of the main reasons I held off on going for so long. I’d already met enough local people to satisfy what I was looking for, so I never really felt the push. But now I know a few folks who attend now, and it also feels like a great opportunity to possibly session with people I’ve interacted and wanted to meet with over the 10+ years I’ve been part of this community.

That said, I do think if you’re brand new to the fetish and don’t know anyone at all, there’s a chance it could feel overwhelming or not as fun, even with the best newbie-friendly efforts NEST might offer. I’ll definitely report back with how it goes, though!

 

[Bucksler]

I am going for the first time this year as well, don't know anybody but excited to meet everyone and explore my lifelong fetish a little deeper.

 

[GirlWhoLikes2Laugh]

I’m attending as well. I’m looking forward to it I hope you have fun.

Where do you go to register for NEST 2026? Can’t find it here.

 

[Sadisticler]

Where do you go to register for NEST 2026? Can’t find it here.

https://nestgathering.com/ This is the link for it irdk when they will start selling tickets again.

 

[Anthdawg90]

Where do you go to register for NEST 2026? Can’t find it here.

Looks like Registration for NEST is on hold until March (sometime this month I would assume. Since it says they will be evaluating the remaining head count and room count in the upcoming week to determine if we will be releasing another batch of tickets. The discord https://discord.com/invite/GppAu7bVdK is prob the best place to watch for updates if you are serious about going or want to learn more.

 

[Reigns32]

I’m attending as well. I’m looking forward to it I hope you have fun.

I went to nest without knowing anyone. Met ppl i've kept in decent touch with for almost a decade. There are tons of posts / messages every year talking about connections and community that ppl made and found. that was my experience to, it was like being around your ppl.

Think some of the comments in this thread are misleadingly negative considering it's not even a first hand experience being referenced.
it's a tickling gathering.. ppl are happy and laughing and smiling. the newbys aren't being sent to the corner haha.

 

[Anthdawg90]

I went to nest without knowing anyone. Met ppl i've kept in decent touch with for almost a decade. There are tons of posts / messages every year talking about connections and community that ppl made and found. that was my experience to, it was like being around your ppl.

Think some of the comments in this thread are misleadingly negative considering it's not even a first hand experience being referenced.
it's a tickling gathering.. ppl are happy and laughing and smiling. the newbys aren't being sent to the corner haha.

100% that’s why I want to go see it for myself. This fetish is supposed to be fun, so I always question the comments about drama or it being super cliquey. If someone is really antisocial, it might not be the best fit anyway since tickling is pretty social by nature.

 

[Anthdawg90]

Wooo, NEST is next week! I’ve got two sessions lined up with folks and have connected on Discord with a few people I know from FetLife and past interactions. I’m still anxious to see what the overall vibe is like, how people act, and what actually goes on. I’ve got some ideas in my head, but I’m excited to experience it all firsthand. I’m also hoping to dispel any rumors about it being really cliquey, though based on Discord, I’m 50/50 since a lot of people seem to already know each other and share inside jokes.

 

[ohthatiscool]

One day I hope to attend NEST. Is there an equal male to female ratio?

 

[Anthdawg90]

One day I hope to attend NEST. Is there an equal male to female ratio?

I will find out! But I want to say maybe 50 / 50 especially based on the Discord.

 

[ohthatiscool]

I will find out! But I want to say maybe 50 / 50 especially based on the Discord.

how did it go?

 

[Anthdawg90]

how did it go?

Day 1 was really dope, especially since I already knew a lot of people there, past session partners, folks I’d met or chatted with online, and even a few content creators in the kink scene who were super approachable. Everyone was super nice, and there were plenty of people ready to help newcomers. Still, I did notice a lot of attendees sticking to their usual groups, while some new faces stood off to the side or tried to start conversations at times with mixed results. The events and the community vibe are fun af, though, and I can see why people in the community love this event. I’ll report back on how Day 2 goes.

 

[ohthatiscool]

yeah, was wondering what the vibe was - if I was to fly all the way over from Australia I'd want to know it was worth it.

 

[Anthdawg90]

With my first Nest 2026 in the books, I wanted to share a quick recap of my experience over the two days I attended to close out this thread.

Starting with the positives: the hotel was great and in a solid location. There was plenty of space for the size of the crowd, plus an outdoor area to hang out. Having food and a bar right in the lobby, where everyone naturally gathered, was also nice. I went in knowing a handful of people but was surprised to run into others I didn’t expect to see, which made it fun to catch up. It was also pretty cool seeing such a wide range of people into the same kink, it made the whole thing feel a bit less “out there.”

That said, I’d love to say it wasn’t cliquey, but it did have that vibe at times. Everyone was generally friendly, but you could tell some people stuck to their circles, which is pretty normal for events like this. Honestly, I was probably a bit guilty of that too, mostly sticking with people I knew and branching out here and there to folks I recognized from Discord or online, with mixed results. If you’re brand new, I’d definitely recommend connecting with people beforehand so you have a few familiar faces going in.

As a first-timer, the crowd during the raffle felt a bit overwhelming, though it did seem like a fun icebreaker. Basically, you put tickets in a box, a name gets drawn, and you have a conversation with that person, not necessarily to play. You also get your own box to see who put tickets in for you, which is a neat concept. For me, not knowing many people and hearing names called and applause while we were packed into the lobby was a bit of sensory overload. You could really feel how crowded the event was, especially there. That said, the few side classes and activities I attended were well-run and added to the overall experience.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing people and meeting a few new faces, but I don’t think it’s entirely my scene. I had two incredible sessions, one each day but afterward I was pretty drained and not really in the mood to socialize, which might just come from being more used to one-on-one settings.

All in all, the event was well organized and clearly put together with a lot of effort. Just sharing my personal experience, your mileage may vary. 🤘

 

[yinzer]

I'm really curious what the male/female and 'ler to 'lee ratio is. Something tells me the supply vs demand is way off there 😆 Still, sounds like a cool concept overall.

 

[butterflytickles]

I'm really curious what the male/female and 'ler to 'lee ratio is. Something tells me the supply vs demand is way off there 😆 Still, sounds like a cool concept overall.

As a female switch, it is pretty 50/50. It’s not like a bunch of lers around one lee. I’ve been to nest many times now and I don’t really have a clique lol I kinda just vibe with multiple groups.

 

[butterflytickles]

With my first Nest 2026 in the books, I wanted to share a quick recap of my experience over the two days I attended to close out this thread.

Starting with the positives: the hotel was great and in a solid location. There was plenty of space for the size of the crowd, plus an outdoor area to hang out. Having food and a bar right in the lobby, where everyone naturally gathered, was also nice. I went in knowing a handful of people but was surprised to run into others I didn’t expect to see, which made it fun to catch up. It was also pretty cool seeing such a wide range of people into the same kink, it made the whole thing feel a bit less “out there.”

That said, I’d love to say it wasn’t cliquey, but it did have that vibe at times. Everyone was generally friendly, but you could tell some people stuck to their circles, which is pretty normal for events like this. Honestly, I was probably a bit guilty of that too, mostly sticking with people I knew and branching out here and there to folks I recognized from Discord or online, with mixed results. If you’re brand new, I’d definitely recommend connecting with people beforehand so you have a few familiar faces going in.

As a first-timer, the crowd during the raffle felt a bit overwhelming, though it did seem like a fun icebreaker. Basically, you put tickets in a box, a name gets drawn, and you have a conversation with that person, not necessarily to play. You also get your own box to see who put tickets in for you, which is a neat concept. For me, not knowing many people and hearing names called and applause while we were packed into the lobby was a bit of sensory overload. You could really feel how crowded the event was, especially there. That said, the few side classes and activities I attended were well-run and added to the overall experience.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing people and meeting a few new faces, but I don’t think it’s entirely my scene. I had two incredible sessions, one each day but afterward I was pretty drained and not really in the mood to socialize, which might just come from being more used to one-on-one settings.

All in all, the event was well organized and clearly put together with a lot of effort. Just sharing my personal experience, your mileage may vary. 🤘

I don’t think we got to meet, but i am so glad that you had a good time! I’m also not cliquey so I get feeling on the outside sometimes.

 

[Anthdawg90]

I don’t think we got to meet, but i am so glad that you had a good time! I’m also not cliquey so I get feeling on the outside sometimes.

Haha always next year 🙃 I mostly spent time with Chrissie and Annie (the girl with the dog), and it was a blast. Getting the first one out of the way will definitely make things easier now that I have a better sense of how things flow and where I want to focus my attention.

 

[butterflytickles]

Haha always next year 🙃 I mostly spent time with Chrissie and Annie (the girl with the dog), and it was a blast. Getting the first one out of the way will definitely make things easier now that I have a better sense of how things flow and where I want to focus my

I love Chrissie and Annie! They are great! Charlee girl too! Sad Jake couldn’t make it. We used to hang out at the York Pa munches/play parties.

I almost went over again to say hi before the second raffle parade on Saturday afternoon. I was across the room from them. Anyway, yes, always next year! And I’m so glad you’ll be returning!