Most people, after experiencing their first EDM festival, have a completely different mindset from when first walking through the gates.
Do you remember how you felt after experiencing your first EDM event? You probably felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and unity – hence the term PLUR. Believing in peace, love, unity, and respect is a life philosophy where one becomes humbled by their experiences and overall state of consciousness.
After experiencing a few days of pure bliss, it’s almost impossible not to have a more positive outlook on life. Thus, one begins their journey to a higher state of mind by finding peace through meditation, EDM and yoga practices.
Yoga and live music are flourishing in classes, festivals and events across the globe.
In order to differentiate from the same old EDM event, more and more festivals are beginning to expand their gatherings by including workshops, yoga and other activities.
Music festivals are instilled with a sense of community and shared joy, providing a platform where people of all cultures and backgrounds can unite. Being a yogi provides a connection to self and a global movement of world peace. Attending a yoga class with local musicians is a unique opportunity to meet people, rejuvenate the soul, and find inspiration – on and off the mat.
What better way to establish lasting relationships with like-minded people than by unrolling your mat and listening to your favorite artists?
If you’re tired of going to the same old mainstream EDM festivals, here are 15 humbling music festivals where you can find inner peace through yoga, meditation, workshops and other fun classes.
AURA Music & Arts Festival
When: March 3-5, 2016 | Where: Live Oak, Florida | More Info: Official Website
What color is your aura? Find out by attending AURA Music & Arts Festival, which hosts an amazing Yoga and Healing Arts program that offers more than 20 classes and workshops throughout the weekend. In 2016, the program will present more than 25 classes and workshops, offering options on par with a full-scale yoga retreat. Directed by Joaquin Antonio, some of the classes include AcroYoga Immersion, Lazy Man’s Yoga, Crystal Bowl and Song Sound Healing, Using Essential Oils as Spiritual Tools, a variety of Flow Arts, and so much more!
In addition, the creative minds from Eagles Nest Outfitters are launching The Lotus Lounge, modeled after the iconic Lotus flower. The Lotus Lounge is a breathtaking, silver, circular sculpture focused on being an area of relaxation with the curved design mimicking the shape of a hammock. With the center of the lounge outfitted with a unique and innovative DJ booth, it’s the perfect place to sit back, vibe out and relax.
Since its inception in 2010, AURA Music & Arts Festival has stayed true to its mission of showcasing the best regional and national touring bands in the underground jam community and live-electronic scene. The vibe at AURA is surreal, having created a community of music, arts, culture and community by bringing fans together for a magical weekend of music, family and good times!
Wanderlust
When: Feb., June, July, and Aug. | Where: Various – US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand | More Info: Official Website
Wanderlust Festivals are all-out celebrations of mindful living that bring together exceptional yoga and meditation instructors, musicians, speakers, artists, and chefs for transformational retreats in the world’s most awe-inspiring natural resorts. Regardless of what starts you on your path, Wanderlust is an experience that will leave you different than when you came by offering new ideas, new friends, newly discovered abilities, and greater peace.
Music is the beating heart of Wanderlust Festivals, with the music being just as much about discovery as it is about seeing artists you know and love. Fans can revel in a wide variety of musicians in myriad settings, from epic main stage acts and intimate acoustic shows to the many performances accompanying yoga classes.
Whether you’re an experienced yogi, meditator or are brand new to your practice, there are classes for all levels and a wide variety of practice styles. Mix in meditation or relaxing yin classes or challenge yourself with something new like standup paddleboard or aerial yoga. Feel the energy of hundreds of yogis moving together in a flagship outdoor venue, practice at the top of a mountain, or drop into an intimate, indoor class.
This is an experience that seeps into your mind, body and soul. Unplug from the ordinary because adventure awaits!
Earth Frequency
When: Feb. 12-16, 2016 | Where: South East Queensland, Australia | More Info: Official Website
Earth Frequency is a four day music, arts, lifestyle and environmental festival with a strong focus on performance, visionary art, healing and community spirit. At Earth Frequency, you can always expect an amazing mixture of live and electronic music, performances, workshops, lectures, a family and kids space, a fantastic food and markets area, and of course, a positive community vibe. By focusing on creativity, community, connection, intention, and inspiration, the festival aims to exist as a multi-faceted gathering that educates, connects, heals and inspires.
A unique feature of the festival is the Frequency Village, a cultural village focused on transformational workshops, healing, speakers, panels, and experiences. The village is designed to raise the frequency of festival attendees through conscious content and evolutionary experiences, comprising of multiple realms. The Mind Node is dedicated to talks and experiential workshops focused on Environmental, Social, Futurist, Cultural, Conscious and Evolutionary themes; The Body Node focuses on Yoga, Dance, Movement, Martial Arts, Circus Arts and more; The Soul Node focuses on Healing, Ritual, Personal Development, Sound Technologies, Meditation, Inner Realms and Shamanic themes; while The Healing Node offers a private Healing Space with qualified therapists who provide holistic therapies, massages, Reiki, and more daily sessions by donation.
Nurtured by a beautiful Australian outdoor setting, Earth Frequency creates nothing short of a life changing, transformative experience that celebrates life with music, art and other creative forms. Check out an inspirational panel, catch an evolutionary speaker, immerse yourself in sacred sounds, learn a new life skill, get a massage, or join in for daily yoga. At Earth Frequency, there’s something for everybody!
Envision Festival
When: Feb 25-28, 2016 | Where: Uvita, Costa Rica | More Info: Official Website
Imagine a mix of conscious people from around the globe gathered to share an elevated experience of culture, spirit and community in stunning, raw nature. As a celebration dedicated to awakening human potential, Envision Festival provides a platform for different cultures to coexist in a sustainable community and inspire one another through art, spirituality, yoga, music, dance, performance, education, sustainability and a fundamental connection with nature.
In a magical place where rain-forested mountains meet the warm Pacific Ocean, Envision creates an event both inspired by and inspiring the collective consciousness for the betterment of ourselves and of the planet. With an array of keynote speakers and hands on permaculture and primitive skills development classes, the festival aims to teach how we relate to the Earth and to one another. In addition, they host a wide variety of yoga classes, located in two distinct yoga and movement temples.
By bringing people together through music, art and sacred movement in one of the most gorgeous natural settings on the planet, Envision offers an opportunity to celebrate spirits, heal the body and mind, and revitalize the soul to help handle challenges and realize the opportunities of our rapidly changing world.
Maitreya Festival
When: March 11th-14th 2016 | Where: Lake Wooroonook, Australia | More Info: Official Website
Maitreya Festival emerged from the cosmic counter culture Organic Superfood Soup Bowl with the intention of providing a global platform for investigation into the self, the setting within which we live, and the places we might be able to go together as a species of intrepid travelers and explorers. The festival brings one of the most immersive art experiences with an outdoor gallery, unbounded by walls, conventions, and definition, where art speaks directly to the mind, the eye, and the heart of the beholder, transforming physical and liminal landscapes alike.
At the Cosmic Healing Zone, attendees can participate in a global healing effort designed to focus the energy of the festival into productive ways to raise the consciousness of the planet. With free mind, body and spirit activities, attendees can unravel the mystery and share in understanding some of the connections that make us who we are.
A dance powered spaceship en route to another dimension of experience and wonder awaits those who join the journey. Come along with an open mind and heart – to share and learn, be entertained, connect, or just hang out down the rabbit hole in the most cosmic heart of the Maitreya Festival!
Lightning In A Bottle
When: May 25-30, 2016 | Where: Bradley, California | More Info: Official Website
Taking place over Memorial Day weekend, Lightning in a Bottle is a festival that celebrates art, music, performance, sustainability, and life. Located in the heart of the festival is The Lucent Temple of Consciousness, a sacred refuge, devoted to deepening understanding of self, science, ecology and phenomena and honoring our connection to spirit, Mother Earth, and all our relations. Attendees can get inspired by world renowned visionaries, wisdom keepers, master teachers, healers, activists, performers, and musicians. Everything offered in The Temple is designed to activate the body, expand the mind and open the heart.
If seeking balance and empowerment are what you seek, LIB hosts a broad array of yogic practices and movement classes that edify both heart and body with equal fervor. The Temple has two locations – OM and Namaste – dedicated to supporting the soul’s journey. In addition, The Meditation Nest, perched above The Temple, exists for those who want to explore a more contemplative and mindful perspective; not to mention, it’s the best view for nightly sunsets.
Boom Festival
When: Aug 11-18, 2016 | Where: Idanha-a-Nova Lake, Portugal | More Info: Official Website
Boom Festival is a unique celebration of telepathy, intuition, peace, art, sustainability, visionary culture and love. As an ongoing tradition, the festival is guided by the Full Moon of August and, due to its conscious shapeshifting and mutating properties, takes place every two years in order to sync with the truth of impermanence and the Full Moon. The idea is to create a space in this time continuum, where people from all over the world can live an alternate reality dedicated to free spirits.
Formerly known as the Healing area, The Being Fields offer a variety of physical and spiritual practices including yoga, meditation, sweat lodge rituals, transformational processes and more. The Being Fields provide a generous and diverse source of inspiration and new experiences, filled with education and inspiration that allow you to reconnect with yourself. It’s the perfect place to regain harmony of the body, mind and spirit, which are the foundations for a healthy human being and thus a healthy society in tune with Mother Nature.
Experience a whole world of people involved in the alternative, psychedelic and independent culture as they share what they’ve found inside the Conscious Fractal, the Wholeness, the Oneness, and the Truth. Don’t miss the chance to join this worldwide family in expanding consciousness and connectedness by nurturing your mind, soul and body, ultimately, creating a better self and a better world!
What The Festival
When: June 17-20, 2016 | Where: Dufur, Oregon | More Info: Official Website
Walk through an illuminated forest filled with art and experience the movement in more ways than one by attending What The Festival in Oregon. This illustrative music and arts festival includes activities taught by some of the best dance and movement instructors and performance artists in the Pacific Northwest. Past classes have included Bob Marley Yoga, Hoop Dancing, Moving Meditation, Poi and more.
Fans can also journey into the forest and lie under the stars to experience the Decked Out Cinema. Each night until dawn, attendees can watch independent films from all over the world and are guaranteed to see something you’ve never seen before. It’s the perfect place for those quiet moments when you need a breather from all the festival fun. Not to mention, there’s also a Hookah lounge, Silent Disco and Spa!
Conscious Culture Festival
When: June 17-19, 2016 | Where: Tonasket, Washington | More Info: Official Website
Washington’s ultimate Conscious Culture Festival brings together music, art and education that promotes equality, sustainability, justice, healthy living, organic farming, and an all-around conscious lifestyle. The event is a community effort involving local volunteer and professional staff who aim to cultivate lifelong relationships with its participants and improve the quality of life for everyone involved.
For three days, fans can immerse themselves into four stages of music, craft booths and free workshops centered in yoga, dance, drumming, Hooping, Reiki, and more. By creating experiences and memories that larger corporate driven festivals simply can’t provide, Conscious Culture Festival represents the long term success of all life on our planet.
Earthcore
When: Nov 24-28, 2016 | Where: Victoria, Australia | More Info: Official Website
Earthcore is Australia’s pioneering dance music, lifestyle, culture, and arts festival set on 1500 acres of pristine land only an hour drive from Melbourne. Over the course of five days, attendees can enjoy five stages of music, boutique camping, Fractured Reality Art Zones, Worlds Beyond Speakers Forum, a Kinky Karnival Freak Show, an Elemental Lifestyle City, mind bending art installations and so much more.
A unique aspect of Earthcore is that it consist of five distinct zones called the Elemental Planet, which is the epicenter of renewal. The water zone is an aquatic themed psychedelicious haven where the stream of ambient frequencies and down tempo rhythms uplift and wash over. The air zone is the province of the healing touch via hand, frequency, light and vibration. In the fire zone, you’ll find workshops in dance, movement, yogic and martial arts expression.
Venture into the dreamcatcher realm via the Spirit zone to connect with and reinvigorate the soul by entering a sacred space and enjoying a grounded experience through creativity and imagination. Embrace, learn and discover in the Earth zone, where an assortment of dedicated teachers, practitioners and speakers will encourage, provoke and explain their teachings and paradigms.
At Earthcore, you join a party experience outside of confined walls, beyond the artifacts and artifice and transport into a parallel universe dedicated to reconnecting with the spirit.
Big Dub Festival
When: July 26-30, 2016 | Where: Artemas, Pennsylvania | More Info: Official Website
Drift off the beaten path, hike up the mountain and camp on a farm when you attend Big Dub. Big Dub Festival is an annual art and music festival that brings 40 of the region’s biggest electronic dance dj’s to perform as well as hosting workshops, seminars and yoga.
Workshops this year will include yoga, introduction to fire arts, aerial arts, raver crafts, object manipulation and more. Become a part of a community based on trust, love and understanding while showing off your creativity in a space where you can truly express yourselves and entertain others. By discovering, arranging and relying on your own resources, the festival is all about stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing life like you have never done before.
Sziget Festival
When: Aug. 10-17, 2016 | Where: Budapest, Hungary | More Info: Official Website
Having won the award for Best European Lineup by the European Festival Awards and crowned twice as Best Major Festival, Sziget Festival in Budapest is one of the biggest music and arts festival in Europe. Over seven days, the festival attracts more than 400,000 festival visitors from around the world and believes that providing countless quality programs can change the concept of festivals, making the experience a much broader adventure.
In its 24th year, The Island of Freedom celebrates music, art, theatre, dance and more based on principles of freedom and tolerance. Here, the festival gives the opportunity to young creative minds to present their ideas and show off their talent by transforming the Island of Freedom into a magical world where music and dancing, joy and happiness, love and friendship spread like wildfire. In the Art of Freedom area, you’ll find spectacular installations, colorful sculptures, unique art projects, and stunning and amazing visuals.
If you venture into the Sziget Artzone, one of the most magical places of the festival, you can be inspired or revive your inspirations by creating a piece of art. Afterwards, relax with an Ashtanga Yoga class where you’ll practice the first series of Ashtanga (a type of yoga based on eight principles and consisting of a series of poses executed in swift succession, combined with deep, controlled breathing), but only until Navasana. It’s a great recreation to search for new adventures and refill your energy.
Sziget is more than just a festival; it’s a place to meet, make new friends and fall in love with yourself and with each other.
Earthdance Florida
When: Sept. 16-18, 2016 | Where: Lakeland Maddox Ranch, Florida | More Info: Official Website
Established in 1997, Earthdance is an art, music, energy co-creation, and global synchronized dance for peace. The festival is dedicated to growing an international network of event producers and communities that connect globally and act locally to implement real solutions for peace, sustainability and social justice. Join in on a collective journey of self-fulfilling bliss in a limitless creative landscape of love as the Spirit of Oneness thrives and everyone recognizes each other as equal, sacred and divine.
Earthdance Florida creates a themed landscape tale where people can come together to be co-creators in a story that heightens creativity, brings people closer together and transforms lives. Everyone is a part of the story, from performers to staff to vendors and participants, all are invited to become a part of a cosmic web, banded together to spread love in infinite directions through natural creative forces.
Earthdance is now the largest, global synchronized dance event in history with hundreds of locations taking place in 60 countries. For this one spectacular weekend in September, all around the globe, people join together to dance as one global community, united with a common vision for peace and humanitarian aims. Every event across the globe recites a Prayer for Peace, a profound moment that unites the intentions for World Peace, at the same moment – morning in the Australian rainforest, afternoon in California, dusk in Florida, midnight in London, and sunrise over the Himalayas.
Give Peace a Dance by attending Earthdance!
Lucidity Festival
When: April 8-10, 2016 | Where: Santa Barbara, California | More Info: Official Website
Close your eyes, open your mind and awake in a lucid dream experience. Lucidity is an open-source transformational arts and music festival where the festival experience is co-created by the attendees. By bringing together a world class lineup of music and weaving them together with the sounds and vibrations of local legends, Lucidity offers a little of something for everyone. At Lucidity, you can get involved with one of seven themed villages, bring art, lead and/ or participate in a workshop, spark a spontaneous flash mob, and more.
The festival’s name alludes to lucid dreams where you can explore the mystery of your conscious by participating in an experimental Lucid Dream course. The course teaches attendees how to reconnect to their dreams and ultimately, how to master the ability to become awake while in them. “When we become lucid in our dreams, we realize ourselves as infinite potential, we let go of fear, and we are free to create that which we want to see in the world.” Bring those visions, those possibilities, and that delicious conscious energy with you to Lucidity and wake up in the dream!
Express your “divine nature” and be more in charge of your “life direction” by participating in Ascended Reiki (a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient’s body and restore physical and emotional well-being) classes. During these trainings, attendees receive personal attainments along with hands-on instruction on the basic art of transmitting healing energy to the self and others. In the Second Level, attendees learn how to use Reiki symbols in distant healing, sending healing energy forward in time, backward in time and across space supporting any past traumas to be healed and clearing the way for now and future vitality. In short, Reiki rewrites the cellular memory with Ascended Light!
The festival also includes galleries filled with brilliant fine art making the festival a visual voyage. With art installations that pleasure participants with multi-sensory stimulation and themed environments that create intimate settings, it’s the perfect place for making personal connections.
Kinnection Campout
When: May 19-22, 2016 | Where: Deerfield, North Carolina | More Info: Official Website
Gather in the southern Appalachian temperate rainforest for the fifth installment of Kinnection Campout where the mission is to bring people together for the purpose of enlivening the soul, strengthening interconnectedness and deepening the experience of walking on this planet. The gathering offers four days of music, art, workshops, and ceremony, providing the foundation for lasting connections, new skillsets and celebrating shared humanity.
Kinnection Campout is a distinct experiment in community living and village building, teaching all sorts of lessons and giving attendees a taste of what is possible in a community. These gatherings, in essence, are temporary autonomous villages that are created to live in together for a short period of time. As a small symbolic step towards “rekinnecting” with the natural forces upon which all life depends – Earth, water, fire, air – the festival has chosen the timeless Elemental theme for the four major spaces of the gathering.
The festival’s intention is to offer a vehicle for accelerated evolution on the path to becoming a more grounded, compassionate and thriving community capable of anchoring in a new way of being and relating on this planet. They model a form of collective celebration that is healthy, regenerative and healing for ourselves and the planet by re- integrating indigenous wisdom and teachings into our modern worldview and lifestyles. Ultimately, these gatherings are distinct experiments in community living and village building, teaching us all sorts of lessons and giving us a taste of what is possible in community.
