South Africa · Since 1994
More than a festival.A way of life.
“Since the beginning of time mankind has used music and dance to commune with the Spirit of Nature and the Spirit of the Universe... We are using Trance Music and the Trance Dance Experience to set off a chain reaction in Consciousness...”
01What Vortex is
A shared experience.Together we are one.
Vortex Trance Adventures are engineered experiences, by multiple sets of consciousness to create conditions that are favourable to the expansion of awareness.
Music
The shared pulse
Nature
The living venue
Community
The collective force
Participation
Everyone contributes
02The origin
One love.One energy.
Vortex was born on the 24th November 1994, a Party called The Essence Of Fluorescence, location, a warehouse in Woodstock, in the very year that South Africa was embracing Freedom & rejoicing in the birth of a new era, a truly magical & special time in African History, guided by a true visionary of Peace, Love, Unity & Respect, Nelson Mandela.
03The legacy
Three decadesin motion.
Psychedelic Trance is a way of life, a way of living that teaches us the beauty of the world and our relationship to it. Trance parties for us are about the connection of the conscious whole through the expression of dance & only the unified true intentions of the participants, organizers & musicians allow this to take place.
1995
First Alien Safari, with Conscious Dreams
1996
Silverstroom
2010
Easter gathering
Today
Open Source
A living record, not a museum. Photography from the Vortex archive.
04The ethos
Peace. Love.Unity. Respect.
PLUR — The Essence of Dance-Culture
01
Peace
Is the core of energy found within ourselves when we let go of all our fears. We have a loss of interest in judging ourselves and those around us. We tend to think and act spontaneously, enjoying each moment as we appreciate everything and smile through the eyes, from the heart.
02
Love
We all long for love, understanding and acceptance. We can only truly give and receive love once we have gained acceptance and peace within ourselves. Our actions of love towards others all stem from the love we have for ourselves.
03
Unity
Is what happens when a group of people, who have peace, experience their love for themselves and each other, creating a oneness within the group.
04
Respect
The attitude you reach because of Peace, Love and Unity. This allows an environment of freedom of choice. You allow yourself the freedom to be yourself as you allow others the freedom and space to be themselves.
05The festival worlds
Choose yourVortex experience.
Open Source and Phoenix are two expressions of one worldview held every year in celebration of the solstices.
Summer · Sun · Connection
Open Source
18–20 December 2026
Tickets on sale
Winter · Fire · Rebirth
Phoenix Festival of Fire
25–27 June 2027
Dates confirmed
06Beyond the weekend
The experience ends.The impact remains.
A gathering should leave the place and the people around it better than it found them.
01
Local first
Staging, sound, security, catering and market traders are hired locally wherever possible.
02
Temporary by design
Everything built for a festival is taken down again. Nothing permanent is added to the landscape.
03
Land that needs the work
Vortex looks for sites carrying alien-vegetation infestations, and clears them at its own cost.
04
Leave no trace
The site goes home cleaner than it arrived — and clearing up after yourself is part of what visitors are asked to do.
05
Safety, properly resourced
Qualified medical and fire standby, professional event security, public liability cover and municipal compliance at every event.
The journey continues
Two worlds.One Vortex.
Start with the story. Then choose the gathering that calls you.