Universo Paralello in Bahia is the big one, but it is not alone: the psytrance festivals from late November 2026 to early January 2027, with dates, places and packing tips.
The biggest psytrance festival over New Year 2026/27 is Universo Paralello on Praia de Pratigi in Bahia, Brazil, from 27 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. It only happens every two years, so this is the winter to go.
Around it, the southern summer has more to offer: two festivals in South Africa, one night in Rio and a one-day event on Koh Phangan in January. Here are all the dates we have confirmed, as of October 2026, plus what to pack when your New Year festival is in midsummer heat instead of snow.
| Dates | Festival | Place | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27–29 Nov 2026 | Twilight Festival | Hekpoort, South Africa | 3 days |
| 12 Dec 2026 | High Nature Festival | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | From 20:00 |
| 18–20 Dec 2026 | Vortex Open Source | Near Ladismith, South Africa | 3 days |
| 27 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 | Universo Paralello | Ituberá, Bahia, Brazil | 9 days |
| 6 Jan 2027 | Sola Luna Waterfall Festival | Koh Phangan, Thailand | 1 day |
Dates can still shift, so check the official channels before you book flights. You can browse everything else on our December and January festival pages.
After the holidays the calendar stays quiet until March. HillTop in Goa usually runs in early February, but its 2027 dates are not announced yet. Then Rainbow Spirit (5–8 March), Tribal Gathering (5–22 March) and Flor da Vida (13–14 March) open the next season.
Universo Paralello started in 2000 in Chapada dos Veadeiros and today takes place on Praia de Pratigi, a beach in the municipality of Ituberá. The official site bills 2026/27 as the 19th edition. It runs every two years over New Year; the previous edition began on 27 December 2024. One travel guide gives 3 January as the last day, so confirm the end date on the official site before you book your flight home.
Seven stages cover psytrance, including darkpsy, plus techno, house and chillout. Around the floors you find workshops, yoga, meditation, a healing area, art installations and a psycare team. Attendance estimates range from about 24,000 (Ituberá's mayor) to more than 30,000 (a travel guide). The crowd mixes Brazilians and international visitors, many of them festival veterans.
Getting there takes planning. The nearest airport is Ilhéus (IOS), and from there you continue by road; a car is recommended. Camping is included with the ticket, and there are glamping, car-camping and campervan options. One cost to factor in: Ituberá has introduced an environmental fee (TUPI) of R$ 200 for non-resident attendees, which the organizers have publicly objected to. As of October 2026 we had not seen official ticket lots for this edition, so watch universoparalello.org. Our overview of psytrance festivals in Brazil has more on the scene.
South Africa runs two camping weekends before Christmas. Twilight Festival comes first, on 27–29 November 2026. It is version 27 of a festival run by Teknotribe Events, at Pecan Bush Lodge in Hekpoort, about 90 minutes from Johannesburg. The music follows the clock: progressive psytrance by day, darker sets with darkpsy at night. Late November is the start of Gauteng's thunderstorm season, so expect heat by day and a real chance of heavy rain. The nearest airport is Lanseria (HLA), and tickets are sold through Webtickets.
Vortex Open Source follows on 18–20 December 2026. Vortex Trance Adventures has been running outdoor trance events since 1994, and Open Source is its summer festival. It now takes place at Karoo 62, a private reserve in the semi-desert Klein Karoo near Ladismith, about four hours by road from Cape Town. Expect full-on and progressive psytrance with chillout as the counterweight, and a crowd of locals and long-time regulars. In 2019, at its previous site near Riviersonderend, about 7,000 campers came. Fly into Cape Town (CPT) and drive; we could not find a confirmed shuttle. Vortex also co-presents a New Year's Eve event, Little Forest Festival, for which we have no dates.
If you spend December in Rio, High Nature Festival is on Saturday 12 December 2026, starting at 20:00. It is the 6th-anniversary edition of the yearly outdoor festival by the Rio crew High Nature Produções, which also runs the club night Afterzinho Psyclub. The venue is the sítio Clube Professorado Campestre, a country property; despite the name, you dance outdoors. The music is 100% psytrance. The 2026 edition also offers a registration form for a kids' area. As of October 2026, online ticket sales were shown as ended, so follow the crew's official link page. Galeão (GIG) is the airport.
Sola Luna usually celebrates New Year on the beach at Khanom. For 2026/27 the organizers cancelled the Khanom edition, citing costs and weak ticket sales. In its place, a one-day Sola Luna Waterfall Festival takes place on Koh Phangan on 6 January 2027, with four stages and around 30 artists. The sound is progressive and full-on psytrance with chill-out music. If you already hold a Khanom ticket, you can choose a refund or a transfer to a VIP ticket for the Waterfall Festival. Venue details for Koh Phangan are on the official website.
December is midsummer in Brazil and South Africa. That changes your packing list more than you might think if you only know European festivals.
New to all this? Our first-timer guide covers the basics, and the worldwide festival overview helps you plan the rest of the year.
From 27 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 on Praia de Pratigi in Ituberá, Bahia. One travel guide gives 3 January as the last day, so confirm on the official site.
No. It takes place every two years over New Year. The previous edition began on 27 December 2024.
Not on the beach. The Khanom edition is cancelled; instead there is a one-day Sola Luna Waterfall Festival on Koh Phangan on 6 January 2027.
High Nature Festival in Rio (12 December), Vortex Open Source in South Africa (18–20 December) and Universo Paralello in Brazil, which starts on 27 December.
Sun protection, a refillable water bottle, shade for your camp and a tent that handles a summer storm. For beach sites, add sand pegs and a dry bag for electronics.
The biggest psytrance festivals in the world, a calendar of confirmed dates for 2026/27 and every festival in our guide by region, with paused and cancelled ones clearly marked.
Universo Paralello over New Year, weekend open airs in São Paulo state and Rio: every Brazilian psytrance festival in our guide, with confirmed dates, status and how to get there.
Why fresh ears catch what you miss, how to ask for useful feedback, what the dance floor tells DJs and producers, and why giving feedback matters too.