LONG BEACH, CA - Get ready dreamers, Dreamstate SoCal is just around the corner! With so many incredible artists to choose from, it can be challenging to choose which sets you want to see.
There’s no right or wrong way to plan your weekend, and you can always just go with the flow. But if I could recommend one thing to every festivalgoer, it would be to catch at least one set from an artist you’ve never heard of, and another from an artist you may not get the chance to see again.
Whether or not you’ve planned your Dreamstate weekend, we wanted to give you a closer look at what makes this year’s lineup so special. These artists either rarely tour North America, are making their Dreamstate debut, or are bringing a one-of-a-kind set this year. Here are ten acts that will be a rare treat for trance and psytrance lovers at Dreamstate SoCal 2026!
1) Above & Beyond (Anjunabeats Classics Set)
Above & Beyond are no strangers to Dreamstate or to touring the U.S., thanks to their huge following in the trance community. But this set is something different, and in 2026 it’s a unique one: a trip through the Anjunabeats classics and anthems. If you're part of the Anjuna family, or have been a fan of Above & Beyond since their early days, then this set is a MUST.
Known to fans around the world as Jono, Tony, and Paavo, Above & Beyond have been at the forefront of trance and progressive house for over 25 years. They founded the influential Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep, and Anjunachill labels and host the weekly Group Therapy radio show. The trio has received two GRAMMY™️nominations for “Northern Soul” (feat. Richard Bedford) and “We’re All We Need” (feat. Zoë Johnston). In 2018, their fourth electronic album, Common Ground, debuted at number three on the Billboard 200
2) Kaufmann
Berlin-Based techno and trance artist Kaufmann will be making her Dreamstate SoCal debut this year. Raised on Germany’s rave scene, Kaufmann channels the energy she soaked up in clubs, festivals, warehouses, and parties beneath motorway bridges. Her releases and sets move fluidly from techno to trance, always charged with intense energy and psychedelic textures. She has been DJing for over 10 years, and producing music since 2020.
3) Lee Ann Roberts
Lee Ann Roberts plays Dreamstate SoCal for the first time this year, bringing gritty, intense techno to the stage. The South African-born, Amsterdam-based artist incorporates soul and subtlety to even the hardest techno. She has become a major force on the global scene, touring prolifically across the globe, and bringing her hard-hitting techno sets to key destinations spanning Ibiza, London, Tokyo, and Mexico City, alongside major dance music hubs across almost every continent . Her NowNow record label, named for a South African phrase meaning “soon,” is a self-reliant home for her sound and a nudge to give in to the moment and let the music lead.
4) Maria Healy
Irish trance producer Maria Healy is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling female artists currently in the scene. Over the past ten years, she has consistently delivered captivating releases on esteemed labels like Subculture, Kearnage, Future Sound of Egypt, GO Music, Regenerate, and Vandit. Her tracks regularly land in the sets of John O’Callaghan, Bryan Kearney, Giuseppe Ottaviani, and Paul van Dyk. A fixture on the trance touring circuit, she has played A State of Trance, Subculture, Luminosity, Trance Sanctuary, Liberation, and Cream, and earned IDMA nominations for Best Female Artist in 2019 and 2020.
She recently delivered an exhilarating set on the Quantum Valley stage at EDC Las Vegas 2026, and now she’s set to make her Dreamstate SoCal debut in November.
5) Neelix
Neelix is an incredibly talented and versatile German producer who masterfully pairs psychedelic influences with pop hooks and a European-leaning edge. Playfully blending elements of progressive psytrance, progressive trance, and electro, the distinct, signature "Neelix sound" could be considered its own genre.
His clean, addictive, and energizing productions have brought Neelix to the forefront of the international circuit. He regularly headlines dozens of leading psytrance festivals, including Boom Festival and Universo Paralello, and is also often featured at broader EDM events like Tomorrowland and Parookaville.
He has made a huge name for himself at festivals and clubs around the world, but is less known stateside, even though he has played major US festivals like EDC Las Vegas. Neelix hasn't performed in California since Dreamstate SoCal 2018, so this is a rare opportunity to catch one of his high-energy and unique sets.
6) Paul Van Dyk Presents: Essence of Acid
Electronic music legend Paul van Dyk will unveil his newest live concept, The Essence of Acid, for the first time anywhere at Dreamstate SoCal 2026. The show centers on a live electronic setup, with van Dyk working alongside the gear behind its sound. The set blends brand-new material, acid-focused originals, live reinterpretations of catalogue cuts, and recognizable tracks rebuilt for the occasion.
The Essence of Acid is going global on tour, but its first-ever unveiling at the world’s trance destination makes this opening night a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
7) Phaxe
Phaxe – the musical project of Danish producer Kevin Josefsen – has been shaping the progressive and psytrance landscape since 2007. Known for his seamless blends of atmospheric melodies, crisp grooves and emotional depth, Phaxe turns every set into a story that pulls dancers into flow and keeps them there.
His songs and remixes bring an immersive, expansive and cinematic sound to the stage, making Phaxe a crowd favorite at psytrance gatherings and EDM festivals around the world like VooV Experience, Indian Spirit, Airbeat One and many more.
Make sure to catch Phaxe for his first ever Dreamstate SoCal performance.
8) The Rocketman
The Rocketman awakened on Earth during the pandemic in 2019 and has since been bringing his signature shows and music, blending Techno, Rave and 90s sounds, to audiences worldwide. Donning an astronaut helmet and a stylish space suit, this anonymous DJ brings nostalgic sounds to the decks, but with a fresh twist.
This will be The Rocketman's first Dreamstate SoCal appearance. According to concertarchives.org, most of his past shows took place in the Netherlands and across Europe, so this will be a special opportunity to catch one of his sets stateside.
9) Sighter
Sighter, known off-stage as Bernardo Patussi Buffé, is an aggressive-melodic psytrance and progressive trance DJ and producer from Brazil. Originally from the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul, he has been making waves in the global electronic music scene.
Sighter has remixed and collaborated with several other psytrance acts that have graced the Dreamstate SoCal stage, such as Vegas, Omiki, Blazy, and Neelix. If you like any of those acts, then you'll probably also enjoy Sighter. This will be Sighter's first major U.S. festival and Dreamstate SoCal performance, so you won't want to miss this one!
10) Warp Brothers
Chart-topping German duo Warp Brothers have been going hard since 1999. Their style in the early days ranged from house, trance, breakbeat and electro, but their more recent music encompasses hard techno, hard trance and psytrance.
This will be their first time playing Dreamstate SoCal ever. The last documented USA performance of Warp Brothers that I could find online was in 2008, so this seems like a rare chance to catch them live.
More to Discover at Dreamstate
Dreamstate SoCal 2026 has far more to offer than these ten acts, so take time to explore the full lineup and let a few unfamiliar names surprise you. The festival’s regulars such as Aly + Fila, Astrix, Infected Mushroom, Alpha 9, Ilan Bluestone, Vini Vici, and many more, return to Dreamstate SoCal often for good reason, and they’re every bit as worth seeing. However you plan your weekend, follow the music and enjoy the ride.
Full By-Day Dreamstate SoCal 2026 Lineup
Want to know when each of these artists takes the stage? Keep an eye on Electric Feels for set times and all the details you need. In the meantime, browse the by-day lineup to see who’s playing each night.
