North America’s largest trance music festival, Dreamstate SoCal 2026, is set to host the worldwide debut of electronic music legend Paul van Dyk’s newest live performance concept, The Essence of Acid. The pioneering artist will bring the immersive new production to the historic Queen Mary Waterfront in Long Beach, California, on Saturday, November 21.
Built around a live electronic setup, The Essence of Acid will see Paul van Dyk perform alongside the hardware used to shape the show’s sound. The performance will feature exclusive new material, acid-driven compositions, live reinterpretations of select catalog tracks, and recognizable records rebuilt specifically for the new concept.
The hardware at the heart of the performance will also play a major role in its visual identity. Paul van Dyk will perform with the Boutique Series, a collection centered around the iconic TB-303, TR-808, and TR-909 machines. The accompanying visual language will draw inspiration from circuitry, oscilloscopes, waveforms, and other elements of analog electronic production, with lighting, screens, lasers, and stage elements evolving in tandem with the music.
Known for celebrating the history, evolution, and future of trance and electronic music, Dreamstate provides the ideal setting for the concept’s worldwide debut. The Essence of Acid will explore acid’s influence across electronic music, incorporating the distinctive sound of the Roland TB-303 alongside synthesizers, drum machines, sequencers, and effects.
The concept’s emphasis on acid also reflects Dreamstate’s longstanding commitment to celebrating the sounds and innovations that have shaped trance culture while championing the artists pushing the genre forward.
Paul van Dyk has remained one of electronic music’s most influential figures for more than three decades. His relationship with Dreamstate dates back to the festival’s inaugural edition in 2015, when he performed at the very first Dreamstate SoCal. His return with The Essence of Acid represents a natural continuation of that relationship, particularly given the established role acid has played throughout his catalog.
Rather than simply revisiting acid’s history, the new production looks to translate its distinctive sonic character into a fully realized contemporary live experience. The combination of analog hardware, newly created material, reworked classics, and synchronized visual production is designed to showcase the enduring influence of acid while placing van Dyk’s own artistic evolution at the center.
Dreamstate SoCal 2026 will take place Friday, November 20, and Saturday, November 21, at the Queen Mary Waterfront in Long Beach, California. Two-day and single-day GA tickets, along with 21+ VIP tickets, are currently on sale.