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About Ecstatic Dance Festival UK
Ecstatic Dance London has been running sober ecstatic dance events in the UK since 2009.
Ecstatic Dance Festival launched in Portugal in 2018 and 2019, and has been held in the UK since 2022.
Movement - Music - Community
About Ecstatic Dance Festival UK
A sober, consent-based gathering of dance, live music, movement and well-being, held in the Dorset countryside.
Ecstatic Dance Festival UK is a multi-day immersive festival devoted to ecstatic dance, conscious movement, music, nature connection, and holistic wellbeing. You’re invited into a warm, down-to-earth space where people dance fully, rest properly, and connect without pressure.
You can come for the full festival (5 days) or join for the weekend.
This is not a party festival.
It’s a carefully held container: alcohol-free, drug-free, and phone-free in dance and workshop spaces — designed to support presence, respect, and real participation.
A Conscious Gathering
In Nature
Set on 18 acres of land at The Leela Centre in Dorset, the festival offers both structure and spaciousness. There are beautiful indoor dance and workshop spaces (with solid sound systems), plus the option to dance outdoors and around the campfire when the weather allows.
People come for many reasons: to move more freely, to reconnect with their body, to deepen a practice they already love, or simply to spend a few days in nature with good music and kind humans.
Movement - Music - Community
What You Can Expect
A vibrant programme designed to inspire, nourish, and ground you — without the intensity or performance culture of mainstream festivals. Across the days you’ll find:
Ecstatic dance journeys and DJ-led movement sessions (multiple sessions)
Live music, including the URUBU Dance Tribe (Afro-Brazilian musicians)
Yoga, guided meditations, breathwork, bioenergetics, and active meditations
Gong baths, sound journeys, and singing
Saunas and cold plunges, including sauna rituals and women-only sessions
- Cacao ceremonies
- Massage and bodywork (additional cost, sign-ups on the festival noticeboard)
Nature walks and grounding practices
Shared vegetarian meals (we all eat together at set meal times)
A café / healthy bar for coffee, cake, and extra treats
Plenty of downtime: comfy sofas, relaxed hangouts, and space to integrate
Whether this is your first conscious dance gathering or part of your rhythm already, you’ll find a welcoming atmosphere and a culture that values respect and realness over “trying to get it right”.
Movement - Music - Community
What Is Ecstatic Dance?
Ecstatic dance is a freeform movement practice where people dance without choreography, conversation, or intoxicants.
There are no steps to learn and no expectation to “perform”. The invitation is simple: listen to your body, follow the music, and move in the way that feels true — whether that’s subtle, wild, playful, emotional, quiet, sweaty, or all of the above.
Many people love ecstatic dance because it can be both personal and communal at the same time: you’re doing your own journey, while being held by a shared atmosphere.
How the Dance Is Held
We keep a few simple agreements because they make a big difference to how safe and connected the space feels.
Ecstatic Dance guidelines include:
No talking on the dancefloor
Alcohol-free, drug-free, smoke-free container
No personal photos or videos in dance/workshop spaces (phones away and muted)
Respect for the space and each other
No spectating — everyone is invited into their own dance
Consent always (ask before touching)
This is not a pick-up space
If you’re new, don’t worry — these guidelines are there to support you, not catch you out. There’s also a visible crew and safeguarding team on-site if you need help at any point.
A Festival Built With Experience
Since 2009
Ecstatic Dance London has been running sober conscious dance events in the UK since 2009. Over the years we’ve hosted regular classes, events, retreats and festivals — learning what helps groups feel both free and well-held.
Ecstatic Dance Festival launched in Portugal in 2018 and 2019, and has been held in the UK since 2022. It’s become a gathering people travel for — because of the music, the land, the practices, and the community that forms when everyone agrees to the same shared culture.
About the Festival Name (Trademark)
Ecstatic dance as a practice is open source and belongs to everyone. We love that there are so many dances and communities across the UK and beyond.
The trademark applies only to the specific festival name Ecstatic Dance Festival®. It exists to protect clarity and prevent confusion about this particular event — and to honour the long-term energy, resources, and community care that have gone into building it.
This protection doesn’t stop anyone from creating their own festivals or gatherings under different names. It simply helps people know which event they’re booking.
If you have questions about this, we’re happy to talk.
Your Facilitators
Seth Newman
Host - DJ - Workshop Facilitator
Diana Upite
Host - Organiser - Workshop Facilitator
Applications Open
Co-Create With Us
Applications are now open to co-create this year’s programme.
We’re inviting ecstatic dance DJs, musicians, facilitators, performers, yoga and sound practitioners, and bodyworkers / massage therapists to bring their work into the heart of the festival.
Apply by 1 April 2026