A large daylight crowd dancing beneath blue and white shade sails strung between tall trees, with the gathering stretching back into the forest behind them

Open Source

A Gathering in Nature

Three days of psychedelic music, art and community beneath the Cape summer sky.

Buy festival tickets on Quicket

Dates

18–20 December 2026

Where

Karoo 62 Escape

Western Cape, South Africa

Status

Tickets on sale

01About Open Source

One dance floor. One energy. One love.

Open Source is the annual psychedelic music, art and dance gathering from Vortex Trance Adventures, in collaboration with Interzone Records — three decades of Vortex gatherings brought to a single dance floor in the Karoo for the summer solstice.

New-school and old-school journey DJs play four-hour sets: shaded by day, open to the stars by night, with the bass deep and the music psychedelic throughout.

The official Open Source 2026 artwork: an ornamental mandala over a magenta and blue nebula, a geometric spacecraft crossing the frame, framed by an engraved border
Open Source 2026 — official artwork

It runs on peace, love, unity and respect — freedom of expression, connection through music and dance, and three days immersed in the indigenous bush of a private nature reserve.

02Three days on one dance floor

TheExperience

  1. Sprinkler mist drifting over the wood-chip forest dancefloor in daylight, the crowd dancing through it
  2. Daytime dancefloor crowd beneath a psychedelic canopy, framed by the stage arch and summer trees
  3. Panoramic archive frame from Silverstroom 1996: the crowd dancing in daylight before scaffold stage towers hung with psychedelic banners
  4. Festival-goers swimming and resting on a shaded riverbank beside the camp, a small raft crossing the water
  5. DJ playing beneath a projection-mapped stage as green and red lasers fan out over the crowd
  6. Night dancefloor beneath swirling UV-lit canopy sails, string-art sculptures glowing and a mandala stage at the far end

The Frequency

  1. Tsuyoshi SuzukiJapan
  2. CreatorSwitzerland
  3. WyndhamCape Town
  4. DJ Craig ACape Town
  5. Digital KarmaCape Town
  6. PardusGarden Route
  7. TyroGarden Route
  8. Grant VortexFree State
  9. Roxy PowersFree State
  10. Special mystery guests

03Before you arrive

KnowBefore You Go

The place

The venue

Karoo 62 Escape is a private nature reserve in the foothills of the Western Cape Karoo, along Route 62.

Indigenous bush, wildlife and birdlife, scenic trails and mountain views — and a night sky far enough from the city to be worth staying up for.

On site

Facilities and activities

The dance floor

  • Shaded dance floor
  • Funktion-One sound
  • International décor
  • Visionary art gallery

On site

  • Swimming pool
  • Licensed bar
  • Food stalls
  • Craft stalls
  • Clothing stalls
  • Chill areas
  • VIP glamping areas

Comfort and safety

  • Serviced flush toilets
  • Hot showers
  • Safe and secure parking
  • Professional security
  • Professional medical support

In the reserve

  • Game drives
  • Sunset drives
  • Stargazing
  • Hiking
  • Trail running
  • Mountain biking
  • 4x4 tracks
  • Bird watching
  • Archery

Staying over

Includes festival tickets

Traveller Tented Camp

Pre-set-up canvas glamping across the three festival nights, with festival tickets included.

  • Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
  • Festival tickets included
  • Flush toilets and hot showers
  • 24-hour security
  • Two camping chairs per tent
  • On-site camping support

  • Chalets

    Self-catering chalets sleeping roughly four to six, with an open-plan lounge and kitchenette.

    • Fridge, microwave, stove, kettle and toaster
    • Cutlery, crockery and a dining table
    • Braai area
    • Wi-Fi

  • Bush Motel units

    Comfortable sleeping pods with two single beds and shared facilities.

    • Charging points, bedside table and lamp
    • Shared ablution facilities
    • Shared fire-pit and braai areas

  • A-Frame cabins

    Insulated wooden cabins for two, with bedding included.

    • Two single beds, bedding included
    • No electricity
    • Shared ablution facilities

  • Gypsy Caravan Village

    Refurbished caravans for two, set in the natural surroundings.

    • Private shared ablutions
    • Braai area

Booked separately

Accommodation and add-ons are booked through their own providers, not with your festival ticket.

Before you come

Conditions of entry

  • No persons under 18. Identification may be requested.
  • No illegal weapons, no illegal substances, no glass and no fireworks.
  • Zero litter — leave no trace.
  • Right of admission reserved.
  • Fires are permitted only in the designated communal fire pits.
  • Participation is at the attendee's own risk. The organisers and the venue disclaim responsibility for injury, death, loss or damage to persons, vehicles or belongings.

Contact

04Tickets via Quicket

JoinThe Circle

  • Early Bird

    R1,200 plus booking fee

    Until 1 October 2026

  • Full Festival

    R1,400 plus booking fee

  • Tickets include camping with facilities.
  • Gates open at 10:00 on Friday.
  • No tickets are sold at the gate, and there are no Sunday-only tickets.
  • Strictly 18 and over. Identification may be requested.
Buy festival tickets on Quicket
Forest canopy at night lit blue, yellow and purple, with dreamcatchers strung between the trees

The other side of the Vortex year

Phoenix Festival of Fire

25–27 June 2027

Dates confirmed