Paul van Dyk debuts ‘The Essence Of Acid’ at Dreamstate SoCal 2026
The trance pioneer launches his immersive concept in Long Beach. The show kicks off a world tour built around acid.
Paul van Dyk will unveil ‘The Essence Of Acid’, a fully immersive live concept, at Dreamstate SoCal 2026. The worldwide debut is set for Saturday, 21 November at the Queen Mary Waterfront in Long Beach. The show launches a forthcoming world tour built entirely around the concept.
The performance relies on a live electronic setup, with Paul handling hardware rather than a traditional DJ rig. It features brand‑new material, acid‑focused compositions, live reinterpretations of catalogue favourites and specially rebuilt versions of recognizable tracks, all paired with circuitry‑inspired visuals and waveform imagery.
The concept pays tribute to Roland’s iconic TB‑303, TR‑808 and TR‑909, reinforcing Paul’s long‑standing link with Dreamstate, which began at the inaugural 2015 edition. Previously he teamed with Aly & Fila on the official 2025 Dreamstate anthem ‘Is This Only a Dream?’, and has explored acid in tracks such as ‘Acid’, ‘ACID TRAXXX’ and ‘Filthy Acid’.
