Ancient Future
Gathering
Remember · Envision · Embody
- Calling in the global tribe -
This is not just a festival.
It is a convergence point for culture, community, and the people actively shaping The future.
27. - 30. August 2026
Pápa, Hungary
(1hr to Bratislava - 2hrs to Vienna - 2hrs to Budapest)
What we are creating
This Gathering is a 4-day international meeting point, a space where we come together through music, dance, ceremony, and community to remember the beautiful future we already carry within us.
It’s a collaboration between the Ecstatic Dance crews of Vienna, Slovakia, and Budapest, weaving together our communities and opening a shared field that reaches beyond borders, rooted in connection rather than separation and in cooperation rather than competition.
What we are creating is a hybrid of festival, retreat, and ceremonial container, a time-out-of-time space where something deeper can emerge.
We are living through a time of transition. Old structures are shifting. New ones are not yet fully formed.
We are bridging ancient wisdom with a new paradigm vision, bringing together artists, dancers, elders, musicians, and healers, alongside entrepreneurs, builders, and visionaries, not to talk about a new world, but to live fragments of it, here and now.
Through dance, music, prayer, and shared presence, we remember what it feels like to be human, connected, and alive, reconnecting with ourselves, with each other, with nature, and with what truly matters.
We gather:
to connect,
to remember,
to envision,
to celebrate,
to embody.
And let ancient memories of beautiful distant futures come alive.
Location
We gather in an amazingly beautiful location in Hungary - 1 hr from bratislava, 2 hrs vienna & 2hrs budapest
a true oasis in the heart of Europe.
A lake for swimming and quiet reflection
An on-site spa with sauna, cold plunge and hot tub
Space to breathe and simply be
A small piece of tropical, island-like beauty - a natural sanctuary for rest, connection and celebration
It sits right between the capitals of Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, easy driving distance between each of them.
Line-up
Lineup-announcement coming soon!
We are calling in:
Elders & Wisdom Keepers
Indigenous Musicians & Lineage Keepers
Ecstatic Dance & Downtempo DJs & Producers
Folk Singers & Musicians of different cultures
Singing Circle Leaders
NGO Representatives & CEOs of regenerative companies
Thought Leaders
Activists, Environmentalists, Systems Thinkers
Dedicated Firekeepers
Workshop Facilitators
Festival Areas
Music
Main Stage & Sacred Fire
The musical heart of the gathering.
Our main stage stands in front of a continuously tended sacred fire, held by dedicated firekeepers throughout the festival.
The fire is connected with the dancefloor, amplifying our prayers and holding our processes.
We will have the peak of the festival on the full moon night of Saturday the 29th of August, the last full moon of summer.
Beach Stage
Here we will have DJs, Musicians and Workshop leaders performing in the daytime, it will be a place to hang out, swim, relax and to enjoy being alive.
Chillout Dome
We will set up a big dome for Downtempo Sets, Singing Circles, Slow Sensual Dancing, Concerts and of course also to just float and relax in the night time.
Healing & Ritual
Healing Areas
We’ll have two healing areas:
One of them will be more in the open and includes a Spa with Sauna, Cold Plunge and Hot Tub, a tent for Workshops, spaces for Massage, an Altar dedicated to the Water, Ice baths, teachings on conscious relating, Ayurveda, healthy eating and much more..
The other will be a bit more hidden and will be dedicated to deeper work:
Red Tent (Women’s Space)
A big Sweat Lodge
Kambo Ceremonies
A Tent for talking circles
Universal Temple
An area of prayer, an altar in nature.
Open at all times.
A space for silence, meditation and prayer - beyond any religion.
Vision & Creation
Emergent Future Village
Where ideas become tangible.
A curated space for regenerative projects, startups, NGOs and solution-builders to present their work.
Here you can:
Meet founders and innovators
Explore real-world solutions
Join conversations about implementation
Discover ways to contribute beyond the festival
Listen to talks and watch movie screenings
This is where vision meets structure.
A space where ideas become collaborations, and collaborations become real-world projects.
Wall of Honour
A participatory installation.
We will put up a big wooden board and pre-seed it with people who inspire us in our work, the builders and futurists, the activists and change-makers.
Each attendee may place the name of someone who inspires them - a public figure or an everyday human.
We honor those who walk paths of courage, peace and change.
A collective memory made visible.
Long-term vision
The Ancient Future Gathering is not a one-time event.
We are working toward establishing a permanent Hub in Slovakia and other strategic places around the globe.
In 2027 we will host the Emergent Future Conference, focused on regenerative systems and real-world implementation.
Addditionally, we’ll we launch a Startup Incubator to incubate projects that move society towards a sustainable, post-scarcity civilization in harmony with nature, incorporating the best of ancient wisdom and contemporary technology.
Co-create the timeline
With a limited number of participants, the ancient future gathering is intentionally intimate
allowing for real encounters, shared presence and meaningful connection.
Your ticket is your contribution to co-creating this gathering and the culture of care and community that emerges within it.
We invite you to come not only as a guest,
but as a co-creator of a lived experience.