Dreamstate Trance Festival Hits SF
Dreamstate, Insomniac's legendary trance event, returns to San Francisco this weekend—March 6 and 7—at the Bill Graham Civic Center. The festival promises an immersive experience with ethereal melodies, light shows, and a curated lineup that "dissolves the boundaries of reality." Tickets remain available with organizers encouraging fans to sign up for SMS alerts for early lineup news.
The trance-focused festival brand Dreamstate was first established in Southern California in 2015 by Insomniac Events. Its expansion to San Francisco in early 2016 marked the first dedicated trance event of its kind in Northern California, with a lineup that included prominent artists like Paul van Dyk, Gareth Emery, and Markus Schulz. After a hiatus in San Francisco starting in 2019, the event made its return, re-establishing its presence in the Bay Area's electronic music scene. The festival is part of a larger international expansion for the Dreamstate brand, which has hosted events in Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, and Canada. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, the venue for this year's festival, can hold up to 8,500 people. This historic building, opened in 1915, has been a significant part of San Francisco's cultural landscape, hosting everything from the 1920 Democratic National Convention to legendary rock concerts. Trance music, characterized by its hypnotic rhythms and soaring melodies, typically features a tempo between 125 and 150 BPM. The genre is known for its long, evolving tracks with dramatic build-ups and euphoric breakdowns, aiming to create an emotional and meditative state for the listener. This year's lineup continues the tradition of featuring top-tier talent, with artists such as Aly & Fila, Cosmic Gate, Ferry Corsten, and Paul van Dyk scheduled to perform. Many of these artists are veterans of the trance scene and have played at previous Dreamstate events. While specific economic impact figures for Dreamstate SF are not available, other large music festivals in San Francisco have a significant financial effect on the city. For example, a 2017 study on the Outside Lands festival reported a $66.8 million boost to the local economy. A 2026 report on San Francisco's independent live entertainment sector showed it generated $1.4 billion in total economic output in 2024. Insomniac, the promoter behind Dreamstate, has been organizing electronic music events since 1993. Their flagship festival, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), is one of the largest in the world. Besides trance, Insomniac also curates events focused on other electronic music subgenres like dubstep and hardstyle through its Bassrush and Basscon brands.
