Dreamstate SoCal 2026: the sets to plan around at the Queen Mary

Trance's biggest U.S. weekend docks in Long Beach Nov. 20–21 with Above & Beyond's Anjunabeats Classics set, three Dreamstate debuts and a new amphitheater stage.

Two weeks from Friday, the Queen Mary will be lit up like it has somewhere to be. Dreamstate SoCal returns to the Queen Mary Waterfront in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21, with music from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. both days and an official afterparty aboard the ship until 6 a.m.

Insomniac calls this the eleventh edition, spread over four stages, one of them the new Long Beach Amphitheater. The full lineup, announced in July, runs past 70 artists. Here is where to start.

The headliner moment. Above & Beyond return with an Anjunabeats Classics set, which is about as clear a statement of what this festival is for as you will get. Expect the room to know every word.

The trance lineage. Paul van Dyk is presenting The Essence of Acid, and Ferry Corsten plays with Marsh. Add Dash Berlin, Aly & Fila, Solarstone and Vini Vici and you have a weekend that covers the genre from its roots to its psy-trance edge, with Astrix and Infected Mushroom pushing further in that direction.

The newcomers. The biggest additions are three Dreamstate debuts: ARTBAT, Enrico Sangiuliano and Pegassi. The first two come from the techno side of the dance world, so their sets are a good test of how far Dreamstate is willing to stretch. If you have been coming for years, these are the ones to make time for.

These are the ones to make time for.

Who to catch early. Big festivals reward people who show up before dark. Andrew Rayel is presenting Extasia, and the undercard is full of names trance fans travel for, from Billy Gillies and Bryan Kearney to Simon Patterson and John 00 Fleming. Set times will be posted on the festival site closer to the weekend; check them before you commit to a dinner reservation.

How the days split is still worth confirming, but early listings point to a Friday leaning harder and more techno, led by ARTBAT, Enrico Sangiuliano, Dash Berlin and Andrew Rayel, and a Saturday built for classic trance, with Above & Beyond, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten and Marsh, Aly & Fila with Billy Gillies, Solarstone and Vini Vici. If you can only do one day, that is the choice.

The practical stuff, straight from the festival's own pages: the address is 1126 Queens Hwy. It is 18 and over with ID, and there is no re-entry. Rideshares drop off in designated areas on E Shoreline Drive, and shuttles run from there; there are no pickups or drop-offs right outside the ship. The Queen Mary's hotel rooms are already sold out. General admission starts at $125, with single-day, two-day and VIP passes on sale through Front Gate Tickets. The afterparty on the ship needs a festival wristband, and parts of the ship stay off-limits because it is a historic landmark.

Sources: Dreamstate SoCal (official site) (socal.dreamstateusa.com); Hours & Info – Dreamstate SoCal (socal.dreamstateusa.com); Travel – Dreamstate SoCal (socal.dreamstateusa.com); Afterparty – Dreamstate SoCal (socal.dreamstateusa.com); Guide FAQ – Dreamstate SoCal (socal.dreamstateusa.com); Dreamstate SoCal Reveals Full Lineup For 2026 Edition, November 20-21 – Insomniac Press (press.insomniac.com); Dreamstate SoCal 2026 completes outstanding lineup – EDMTunes (edmtunes.com); Dreamstate SoCal 2026 – Techno Airlines (technoairlines.com)