Music, yoga, meditation. The sea, the sun, good vibrations. You can experience this and much more at The Dunes of Babylon, one of the most awaited events that takes place every year in Woodstock69, on Bloemmendal’s beach.
This beautiful bar is located on the West side of the Netherlands and it’s very easy to reach from Amsterdam city. The structure consists of a main stage with a big area for the public, two small outside-bars and an inner one, decorated with a very eastern style: chill-out areas equipped with sofas and pillows, blue pavement and velvet decorations for the ceiling. The bar has also a second floor that looks like a pirate ship and gives it a touch of adventure. In line with the spirit of the event, drinks and food were very cheap and a vegan menu was available, too.
The event started at 12:00 on Saturday 23rd of June and had an extended spiritual program. During the first hour you could take part of the yoga session led by Hoyte de Ranitz, followed by the opening speech with collective meditation. The spiritual program included card and palm readings, dream explanation and tantric or healing massage. Plus, there was an area set up for the market, where you could buy hand-made jewelry, magical stones or eccentric clothes. Many people I talked to were travelers from every part of the world and I can’t hide that it was very interesting debating on the way they live and the principles they believe in. It was also possible to get a henna tattoo or a “cosmic” biodegradable make up.
The music session started at 15:00 with a band from South America (Chile), the Matanza, a mixture of world music and folklore. They use electronic supports (synthesizers) as well as live instruments such as guitars, drums, flutes. This allows them to create different types of music, from the ethnic one to the house one, passing through the tribal and the dub. They were followed by a long list of artists coming from the whole Europe, such as the Stavroz and Britta Arnold.
The Dunes of Babylon is a pre-event for a huge psychedelic festival that takes place in Germany and it’s organized by The Gardens of Babylon, a growing community whose aim is encouraging people to discover and exercise their spiritual side. If you’ve missed The Dunes, you can’t miss The Monastery Three Day Summer Festival, a special event for psychedelic experience lovers or simply for who wants to take a break from the chaos of the city and release his spirituality in a non-judgmental context and surrounded by nature. Federica Veccari 24th June 2018
