With great anticipation, we look forward to this year’s Third Eye Festival, which is making a comeback after a two-year hiatus, now offering a full festival experience including camping. After celebrating its first three-day outdoor event in 2022, Third Eye returns with a concept that blends deep and hypnotic techno with ambient and experimental sounds. The festival takes place in a new, nature-surrounded location away from the city, providing fresh opportunities for artistic expression. This three-day event, easily accessible from Berlin, moves from the capital to Niedergörsdorf, near the town of Jüterbog in Brandenburg, where a historic airfield surrounded by nature serves as the perfect venue to realize the Third Eye vision. For the first time, the Third Eye Festival presents a full-weekend event, including camping facilities.
From September 6th to 8th, a carefully curated lineup featuring genre visionaries like Artefakt, Claudio PRC, Dasha Rush, Rrose, Wata Igarashi, and Tobias. invites us to a transformative experience that combines music with visual art, creating a unique journey into the depths of the Secret Forest in Brandenburg.
The Third Eye Festival is spearheaded by Valentin Ginies and Juli Kiehl, who organized the first edition of the festival at the outdoor venue gART.n in 2022, with support from the „Draußenstadt“ organization. The core of the Third Eye concept is the „Healing Through Art“ philosophy, focusing on deep, hypnotic, and psychedelic techno, as well as ambient, experimental music, sound healing, and painting. We spoke with Juli Kiehl and Valentin Ginies about the Third Eye Festival and are excited to attend in person on the second weekend of September.
Let’s start with your story. Where and how did the idea for Third Eye originate?
Our community builds on the success of our first edition. Our festival draws inspiration from a dynamic international community that has formed around previous projects like the Third Eye Festival 2022, the Teufelsberg Domecast, and the ORBIT events. Together, we seize the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals from around the world, united in our pursuit of transformative experiences and meaningful connections. In this second edition, we can further develop our concept over three days at a historic airbase in Niedergörsdorf. It’s the perfect place for a weekend that offers not only music but also light installations and art.
Could you tell us more about the festival location? What makes the Secret Forest the perfect venue for you?
The multisensory journey takes place in Niedergörsdorf, just 80 km from Berlin. The 67-hectare location, an old, decommissioned airfield, offers the perfect mix of nature and open spaces. The stage is set amidst greenery, and there are expansive areas inviting you to camp. We also have charming chill-out zones made of wood in the trees, numerous wooden sculptures on the grounds, and other surprises. We are thrilled that this place perfectly aligns with our vision. It is the ideal setting for the transformative experience we want to offer through music, visual art, and collaborative artworks.
In 2022, the first Third Eye event took place in Berlin. What has happened in the last two years? Why was there no event in 2023?
In 2022, thanks to the support from the „Draussenstadt“ initiative, we launched our first small outdoor event in Berlin. However, our dream has always been bigger: to find a perfect place where nature and comfort seamlessly blend, offering an intense musical experience with camping and amenities. After a dedicated search, we found a fantastic new location and a trustworthy landlord who shares our passion. This year, we are opening a new, exciting chapter and bringing our vision to life.
Can you give us some insight into the overall philosophy and concept behind the Third Eye Festival? What makes it so unique?
The vision for the Third Eye Festival is deeply rooted in creating and sharing an intimate musical and artistic gathering. We have invited some of our favorite artists from around the world and couldn’t be more excited about the talents we will bring together over these three days. Our goal is to take our musical family on a journey through the evolution of experimental ambient to deep techno, inspiring guests to express themselves through collective painting and our Sound Bath Ceremony.
What is the Sound Bath Ceremony about?
The Sound Bath Ceremony is a transformative experience that opens the door to a deeper state of consciousness, awakening both body and mind in a profoundly spiritual way. The ceremony begins with the soothing sounds of gongs, chimes, and singing bowls, creating a symphony of vibrations that resonate through every cell in your body. This immersive auditory experience helps clear mental clutter, reduce stress, and align your energies. By grounding yourself in the present moment and harmonizing your inner energies, you are prepared to move and dance with renewed vitality through the day and night.
Let’s talk about the music program. Can you give us some insight into the curation of the lineup and the musical progression throughout the day?
We invite our visitors to immerse themselves in a curated selection of Techno/Deep Techno and Ambient/Experimental DJs and live performances, as the Third Eye Festival offers a transformative musical odyssey that engages the mind, body, and soul. We want guests to experience a comprehensive musical journey that transcends boundaries and engages all the senses.
At the heart of our festival experience is a deep reverence for the natural rhythm of our bodies. On Saturdays and Sundays, we begin with the revitalizing Sound Bath Ceremony from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, followed by a seamless transition from ambient and experimental sounds to pulsating deep techno and techno until the early morning hours. As dusk falls, the chill-out tent becomes a haven for ambient, experimental, and downtempo sets, ensuring a coherent musical journey for all attendees. With a single main stage and the chill-out tent offering a thoughtfully curated music selection, there is no need to move between different areas, allowing everyone to fully immerse themselves in the collective vibe.
The music will run at the following times:
Friday, September 6: 5:00 PM to 6:00 AM (Saturday)
Saturday, September 7: 10:00 AM to 6:00 AM (Sunday)
Sunday, September 8: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
The careful curation is also evident in the comparably small lineup. Does this mean we can expect extended sets?
The music will run from 5:00 PM to 6:00 AM on Friday, and from 10:00 AM to 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, allowing everyone involved to rest at night, enjoy the experience, and prepare for the next day. We have carefully curated the lineup to maximize the experience. There are no sets shorter than two hours. All headliners will play extended sets, providing ample time for everyone to immerse themselves in the musical journey.
You’ve already mentioned, that you’ve chosen to showcase the artists on a single main stage. That’s quite an unusual decision, to be honest. What were the reasons behind this?
We aim to host an intimate gathering with a maximum of 1,000 visitors to create a close-knit and unique atmosphere. We’ve designed the program with a one-stage concept so that everyone shares the same collective experience on the same wavelength, fostering a sense of unity and togetherness. With one stage, one story, every visitor becomes part of a unique, immersive journey, ensuring that no one misses any part of the magic. This approach allows us to build a strong sense of community where every moment is shared and celebrated as a group.
Let’s take a look at the lighting technology, visual effects, installations, and sound system. What have you prepared?
Visitors will experience the fusion of organic design and artistic brilliance as the festival presents a mesmerizing symphony of light, projection, and visual mapping. The senses will be elevated to a new level as participants are captivated by the enchanting installations adorning the festival grounds—a testament to the deep connection between visual art and inner exploration. Each artwork is meticulously crafted to amaze and inspire, creating an environment where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur. As you wander through the festival, you’ll find that every corner holds a new surprise, encouraging a deeper journey into self-reflection and collective wonder.
For the ultimate listening experience, we are proudly presenting our sound system from Funktion One!
Can we expect activities, workshops, etc., at the festival? What about food and drink?
Participants are encouraged to explore the profound potential of music, visual art, collective painting, Gaga dance, and meditation as powerful tools for self-discovery and healing. The Third Eye Festival serves as a guide on the path to personal and global transformation, fostering a nurturing environment where creative expression knows no bounds.
We offer a diverse culinary selection prepared by passionate chefs with varied international backgrounds. Whether you’re a vegan, flexitarian, or have other dietary preferences, we will have many fresh options available. Our bar team hails from Berlin and brings years of experience from clubs and festivals both locally and abroad.
Third Eye Festival 2024
When: 6th – 8th September 2024
Where: Secret Forest (80km from Berlin), Flugplatzweg 6, 14913 Niedergörsdorf
How to get there:
Bus: There will be a shuttle service from Ostbahnhof in Berlin to the festival. Berlin --> Festival on friday and Festival --> Berlin on sunday and monday.
Train: Train station Jüterborg
Plane: Airport BER (Berlin) – follow-up Shuttlebus from Ostbahnhof
Line-up: Ario, Artefakt (Live), Blume, BOTO (Sound Bath Ceremony), Claudio PRC, Dana Nada & Dandan, Dasha Rush, DJ MARIA., Imox, KĀ (Sound Bath Ceremony), Lou Drago, Refracted, Rrose, Rambadu, Sarah Wreath, tina, Tobias. (Live), Unjin, Valentin Gines, Wata Igarashi
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All information and Tickets are available here.