Akamba 2026: lose yourself in the music and find yourself among agave fields

You can read the article in Spanish here.

Dancing, above all, is about tuning in—with your body, the music, and the space around you. There’s something almost primal about that moment when the rhythm hits, your mind clears, and you let the feeling take over. But doing it in the middle of the agave fields makes it seem unreal. Akamba exceeds the idea of a festival; it’s a trip that begins with your first step onto the train and lasts until the sun decides to set—or, for those who can keep going, rise again.

Honestly, I don’t need much of an excuse to dance. But surrounded by agave fields, with that landscape, feels more like a response than a choice. The last time I came to Akamba, I met people who are now close friends—and this edition was no different. I think that’s one of the most beautiful things about it: connecting with yourself and with others through music.

We arrived around noon to board the José Cuervo Express. After a welcome with snacks, the energy kicked in as soon as the train started moving. Once onboard, the experience fully came alive.

The train cars turned into moving dance floors, with live DJ sets, traditional food, and cold drinks in hand. In some cars, artists like Cani de Zombies in Miami, Xwnia Wolf, Inabal, Berna Barranqui Joke were playing. It was the energy of Tripolism that completely took hold of us. It was just Fred and Ras (two of the three members), but the Danish brought such electric energy that everyone was in the same mood—close together, sweating, laughing, but most of all, having the time of our lives.

Arriving at the agave fields

Getting off the train and entering the fields felt almost ceremonial. You’re welcomed by a path lined with white flags that looks like a portal into another dimension, right in the middle of the agaves. Once inside, the space opens up into stages, art installations, chill areas, food spots, and of course, bars serving the agave elixir—aka tequila.

We started at the ORI stage with Francia Oropeza and Just Armas warming things up.At the silent Party stage, we listened to Real Albatross vs Carbajal. But the real magic happened at sunset on the UNI stage. Labibe delivered a set blending disco and house just as the light started to filter through the mountains. It was one of those moments when everyone pulls out their phone to capture it—though honestly, it’s something you can only truly understand by being there.

Back at ORI, Jo. Ke got off the stage, moved into the crowd, and sang from the center of the dance floor. The distance between the artist and the audience completely vanished—suddenly, we were all moving harmoniously, sharing the same emotion.

We keep dancing in Akamba

Of course, it’s not all mystical. The Tequila sun is intense and unforgiving. We had to take a break to recharge— grabbing a burger and refilling our drinks.

Later, we caught Tripolism again, this time from backstage, looking out at a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see.  I was moved by the sheer scale of the music’s impact. There’s something that settles into place inside you when you dance—don’t you think?

We also took time to explore the art circuit between stages, seeing pieces like “Hombres de Rojo” by Pablo Zeta (Spain), “Voice Portal” by Victor Hugo Govea / Path3 (Guadalajara), “Castle” by Raul Patistan / Hirk Art (Mexico City), and “Meeting Tower” by Azócar Catrón.

When Ben Böhmer took the main stage, the German producer and musician turned it into a magnet — melodic house, deep house, progressive house flowing over everyone. His music enfolds you in a way that gets deep under your skin, and there we all were, completely surrendered to it.

Even with last-minute lineup changes—like the absence of The Blessed Madonna and Mochakk—the energy never dropped. People kept going. Kept dancing. Kept connecting until dawn through the beats of Brunello & Adam Ten b2b Mita Gami. Maybe that’s the whole point: few things are as simple — or as real — as dancing to feel alive.

See you on the next dance floor — hopefully at the next Akamba!