Ace Collectiv: NYD 2026 - Midwinter Festival

Ace Collectiv presents

NYD 2026
MIDWINTER FESTIVAL

Thursday 1 January
11am-9:30pm
The Mount Without, Bristol

A home for community in the midst of winter.

Arrive as you are to dance, move, celebrate life and set strong prayers for 2026.

Expect our signature alchemy of club-level sound and production mixed with ceremony, ritual, music, song and dance.

Plus lots more…

With spaciousness to rest, connect and be...

✦

✦ Midwinter Ceremony ✦
✦ DJs & Live Music ✦
✦ Community Drum & Dance Circle ✦
✦ Altar Space ✦
✦ Embodiment & Ecstatic Dance ✦
✦ Kids Space & Activities ✦
✦ Alcohol-Free Bar & Organic Café ✦
✦ Cuddle & Chill Garden ✦
✦ Sacred Fire & Outdoor Garden ✦
✦ Visionary Art ✦
plus more

✦

Schedules

Please arrive at 11:00 to allow time to get food, drinks and cacao before the Opening Ceremony at 12:00.

Main Hall

11:00 Doors Open - Café open
12:00 Opening Ceremony - Osara & Kyle Rose
12:30 Earth Dance: Community Drum & Dance Circle - Denise Rowe & friends
14:45 Live Medicine Dance Music - Naku
16:30 Live Music - Lovejam Collective
18:00 Live Music - Mobius Loop
19:45 Live Music & Song Circle - Bonnie Medicine
21:00 Closing Ceremony - Osara & Kyle Rose
21:30 Complete

The Crypt

11:00 Doors Open - Bar open
12:30 New Year Vision Dance - Sea Gypsee
14:30 DJ set - Taoro
16:30 Sound Journey Ceremony (Sound Bath) - Craig R Ninja
18:00 Dance Journey - Phoebe Moon
19:30 DJ set - Green T
21:00 Complete

Cuddle Garden

13:00 Cuddle Garden intro (30mins) - Treasure
14:00 Conscious Connection Workshop (30mins) - Treasure
14:30 Held space (drop in & out)
16:00 Conscious Connection Workshop (30mins) - Treasure
16:30 Held space (drop in & out)
21:00 Cuddle Garden closed

Sacred Fire

11:30 Opening Ceremony - Abs
12:00 Live Music, Storytelling, Poetry - bring songs, stories and offerings to share at the sacred fire
21:00 Closing Ceremony - Abs & Jude

Kids Space

12:00 Face Painting
13:00 Face Painting & Glitter
14:00 Balloons & Face Painting
15:00 Face Painting & Bubbles
16:00 Balloons & Bubbles
17:00 Balloons & Juggling
18:00 Glitter & Juggling 
19:00 Kids Space closed

MOBIUS LOOP

Rebel Folk & Gypsy Music

After witnessing the incredible energy of Mobius Loop at various festivals over the years, we're super happy to be welcoming them with us for the first time. Bringing powerful vibes and prayers for these times.

Mobius Loop are a family folk band with a twist. Comprised of song-writing duo Alexander and Rose Orion and their brother and percussion extraordinaire Sean O’Hara.

Dance, laugh and sing along to their signature foot-stomping activist-inspired folk anthems and waltz to their peace ballads and grief songs. Mobius Loop encompasses a dynamic and eclectic spectrum of emotions through their multi-instrumental genre-expanding creativity.

BONNIE MEDICINE

Live Folk, Medicine Music & Song Circle

Bonnie Medicine led by singer songwriter Mairead Catriona with support from Rodrigo Maraboto and percussionist Aidan Watson.

Born and raised in the bonnie isles of Scotland, Mairead's songs and prayers are infused with her Celtic roots and connection to story, myth and land. She weaves these ancestral threads with the songs of the plants, the rhythms of the earth and the drumbeat of the heart.

Her emotive and powerful music invites us into deep gnosis of freedom, unity and truth; sharing prayer and connection to move and awaken all beings into harmony and peace.

DENISE ROWE 

plus support
Arjun Magee, Allan Kerr & friends

Earth Dance: Community Drum & Dance Circle - Embodiment, Drums & African Rhythms

Denise Rowe is a creative practitioner, ceremonialist and experiential facilitator who's work explores the intersection of embodiment, rhythm, ritual and the natural world. Denise’s passion is for the deep embodied remembering that is encoded within our beings as part of this living earth.

She works with dance, rhythm, prayer and landscape as access points for this remembering. Denise’s work has evolved from many intensive immersions into indigenous wisdom, including the hunter gatherers of the Cameroonian rainforest, the mbira tradition in rural Zimbabwe and her own embodied movement practice in the landscapes of Devon, UK.

LOVEJAM COLLECTIVE

Live World Music, Rhythms & Grooves

Lovejam Collective is a heart-led band consisting of 5 talented and inspiring singer songwriters - Lana Jagger, Josie Corke, Nathan Gallagher, Patch Murphy and Benedick George who all live together at Domnu Valley part of Lovejam community. 

They sing and play a diverse range of original music drawing on influences from Latin grooves, mantra, folk and more, with the intention of creating unity and coming together in praise and celebration of life.

NAKU

Live Medicine & Electronic Music

Naku is a new project founded by Reuben Darling Khan (Puentes, Nick Barbachano, Movement Medicine), Haein Cho (Haein Yoga, Movement Medicine) and award-winning producer Duncan Bridgeman (Nessi Gomes, 1 Giant Leap). 

They weave medicine music and modern electronic soundscapes, blending guitar, layered voices and live production to create songs that move between intimate storytelling and powerful, dance-driven energy.

Rooted in gratitude, embodiment and tradition and inspired by nature, community and connection, we share music that uplifts and unites.

KYLE ROSE

Live Music & Prayers

Kyle Rose is a multi instrumentalist who is part of the Chantress Seba band. He draws influence from his diverse lineage of cultural sounds to create ceremonies and sound journeys.

He works predominantly with the digeridoo, flutes and drums, as well as voice and singing bowls. He focuses on sharing grounding ancestral sound meditations to weave harmonic states of awareness for his participants.
 

OSARA

Live Music & Ceremony Leader

Osara is a father, DJ, musician and founder of Ace Collectiv. With Welsh, Scottish and Sámi roots, he uniquely braids ancient and future technologies and sound: drum, shakers and yoik-inspired vocals with organic, underground and electronic dance music. Creating transformational journeys that are ever responding to the spirit of time, community and place.

His music and creations are inspired by nature, fatherhood, mysticism, folklore, storytelling, embodiment, transformation and his Celtic and Sámi roots.

TAORO

Ecstatic Dance Journey

Co-founder and resident DJ of the legendary Ecstatic Dance UK in London, Taoro is a master of sonic alchemy. He crafts dance-floor journeys that move hearts as much as bodies. Gliding from melodic and sexy techno to neo-classical bliss, drum & bass, afrotech and world fusion. 

With an infectious spirit for connection and a gift for holding heart-centred spaces, Taoro has become a beloved force in the UK’s conscious dance scene, helping Ecstatic Dance UK blossom into one of the country’s most vibrant communities.

GREEN T

World Bass, Carnival, Soca, Reggae & Dub

Green T is a Caribbean born, South West living musician, selector and producer; running hand built rigs called Honeyflower Soundsystem that play a mix of world bass, carnival, dub, reggae and experimental psychedelic electronic music. He is the creative lead for Pollen Tribe; a not-for-profit community arts group that raises money for pollinators with conscious dance, music and nature connection events. In 2026 the pollinator themed carnival antics continue - they are on a mission to distribute 5000+ packets of nectar seeds and kids info packs. 

If you feel inspired by this idea and want to collaborate or contribute, contact Pollen Tribe via their website.

CRAIG R NINJA

Live Sound Ceremony: Mind is Free - Chapter 1

Craig R Ninja will be showcasing for the very first time in his hometown Bristol. With 20yrs of deep spiritual practice and immersion in all forms of rhythm and sound Craig has patiently created and evolved a profound sound ceremony.

With its foundation curated over the last 2 decades whilst living in India, touring with Hang Massive, sharing lyrics and music on worldwide stages and with the grace of the dzogchen lineage he is immersed in.

Using live curated electronic soundscapes intertwined with Handpan, Kalimba and Tibetan ceremonial cymbals - the entire environment will be attuned to transmute anything that no longer serves the collective. A crystalline Green Tara vibe will encapsulate the space and everyone will be given a powerful practice they can embody and then bring into the world. Together going beyond space and time and constraints of the mind. Expect aromatic magic and crystalline shrines all designed to remind that all is naturally aligned.

“Mind is free. Can’t capture the sky. Can’t cage the sea. Mind is free.”

SEA GYPSEE

New Year Vision Dance

Passionate dancer, DJ, space holder and founder of the vibrant Ecstatic Dance Cardiff in Cymru, Sea Gypsee weaves global soundscapes that invite us to drop into presence, power, softness and sensual aliveness.

Born and raised in France, with a mindset that has always dreamt of answers beyond what she sees and a background in art-therapy and clowning, she approaches dance as a space to meet ourselves and each other as art in motion, no matter what that looks like, as long as it's true.

Since 2021, she shares her passion in the conscious dance scene, notably in Paris, London, Cardiff, Lisbon, Edinburgh and Bristol, creating waves of heart connection, joy and dancefloor magic where she goes.

Expect rejuvenating, deliciously dark and light blends of tribal bass, downtempo, afro house, ethnic beats, folktronika, deep house and psytrance with unexpected  mystery.

TREASURE

Cuddle Garden & Connections Games

A cosy place for relaxing, cuddling and some connection games led by Treasure.

BOGDAN & THE GATHERER

Organic Café

Our day will be nourished by wholesome organic food made by Bodgan and The Gatherer.

SENTIA SPIRITS

Alcohol-Free Elixirs & Cocktails

ALTARS BY EMMA

Altar Space

KIDS SPACE

Bubbles, Balloons, Face Painting & more

An array of activities and fun - balloon making, bubbles, face painting and more.

EMMA WATKINSON ART

Visionary Art

SACRED FIRE

Live Music, Poetry & Jams

The Sacred Fire will host guest live musicians and jams with space for sharing poetry, stories and more.

D&B AUDIOTECHNIK

Our dancefloors are blessed by the legendary d&baudiotechnik sound system.

THE MOUNT WITHOUT

A 900-year-old church reborn as one of the most awe-inspiring venues. Professional sprung wood floor and underfloor heating. A cathedral of light, sound and transformation, The Mount Without is the heart of our ritual.

Safe(r) Space Agreement, Safeguarding & Inclusivity

By attending this experience you agree to respect and follow our Safe(r) Space Agreement (link found below). These agreements indicate the behaviour that is acceptable and must be followed. They are put in place to ensure that everyone feels safe and welcome at our experiences.

Our agreements create a safe(r) space to be expressive and intimate, and at the same time, ensure that everyone remains respectful of each other. Thus creating a more collaborative, trusting and respectful environment and community.

All people are welcome at this experience. We welcome people of all sexual orientations, racial identities/ethnicities, gender expressions, abilities, body types and ages.

Please read our full Safe(r) Space Agreement, Safeguarding and Inclusivity policies here

Please note, these apply to everyone present at our experiences. All participants, all team members, all facilitators, all artists and all venue staff.
 
Anyone found to be breaching our Safe(r) Space Agreement will be asked to leave.

Inclusivity

All people are welcome at this experience. We welcome people of all sexual orientations, racial identities/ethnicities, gender expressions, abilities, body types and ages.

We are a community that is queer friendly, body positive and we welcome different forms of expression. We have zero tolerance towards racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, body shaming, ageism, ableism or discrimination of any kind whatsoever. Do not make derogatory comments or jokes on others.

Accessibility

The venue has wheelchair access throughout.

Please email us if you have any specific needs for attending this experience and we will do our best to accommodate you.

People with hidden disabilities are most welcome. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower badge is recognised at our experiences. The Welfare Angels, Security Guards and the Event Manager are available if you need assistance with anything. They wear a pink high-vis body band so you can distinguish who they are. 

Authorised Filming & Photography

Designated Photographers / Videographers (who are announced at the Opening Ceremony) will take videos and photos during the experience. We use videos and photos to promote our experiences on social media. If you don't want to be included in a video or photo, please let the Photographer / Videographer or a Team Member know. If you see any footage of yourself on social media and want it removed, please message us directly (on social media or via email) and we’ll do so immediately.

Thank you for your cooperation. 

Please get in touch via email if you have any questions.