THE EXPERIENCEWelcome to Valhalla – a night where ancient spirit meets modern kinship.
**🎟 Super Early Bird tickets are live for the first 24 hours only.**
For the sixth year, we gather once again to transform a simple space into a living circle of ritual, music, fire, and dance.
What began as a small themed gathering has grown into the most anticipated Rites of Dance event of the year.
Come dressed for the saga. Leave with a story.
Don your finest Viking attire and let the music awaken something older within you. This is a celebration of strength, resilience, and the bonds that form when people gather with intention.
Valhalla is not just a dress-up event. It’s a night where myth, movement, and community meet – where drums echo, fire burns, and the dance floor becomes a place to release, reconnect, and remember something deeper.
The gathering begins in the late afternoon as people arrive, settle in, and the first music begins to move through the space.
As night falls, ceremony opens the circle, performances ignite the atmosphere, and the dance journey unfolds – carried by deep bass, tribal rhythms, and live percussion.
Whether you come to move, to connect, or simply to be part of something alive, Valhalla welcomes you.
Step into the circle. The night awaits.
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SCHEDULE
4:30PM
• Gates Open
• Afternoon DJ Set (TBC)
6:00PM
• Opening Ceremony (NERI ROSSO)
• Fire Performance (TBC)
7:00PM
• Dance Journey (DJ MARK SANKHARA & DRUMMER GARETH COHEN)
9:30PM
• Closing Performance (TBC)
10:00PM
• Closing Ceremony (NERI ROSSO)
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FOOD
(TBC)
TREATS & ELIXIRS
(TBC)
CACAO
(TBC)
(not included in ticket price)
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WHAT IS RITES OF DANCE?
Rites of Dance is a sober, intentional dance floor for people who love music, movement, and real experience.
It blends the energy and sound system culture of a club with a very different atmosphere. No drugs. No alcohol. No spectators.
This is not about getting it right or dancing in a certain way. It’s about showing up, moving what’s there, and letting the night unfold.
Some nights are light and playful. Some go deeper. Some are challenging. Most are a mix of all of it.
People come for many reasons. To move stress. To reconnect to themselves. To feel something real again. To be part of a room where nobody is trying to impress anyone else.
Rites of Dance isn’t a workshop. It isn’t a ceremony. It isn’t a club night. It’s a space that sits somewhere in between, and over time, it becomes something you build a relationship with.
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ABOUT THE MUSIC
Music is the backbone of Rites of Dance. It’s not background. It’s the thing that carries the night.
The sound moves through many places over the course of an evening. You’ll hear everything from bass-heavy electronic music, drum and bass, techno and house, through to more spacious, atmospheric, and downtempo moments.
Sometimes the unexpected finds its way in too – an old favourite, a forgotten classic, or something nobody saw coming.
The sets are built like a long arc rather than a playlist. Energy rises and falls. Things get heavier, then lighter. You’re invited into intensity, and then back out again.
The intention isn’t to keep you in one state, but to let you move through many.
On some special nights, guest musicians or live elements may join the journey and add another layer to the experience. These are occasional and intentional, rather than a fixed part of every event.
At its core, the music is there to support your own process, not to distract you from it.
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MEET THE TEAM
MARK SANKHARA – CREATOR & DJ
For the past seven years, Mark Saṅkhāra has been a driving force in the Gold Coast conscious dance scene, holding it down with Rites of Dance – a pivotal pillar of the community. His events have created a sacred space for movement, connection, and deep transformation, making an undeniable impact on the local scene.
Saṅkhāra is a master at sculpting soundscapes that take dancers on a journey inward and outward – deep into the womb of the earth and soaring into the cosmos, unlocking the raw expression of the soul. His sets are an intoxicating fusion of tribal rhythms, deep bass, world beats, and groove-driven melodies, weaving together a hypnotic, high-energy experience.
Saṅkhāra is an ancient Buddhist term meaning formation and fabrication – the process of fashioning and the fashioned things that result. It’s a fitting name for the way Mark works a crowd, “fashioning” the atmosphere on dance floors into an irresistible, soul-stirring experience.
Originally from New Zealand and now based on the Gold Coast, Mark has been DJing for over a decade, playing across clubs, competitions, parties, weddings, and conscious dance events in Australia and NZ. With a Diploma in Audio Engineering and 20+ years of guitar experience, his devotion to sound and movement is woven into every set he plays.
CONNECT
https://www.instagram.com/mark_sankhara/
https://www.instagram.com/ritesofdance/
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GARETH COHEN AKA DRUMMINGAZ – LIVE PERCUSSION
Gareth Cohen, a South African drumming virtuoso, boasts over two decades of global experience.
From heavy metal kits to djembe rhythms, his music transcends boundaries, uniting cultures worldwide.
Gareth, affectionately calling music “Mother Music,” believes in its ability to cultivate unity, peace, and love in any space.
Witness his transformative beats on stage and embrace the undeniable truth — in music, unity prevails.
CONNECT
https://www.instagram.com/drummingazz/
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IMPORTANT INFO / WHAT TO BRING
You’re in for a big night and it’s good to be prepared.
Please bring:
• Drinking water
• Sweat towel
• Light, comfortable clothes and something warm to wear as the night cools
• Cash/card for purchases
• Cushion/pillow to sit on
• Yoga mat/something to lie on for the sound integration
*Strictly no drugs or alcohol
*No previous experience needed
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TICKETS
Children under 12 attend free with a parent or guardian.
Youth – $20 (Ages 13–17)
Super Early Bird – $35 (24 hours)
Early Release – $42 (30 tickets)
Second Release – $52 (50 tickets)
Final Release – $62 (60 tickets)
General Admission – $69
Door – $75
All ticket tiers grant full access to the entire Valhalla experience.
Earlier releases simply reward those who commit sooner.
If finances are genuinely tight, feel free to reach out. We want this space to remain accessible to the community.
There is also an option to donate further if you're feeling abundant.
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REFUNDS
No refunds, but you're welcome to on-sell or gift your ticket if you can no longer attend, or keep it as credit for a future event (valid for 6 months).
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO COUNTRY
We acknowledge that this gathering takes place on the traditional lands of the Kombumerri people of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging, and honour their deep and ongoing connection to this land, its waters, and its stories.
Event Venue
Mudgeeraba Show Grounds, 14 Worongary Rd, Worongary QLD 4213, Australia, Merrimac
Tickets
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