We’re almost ready to go! The site looks absolutely amazing, and we’re getting seriously excited about seeing you all!!

Here’s some important information for the festival in case you bought a ticket, but didn’t receive the email from us. Hope this doesn’t create too much FOMO for the rest of you!

Gates will open at 3pm for a 6pm start

Please bring:

• Your own cup, cutlery, bowl AND plate. Great to have all in a carry bag to take to workshop with you so you don’t need to return to camp before meals.
• A yoga mat if you wish to do yoga and/or acro balance
• A cushion or two to sit on for meals and hang out in community space
• Tent and bedding (if camping)
• Bedding if you have booked bunk accommodation.
• Loose comfortable clothes for dancing
• Warm clothes for the evening
• Torch
• Bathers. This year, the hot tub will be swimwear optional from 9:30pm till midnight, however between 8pm – 9:30pm we request that bathers be worn in the hot tub.
• A towel for the showers, creek swimming & hot tub
• Hat and sunscreen
• Water bottle
• Instruments / performance items for open mic if you want to perform, or drums for drumming workshops / circles.
• Snacks: we do provide nutritious and balanced main meals, however if you generally enjoy or need to snack throughout the day or need large intakes of daily protein, please bring extra fruit or other snacks to supplement.
• Coffee addicts! There will be no coffee available at Dancing Ground, therefore if you can’t live without your morning coffee hit, please bring your own and cooking equipment. There will be boiling water available.

Other important information:

• Gates open at 3pm Friday for registration with dinner at 6:30pm. If you would like partake in the opening ceremony and/or 5 Rhythms on Friday night please make sure you arrive by 7pm
• The Temple Space is an open healing space for you to use. There will be a blackboard at registration with information about what will be offered in the space. It is open to offerings from the community, so if you would like to offer something, please write it on the board. There are also massage tables for your use. Please ensure that you use a towel or sarong and avoid using oils that may mark the tables. Massage oil will be provided.
• We thank you for respecting that Dancing Ground is a drug and alcohol free event.

Carpooling

• We really encourage everyone to carpool where possible! This will help us minimise the number of cars on site, as well as our ecological footprint.
• If you are using Facebook, you can ask for or offer a ride through the CARPOOLING- Dancing Ground Gembrook group.

Directions:

Gilwell Park is a little over an hour’s drive from Melbourne.

• From Monash Freeway (M1) or Eastlink (M3), take the turnoff to Wellington Rd (towards Rowville – State route 18).
• Stay on this road (through Emerald, Cockatoo, and Gembrook), for around 55km, then turn left onto Gembrook-Launching Place Rd (there are signs to Gilwell Park).
• Stay on this road for another 5.5km until you reach Gilwell Park. Turn into Gate 4 and follow the driveway until you reach registration

If you’re coming from somewhere else, click this link for directions: Location / Directions – Gilwell

Parking instructions

• We would really appreciate it if you could move your car to the main car park once you have unpacked your camping gear. This is both for safety reasons (should evacuation be required). and also to free up camping space around the site.
• Please keep roads clear from cars at all times. It has been requested by Gilwell park that we keep camping areas clear of cars for the preservation of the grounds. If you require your car near your camp, then there is parking just off the road between the road and the wooden bollards surrounding the camping areas.

You’re welcome to camp with your car if you need to, providing you don’t block any roads or damage the bush. Otherwise there is parking on the opposite side of the creek (drive in gate 1, cross the creek and follow road and signs around to the right. There is a car free camping area down by the creek (signs will guide you), so please respect this as such.

When you arrive

Please look out for signs and enter at Gate 4. Please drive slowly through the site (max 10km/hr) until you reach registration. At this point you’ll be given your wristband, map, timetable and instructions on where to camp.

Volunteering

As mentioned on the booking page, we ask that everyone donates an hour or two of their time to the smooth running of the festival. Upon arrival, we’ll ask you to choose a time slot to do your volunteering. If you arrive a little earlier you can have your volunteering done so that you you can just focus on dancing for the whole weekend. For those interested in helping out in the kitchen, extra help preparing food would be greatly appreciated between 12pm and 2pm, 2pm and 4pm and 4pm and 6pm on Friday, please email us in advance at info@dancingground.org if you plan to arrive early for volunteering, and please bring closed toes shoes if you are planning on volunteering in the kitchen.

This year, thanks to the generosity of Jeremy Leitch, Manager of Store DJ, all those who participate and contribute their 2 hours will go into the draw for an amazing portable speaker. Check out the specs here.

All the preparations are coming along beautifully and the crew are super excited to be sharing Dancing Ground with you.

See you all soon!

Dancing Ground Crew