Envision Festival Costa Rica, Feb 23-26

February 8, 2017

By Lane Undjhem

Envision Festival is a conscious festival dedicated to awakening human potential and re-establishing our fundamental connection with nature. Taking place February 23rd-26th 2017 in beautiful Uvita, Envision has grown to become one of the most progressive festivals in Latin America. In its seventh year, Envision continues to flip the traditional festival model on its head. Four days of yoga, surfing, performance, music, educational workshops, and community building will continue to elevate this gathering to one of the premiere festivals in the world.

Envision embodies the ethos of the most recognizable transformational festivals, while also taking huge steps in the direction of sustainability. Partnering with Costa Rican based non-profits like Community Carbon Trees, festival organizers have systematically reduced the carbon footprint of the event, working hard toward the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. In 2016, more than 200 trees were planted on-site at Rancho La Merced by attendees and volunteers in an effort to offset the carbon footprint of international travel. Envision is also one of the only events on the globe that has created system to deal with human waste. Instead of continuing the portable toilet model used by most high-attendance events, the Envision green team has built and implemented over fifty semi-permanent compost toilets on site. The saves an estimated 28,000 gallons of water and generates enough compost to fertilize the plethora of fruit trees at Rancho La Merced for most of the year.

Organizers work closely with Costa Rican companies before and during the event in order to empower local communities and connect the international audience with the Pura Vida spirit. One of the most valuable assets to the festival is their partnership with the organization Living Space. Based on the southern coast of Costa Rica, Living Space is a design, build, and logistics team that has been working with Envision for several years. In addition to running the entire build and operations for the festival, Living Space builds homes, restaurants, retreat centers, and custom furniture throughout the country. Much in line with the ethos of Envision, Living Space is a profit-sharing organization that strongly supports individual empowerment through ownership. Fundamental to their mission, Living Space is dedicated to reducing damage created by construction by using renewable and sustainable materials and methods. A large percentage of the structures and stages at Envision are created with bamboo and reclaimed wood from the immediate area. We’d like to take the time to give thanks to the Living Space crew for everything you do, this festival wouldn’t be possible without your hard work.

Since the inception of Envision, the core team members have been unwavering in their dedication to the maintenance and renewal of the Costa Rican ecosystem. An adamant proponent of Leave No Trace principles, Envision has forgone any single use items, going as far as to implement a reusable dish program over the past several years. Environmental stewardship is one of the fundamental principles that governs the direction of the event, a fact which is evident throughout to everyone in attendance. In addition to permaculture and lifestyle workshops at the event each year, the organization puts forth a call-to-action for beach cleanups on the Pacific coast. For those interested in participating with the remaining beach cleanups, there are three scheduled for the week after Envision: Uvita (March 1), Playa Hermosa (March 2), and Dominical (March 3).

This year’s music lineup features musical acts from around the world that represent a diverse range of genres. International headliners include DJs Opiuo (NZ) and Autograf (USA), as well as the New Orleans based live band, Rising Appalachia (USA). There are several Costa Rican Tico artists that will be gracing the stage including the electronic fusion trio Santos&Zurdo, reggae band Killer Diller, and tech/deep house DJs Faceblind and Melissa O. Envision has made a concerted effort to incorporate more regional talent and this year’s lineup includes more Latin American artists from outside of Costa Rica than in recent years. Artists like Systema Solar (CO) and Nicola Cruz (EC) will be joining headliners from around the world to create an exceptional jungle dance party. From house music to dub, live bands to world music, Envision aspires to incorporate many more Latin American artists over the next few years in order to create a stronger connection between Latin American culture and citizens of the world.

This truly one-of-a-kind festival is hosted on a gorgeous property where the rainforest meets the beaches of the Pacific, creating a perfect venue for an event of this magnitude. A close drive from San Jose, Envision ensures that collaborative art projects and musical performances happen daily, along with surfing, concerts, white water rafting, movement classes, and so much more. There are several retreat packages that are being offered before and after the event for anyone who would like to strengthen their yoga practice, or learn more about permaculture techniques. Envision is truly an all-encompassing, regenerative festival for your mind, body, and soul. For more information and ticket options, visit www.envisionfestival.com.