Beloved record label and party series Akumandra, founded by Sainte Vie, has announced its inaugural festival after more than a decade of cultivating one of New York City’s most respected underground dance music communities. Akumandra Festival will take place Saturday, July 4, 2026 at Knockdown Center in Brooklyn, featuring a 14-hour program spanning two of the venue’s signature spaces alongside custom lighting design built specifically for the event.
Founded in Mexico City in 2013, Akumandra hosted its first New York event two years later for a crowd of just 75 people. Since then, the brand has steadily evolved into one of the city’s most enduring underground institutions, becoming known for its bi-annual showcases at Knockdown Center and an expansive international community stretching from Istanbul, Berlin, and Mexico City to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami.
Over the years, Akumandra has become a defining home for melodic dance music in New York, hosting artists including Acid Pauli, Jan Blomqvist, Âme, Booka Shade, Adana Twins, and Denis Horvat across its celebrated events.
“It was always a dream of mine to organize a festival, and I couldn’t be happier to be doing it with Akumandra in my favorite city, New York, and at my favorite venue, Knockdown Center,” said Sainte Vie. “We’re going to celebrate the 4th of July outdoors at The Ruins during the day, then move it inside to the Main Hall at night.”
The daytime portion of the festival will unfold from 3PM to 10PM inside Knockdown Center’s outdoor courtyard space, The Ruins. Longtime Akumandra residents Mateo and Eli, who have been part of the brand since its first New York event in 2015, will open the day with a back-to-back set.
German producer Rezident will perform a live set centered around euphoric melodic house, while Sainte Vie takes over the sunset slot with a live performance built around remixes from his debut full-length album, Pablo. French duo Betical — brothers Max and Martin — will make their New York City debut to close out the outdoor programming following widespread acclaim surrounding their “Back on 74” rework, which became one of Burning Man’s most-played tracks and earned support from Keinemusik and Adriatique.
As night falls, the festival transitions indoors to Knockdown Center’s Main Hall from 10PM until 5AM. Mateo and Eli will return to open the nighttime program before handing over to Ivory, the Milan-based producer known for releases on Innervisions, Afterlife, Kompakt, and Multinotes.
Slovenian-born artist Brina Knauss, whose catalog spans releases and performances connected to Afterlife, Tomorrowland, and her own EMPATH imprint, will lead into Irish producer Mano Le Tough, founder of both Maeve and Passion Beat. Long regarded as one of melodic house and techno’s most respected selectors, Mano Le Tough has become synonymous with performances at venues and festivals including Berghain, Fabric, and Dekmantel.
The night will conclude with Sainte Vie returning behind the decks for the festival’s closing set into the early morning hours.
For the festival, Akumandra is developing fully customized lighting concepts for both The Ruins and the Main Hall, expanding upon the immersive, art-forward production style that has become central to the brand’s identity. The industrial architecture of Knockdown Center — from the cavernous Main Hall to the open-air atmosphere of The Ruins — provides the ideal backdrop for the label’s largest event to date.
Day tickets for The Ruins programming are currently available between $35 and $55, with a discounted $30 entry option for guests arriving before 5PM. Night tickets for the Main Hall run between $30 and $40, while combination passes covering the full 14-hour experience are priced between $55 and $75.
Akumandra Festival is a 21+ event.
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