diff --git a/frontend/src/components/VibeAura.tsx b/frontend/src/components/VibeAura.tsx
index 78fcce2..52eda5a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/VibeAura.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/VibeAura.tsx
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ function describeProfile(energy: number, novelty: number) {
   return { energyLabel, discoveryLabel };
 }
 
-/** A small, ambient representation of the live recommendation profile. */
-export function VibeAura({ profile }: { profile: VibeProfile }) {
+/** An ambient representation of the live recommendation profile. */
+export function VibeAura({ profile, ambient = false }: { profile: VibeProfile; ambient?: boolean }) {
   const energy = clamp(profile.energy, 0.5);
   const novelty = clamp(profile.noveltyHunger ?? profile.explorationCoefficient, 0.3);
   const { energyLabel, discoveryLabel } = describeProfile(energy, novelty);
@@ -32,10 +32,12 @@ export function VibeAura({ profile }: { profile: VibeProfile }) {
 
   return (
     <div
-      className="group relative grid h-16 w-16 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-full focus:outline-none"
+      className={ambient
+        ? 'pointer-events-none absolute right-10 top-32 z-0 grid h-16 w-16 scale-[3.6] place-items-center rounded-full opacity-35'
+        : 'group relative grid h-16 w-16 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-full focus:outline-none'}
       style={style}
       role="img"
-      tabIndex={0}
+      tabIndex={ambient ? -1 : 0}
       aria-label={`Current Vibe: ${energyLabel} energy and ${discoveryLabel} discovery`}
     >
       <div className="vibe-aura-halo" />
@@ -46,10 +48,12 @@ export function VibeAura({ profile }: { profile: VibeProfile }) {
         <span className="vibe-aura-spark vibe-aura-spark-two" />
         <span className="vibe-aura-heart" />
       </div>
-      <div className="pointer-events-none absolute right-0 top-[calc(100%+0.4rem)] z-10 w-44 rounded-md border border-border bg-surface1 px-3 py-2 text-xs leading-relaxed text-muted opacity-0 shadow-xl transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-100 group-focus:opacity-100">
-        <span className="block font-medium text-text">Your Vibe is {energyLabel}</span>
-        <span>Leaning {discoveryLabel}; it shifts as you listen.</span>
-      </div>
+      {!ambient && (
+        <div className="pointer-events-none absolute right-0 top-[calc(100%+0.4rem)] z-10 w-44 rounded-md border border-border bg-surface1 px-3 py-2 text-xs leading-relaxed text-muted opacity-0 shadow-xl transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-100 group-focus:opacity-100">
+          <span className="block font-medium text-text">Your Vibe is {energyLabel}</span>
+          <span>Leaning {discoveryLabel}; it shifts as you listen.</span>
+        </div>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Vibe.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Vibe.tsx
index 5dca92a..0cf0509 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Vibe.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Vibe.tsx
@@ -186,15 +186,15 @@ export default function Vibe() {
 
   // ---- Active session ----
   return (
-    <PageContainer width="sm" className="py-6">
-      <header className="flex items-center justify-between">
-        <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-          <Sparkles size={22} className="text-accent" />
-          <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold text-text">Vibing</h1>
-          {initialBatchStatus === 'loading' && <Loader2 size={16} className="animate-spin text-muted" />}
-        </div>
-        <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
-          <VibeAura profile={profile} />
+    <PageContainer width="sm" className="relative isolate overflow-hidden py-6">
+      <VibeAura profile={profile} ambient />
+      <div className="relative z-10 space-y-6">
+        <header className="flex items-center justify-between">
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            <Sparkles size={22} className="text-accent" />
+            <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold text-text">Vibing</h1>
+            {initialBatchStatus === 'loading' && <Loader2 size={16} className="animate-spin text-muted" />}
+          </div>
           <button
             onClick={handleEnd}
             className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border px-3 py-1.5 text-sm text-text transition-colors hover:border-red-500/60 hover:text-red-300"
@@ -202,45 +202,45 @@ export default function Vibe() {
             <Square size={14} />
             End Vibe
           </button>
-        </div>
-      </header>
+        </header>
 
-      {(empty || initialBatchStatus === 'exhausted' || initialBatchStatus === 'failed') && (
-        <div className="rounded-lg border border-border bg-surface0 p-4 text-sm text-muted">
-          {initialBatchStatus === 'failed'
-            ? 'Could not load recommendations for this Vibe. Try starting a different one.'
-            : 'No recommendations came back for this seed yet. Try ending and starting a different vibe.'}
-        </div>
-      )}
+        {(empty || initialBatchStatus === 'exhausted' || initialBatchStatus === 'failed') && (
+          <div className="rounded-lg border border-border bg-surface0 p-4 text-sm text-muted">
+            {initialBatchStatus === 'failed'
+              ? 'Could not load recommendations for this Vibe. Try starting a different one.'
+              : 'No recommendations came back for this seed yet. Try ending and starting a different vibe.'}
+          </div>
+        )}
 
-      {error && (
-        <div className="rounded-lg border border-red-500/40 bg-red-500/10 p-3 text-sm text-red-300">
-          {error}
-        </div>
-      )}
+        {error && (
+          <div className="rounded-lg border border-red-500/40 bg-red-500/10 p-3 text-sm text-red-300">
+            {error}
+          </div>
+        )}
 
-      {planVersion && <p className="text-xs text-muted/70">Plan revision {planVersion}; upcoming tracks may change as you listen.</p>}
+        {planVersion && <p className="text-xs text-muted/70">Plan revision {planVersion}; upcoming tracks may change as you listen.</p>}
 
-      {currentTrack && (
-        <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
-          <button
-            onClick={handleKeep}
-            className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-text transition-colors hover:border-pink-500/60 hover:text-pink-300"
-          >
-            <Heart size={16} />
-            Keep
-          </button>
-          <button
-            onClick={handleDislike}
-            className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-text transition-colors hover:border-red-500/60 hover:text-red-300"
-          >
-            <ThumbsDown size={16} />
-            Dislike & skip
-          </button>
-        </div>
-      )}
+        {currentTrack && (
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
+            <button
+              onClick={handleKeep}
+              className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-text transition-colors hover:border-pink-500/60 hover:text-pink-300"
+            >
+              <Heart size={16} />
+              Keep
+            </button>
+            <button
+              onClick={handleDislike}
+              className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-border px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-text transition-colors hover:border-red-500/60 hover:text-red-300"
+            >
+              <ThumbsDown size={16} />
+              Dislike & skip
+            </button>
+          </div>
+        )}
 
-      <VibeTimeline currentTrack={currentTrack} upcoming={upcoming} />
+        <VibeTimeline currentTrack={currentTrack} upcoming={upcoming} />
+      </div>
     </PageContainer>
   );
 }