I adore transformational festivals because they showcase world-class festival DJs in sublime locations for ridiculously cheap ticket prices. I can dance all night long, for days, and feel exhausted but nourished by the sublime tunes and energy of my favourite festival DJ.
You might not be able to make it to a transformational festival, but you can still enjoy that festival DJ’s banging beats at your own party, or even just in your headphones while working.
I love listening to my favourite sets while writing my weekly newsletter as it activates and energises me in delicious ways.
Plus, checking out the sets below is a great way to figure out which festival DJ to follow, and who to track down at your favourite Festival.
In no particular order, here are some DJs, and sets, that I adore and love. Likely I will add more DJs as I go to more transformational festivals. If you need help planning your 2023/24 festival season, make sure you check out this article too.
Dovblevision at NZ Spirit North
Dovblevision is the most dynamic DJ double-act I’ve encountered in my three decades of dance floor shenanigans.
The first time I saw them play, at Spring Festival near Tauranga, I was exhausted, and about to leave the dance floor… but as soon as they dropped the first track, I was captivated and mesmerised. I ended up dancing for the entire set, unable to leave the dance floor because they just kept throwing down banger after banger after banger.
Jimmy and Kauri, a couple, know how to weave the nostalgia and emotional vibes with the insistent beats of tech.
Their love and joy for each other, for the music, and for the dancefloor radiates out of them as they play, creating an infectious atmosphere. Their music goes unexpected places, yet they also let the rhythms build and play out, which is such a joy for dancing.
I missed this particular set from NZ Spirit North Island 2023 because I was watching Deya Dova on the main stage, so I was thrilled to see that they’d loaded it up onto Sound Cloud. Yeah!
BLASE at NZ Spirit South
My introduction to Blase was via Ecstatic Dance – he was DJing and Sarsha Hope was facilitating. When he walked into the Lightbox at Parihoa Farm, wearing one of his iconic fur coats, I was like, who is this rock star? Because rockstar he is. Blase brings the vibes, no matter whether he’s banging it out behind the decks, or cutting it up on the dance floor with his friends.
He plays eclectic music and has a knack for reading the room and tailoring the tunes for the vibe – something I value so HIGHLY. He’s empathetic, and that shows in the way he plays music. Blase loves to get dirty on it, taking the dance floor deep, as this set below from NZ Spirit South proves!
Leah Luna at Bondi Beach
I’ve been following Leah’s DJ journey for about a year now, and what I notice is how much she’s improving. The first time I saw her play, I was like, hmmm… not sure. The next time, I was like holy f*ck who is this woman? She’s a Berlin-based DJ, ecstatic dance facilitator, musician and ceremonial leader who makes her way to New Zealand every festival season to throw down.
Last season, I collaborated with her to create Dancing the Dragon, and the energy she brought, plus the way she wove the tunes, took the presentation next level. I also had the joy of go-go dancing for her at NZ Spirit North at the Chai Tent. Her tunes were SO good that I ended up dancing for the entire set.
I love seeing women behind the decks as often they can be so much more expressive than the men – Leah has a gorgeous, natural, feminine energy that she radiates out into the crowd. Even if you couldn’t hear what she was playing, watching her is mesmerising.
Festival DJ R.I.A
Rire, aka DK R.I.A (Rhythms in Action) made me fall in love with DJs again way back in 2014 – she showed me that Festival DJs could be rockstars whilst caring passionately about the music and the curated journey of the audience. We collaborated for many years doing Yoga Rhythms, including at Wanderlust, and the amount of love and energy she poured into each DJ set was extraordinary.
She’s since had a baby, and become a mumma, which has deepened and expanded the gifts she brings to the DJ decks. Rire has a knack for finding tracks that other people would never dream of mixing into a festival DJ set and just making it work. I still have extensive playlists populated with the tracks that she used to send me. She is deeply passionate about Global Music; Organic house, Afro House, Global Club House, Organic Down Tempo, Tribal Bass, Afro-Beat, Drum and Bass.
DJ Mufasa, also known as Bass Chakra
Leo’s known as Aotearoa’s vibe architect and has been DJing for over 15 years. He’s a sucker for big basslines and heavy drums and getting sexy on it. I know when I’m stepping on to a dance floor with Leo that I’m going to be challenged to surrender – he does like to f*ck with the beats and go sideways just when I’m dropping deeper into my dancing flow. But he still makes it feel so good. His energy behind the decks is contagious, and I love the way he totally owns and rocks yoga tights.
Favourite DJ moment is possibly at NZ Spirit North 2020 when David Zenco jumped up on stage with an electric car buffer and he and Leo proceeded to buff each other’s yoga-tighted butts.
Rana at Shiva Shakti Festival
Rana is an artist, musician, Trance and ecstatic dance Dj, singer, storyteller, performer and artistic director. She oozes art and creativity and it shows up in how she DJs.
This woman is simply mesmerising!
At Shiva Shakti Festival in 2023, Rana was the opening DJ, and whilst the dance floor was sparse, every single dancer was completely immersed in the vibration of the space. It was almost like she’s cast a spell and enchanted everyone – and maybe she had. Her music is definitely the most trance-like of all my favourites, and I ADORE trance.
I am so looking forward to being on more dance floors with Rana on the decks… I only discovered her about halfway through the festival season in 2023, and she is one to watch for sure!
And that’s it folk, my round-up of favourite festival DJs. Enjoy the tunes, and I’ll see you on a dance floor sometime soon!
New Zealand’s Best Transformational Festivals