Opera Festival 2026

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Akua

Akua has cemented herself as one of the most distinctive techno DJs coming out of the U.S. in recent years, shining brightly at the forefront of a new generation of techno artists who are reviving the innovative and rebellious spirit of techno’s enduring velocity through their work. Her practice is a passionate dedication to archiving & activating timeless strains of raw and mechanized expression - leading the new school of North American machine funk, while harkening back to the revolutionary sonics of Detroit, Chicago, & New York City DJs throughout history. A recent move to Berlin, a city that has held a crucial role in the evolution of techno, has provided her with the opportunity to further develop her craft by embracing the transcontinental connection that originally ignited the inspiration for the techno movement worldwide. Her one-of-kind, no-nonsense style brings a necessary & poignant intensity to today’s dancefloors, eschewing trends of the moment and channeling the essence of techno into an authentic wavelength that’s completely intuitive to her being. This unique display of influences plays out in Akua's unrivaled sets heard around the world - from exerting her celebrated prowess behind the decks at renowned New York clubs like Basement and Nowadays, to unleashing landmark sets at Movement Detroit, Berghain FUSE Brussels, Dekmantel, Draaimolen, & FOLD London. Already seasoned on the European tour circuit, 2024 sees her career encompassing new trajectories & widening her global reach into tours through Asia & Australia. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, she effortlessly embodies an enthralling old-school sound while keeping her finger on the pulse of contemporary producers that also embody the authentic energy of techno’s turn-of-the-century peak. As her boundless legacy steadily expands, she continues to cultivate respect and adoration from the most discerning of DJs & dancers alike through her incredible mixing finesse and constantly expanding repertoire of futureproof classics.

Al Wootton

Bluemarina

Caim

The Amsterdam-based DJ and producer Caim surprises every time with rare finds from the nineties and zeroes, from techno to trance and from breakbeat to house. With residencies at Mood, the Tribe and Breakfast Club, whilst running his own label Lonely Planets Records, Mark Peeters is known for his notoriously deep and long (after-hours) sets. In the studio, Caim produces organic techno and stripped-down house with a touch of trance.

Cousin

Emily Jeanne

Fake Moss

Kamyar Keramati

Kia (AU)

Loidis

Richard Akingbehin

Co-founder of Berlin community radio station Refuge Worldwide and founder of techno, dub and ambient label Kynant Records.

Mama Snake

Danish DJ known for dark, hypnotic, and percussion-heavy techno.

Martha - DJ

Martha is a true champion of the underground electronic music scene, consistently platforming grassroots artists on BBC Radio 1 (Tuesdays 11pm) and NTS (Fridays 5pm). Martha’s programmes journey through the most exciting innovations in the electronic realm and always spotlight women in music. Martha’s DJ sets combine the intricate storytelling of her radio shows with a deep appreciation for club spaces, exploring the intersections of UKG, 140, techno, jungle and beyond. Martha grew up in Peckham, South East London, where she joined Reprezent FM at age 16 and fell in love with radio. Early raving years were spent in Corsica Studios where she formed a deep respect for electronic music and the community that surrounds it. Martha joined NTS in 2018, building up a weekly show that combines the production value and detail of daytime radio with the most exciting underground names in the future of electronic music. Each of Martha’s thoughtfully curated radio shows navigate the fringes of electronic music, with a clear narrative that is grounded in community and storytelling. Beyond radio, Martha’s time is spent nurturing Tempo, a group she established in 2018 that aims to support the mental and physical wellbeing of London’s music community through running and movement.

Mohammad Reza Mortazavi

Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (b. 1979, Iran) is known for his groundbreaking work with the tombak and daf, traditional Persian drums that he has radically redefined through new playing techniques and extended vocabulary. Mortazavi began playing the tombak at the age of six.

Sepehr

The Bay area native is an electronic music pariah who enjoys disintegrating and destroying dance music tropes through bizarre and wonderful sound potions. Frequent collaborator of Dark Entries records, he released his debut LP “Shaytoon” through their imprint in 2020. His DJ sets can range from off-kilter house and psychedelic techno, to haute electro, aphrodisiac acid and freaky jakbeat music. In late 2017 he began performing live PA sets, sonically ranging from potent drum cocktails to psychedelic and oxygenated soundscapes. Sepehr is the label head of Shaytoon Records, an imprint focused on Middle Eastern underground electronic music.

Softi

Known for her experimental genre bending, tempo changing sets, she has gained her self recognition amongst the UK underground scene with resident shows on Rinse Fm, Balamii and Kindred. Mind behind Cozi, a forward thinking party, radio show and community pushing sounds that stimulate the senses, focusing on positive mental health in underground music and clubs”

Spekki Webu

Versatile, resourceful, and with an edge of restlessness - elements that shape the limitless possibilities of multidisciplinary artist Spekki Webu. Hailing from the humble city of Delft in The Netherlands, the Mirror Zone head shapes an ever-expanding musical realm where past and present collide. Formed by his involvement within the gabber and tekno movement, Webu cultivates a sound that can be described as persistent and ritualistic. Whether in his DJ sets, live performances, or music productions, he deconstructs time and space with fierce precision and tactility. With a natural tendency to challenge the status quo, his productions found a home on labels such as Amniote, Blue Hour, and Positive Source. Webu can be described as a polymath. His sonic vision is translated through his Mirror Zone label / Optic Portal label. As a composer and sound designer, he traverses multidisciplinary dimensions with his Signal Transmutations AV project and spatial installations presented at places like Lunchmeat, FIBER, De School, and Nxt Museum. High in energy but introspective in spirit, Spekki traverses the crossroads of experimentalism and rhythm in an avant-garde way.

Sybil

Equally adept at playing propulsive deep techno, as she is at exploring hazy breaks, sumptuous downtempo, soaring trance, expansive drone, and even full-throttle drum and bass, Sybil’s sets often criss-cross through all of these genres and more, as she guides dancers on journeys which are emotive, thrilling and ultimately revitalising. Based in London, a notable UK-flair for genre-fluidity and diagonal rhythms can be found within her psychedelic techno excursions. Sybil’s DJing has taken her across revered events and venues on the global stage. These include: Sustain Release, Waking Life, Dekmantel, Paral·lel Festival, Positive Education, Butik Festival, Nowadays, De School, Berlin Atonal, WHOLE Festival, Dimensions, La Nature Festival, Mo:Dem, Transcendance (Japan), Miscellania (Melbourne), Harmony (Prague), ZVUK (Kazakhstan) and Discos Movimiento (Mexico City). Whilst Sybil’s club sets are often geared for energetic dance floor exhilaration, her numerous mixes are notable for their highly visual narrative arcs. Subtly accelerating and decelerating between disparate BPMs, she stitches together music from a broad palette of textures, contrasting new finds with long forgotten gems to create memorable journeys which are both rewarding and entrancing. Sybil has released singular mixes for platforms such as Monument, Crack Magazine, Patterns of Perception, Dimensions, Ute, INVEINS and Mysteries of the Deep. Ambient sets form a core part of Sybil’s repertoire, and she also curates the much-loved ambient, drone and experimental mix series, Deep Mind Music, which she has run since 2017.

Super Venus

Vardae

A unique genre-breaking approach rooted in the love of psychedelic music and exploration of new sonic territories. From being a co-founder of the intimist Ouroboros festival to releases on Forest Drive West’s OODA label, Non Series and Samurai Music, Vardae combines tribal rhythms, repetitive leads and atmospheric textures which blend together to create engaging sonic landscapes. Known for his percussive and hypnotic sound, the Lyon based artist moves fluidly across styles, navigating from dub and tribal influences to techno and drum’n’bass. In both his productions and live performances, Vardae emphasizes the power of experience and immersion, offering listeners a journey that transcends conventional genre codes.