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The article focuses on Dialled In’s fifth birthday and return to London on 30 May 2026 — a multi-venue East London all-dayer across Dalston spaces including Café OTO, EartH and Total Refreshment Centre. The programme brings together core DJs like Ahadadream and Anish Kumar, vinyl takeovers and club collectives, alongside a wide live bill featuring Lifafa, Sarathy Korwar, Gayathri Krishnan and more.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s actually behind the wave of South Asian creativity rippling through London’s music scene, Dialled In is worth paying attention to. It isn’t just another festival brand — it’s a collective that grew from a real need for representation and community. Started in 2021 by a handful of crews, including No ID, Daytimers and Chalo, the idea was to build a space where South Asian and diasporic artists could show up fully and make work on their own terms, unfiltered and rooted in lived experience. Since then, Dialled In has become a platform spanning live events, artist development and a not-for-profit arm — creating public, communal spaces where communities connect and new ideas take root, shaping what contemporary culture looks and sounds like. It has grown into a global meeting point for South Asian culture, deeply international in scope, with artists travelling from across diasporic and South Asian countries and cities while staying firmly rooted in London.
And now, after a year away from its home turf, Dialled In is back in London in a big way. On Saturday 30 May 2026, the collective marks its fifth birthday with a multi-venue East London all-dayer — reimagined across Dalston, stretching from day into night and theatre into club. It reconnects long-standing community collaborators while unlocking new spaces the team has been eager to activate. Expect the same spirit with more room for expression, experimentation and creativity across the arts. This year is about scale without losing intimacy, and internationalism without losing community. The festival unfolds across Café OTO, Dalston Den, The Devine, EartH, Marquee Moon, Shacklewell Arms and Total Refreshment Centre, turning the area into one long, interconnected celebration.
On the DJ front, Dialled In core figures like Ahadadream — fresh off the viral “Bass Dhol” collaboration with Skrillex and Raf Saperra — and Anish Kumar, who first played via the platform back in 2022 and now returns as a Dalston mainstay on a bigger stage, anchor the programme. They’re joined by Amil Raja, G33, Malix, VNEE, Jhumka, Izzi b2b Mithun, Seth De Silva, মm., Nadine Noor, UN*DEUX, ZeeMuffin and more. BamBoy brings his incomparable roadshow set, while up-and-coming selectors like Amil Raja and মm. add to the club-forward energy. There’s a vinyl-only stage hosted by Digging In India, Naya Beat and Sway Of The Verses, plus a two-hour chutney soca special from TASH LC. Honiunhoni Records take over part of the programme with Muslim Shaggan alongside Tony & Billa, while Kizzi brings her party series ‘Kizzi & Friends’ for a three-hour takeover. Asian Paper — one of the hottest new collectives in London — are also locked in for what’s expected to be a standout set. Emerging names including ROHiNA, Harpriya and Anil reflect the depth of new talent across experimental and international electronic scenes.
The live bill spans just as wide. Lifafa, frontman of Peter Cat Recording Co., makes his London debut. Sarathy Korwar returns — having appeared at both the first and third editions and now playing the sixth — a full-circle moment in itself. Gayathri Krishnan, the LA-based singer-songwriter fresh off a viral COLORS performance, delivers her UK debut. Baria returns to the London festival circuit for the first time in fifteen years with entirely new material. Raf Reza travels from Canada following a standout Field Maneuvers set, while Mya Mehmi debuts the evolved live show she first unveiled at Maiden Voyage. EXCISE DEPT, one of the most intriguing new acts coming out of India, also bring their live show to the festival. They’re joined by AMEENAH, AMVN, Dhol Academy, Dholi Vish, HASZNAT, Muslim Shaggan and Surya Sen, reflecting everything from percussive traditions to forward-thinking hybrid sounds.
Beyond music, the programme expands into comedy for the first time, alongside food, film, dance and interdisciplinary moments. There’ll also be a vinyl fair and shop at Total Refreshment Centre, giving people a chance to dig deep into community collections. This is the first wave of announcements, with more guests and special acts still to come. Tickets are already on sale, with this edition promised to be expanded, louder, freer and more creative than ever.
Follow Dialled In here.
