Dlala Thukzin takes Outernet to the Moon

April 18th will go down in the history books.

Legendary DJ and producer Dlala Thukzin headlined Outernet with his second ‘Extended Set’ with Labyrinth Events.

For those who love house music and all of its sons, this was a long awaited return of the multi-platinum Durban born artist. Personally, this show had been on my calendar since its announcement late last year. I was so excited; I quite literally slept next to my outfit the night before just to make sure I was ready for the following evening that was in store. 

With his previous show being at Village Underground, moving this one to Outernet was a decision that made the most sense. Being one of the bigger party venues in the City, lots of people had issues getting tickets last time, I’m sure the Labyrinth team wanted to make sure they could fit as many people under the roof as possible. I am not the biggest fan of Outernet as a venue for many reasons that we’ll unpack in a later piece rating my favourite London venues, but I couldn’t have imagined such electric energy being hosted anywhere else for this particular occasion. Dare I say that Dlala’s show actually made me like Outernet more? This man is clearly a magician.

Not only was I excited to see the headliner, but in fact the opening act too. Following his successful virality from his set at Nigerian-based event Group Therapy, J Gadget opened the night with Amapiano, 3-step and Afro tech. This was a perfect programming choice considering his current motion, meaning that his community came in their droves within half an hour of the club opening. This is relatively rare for a party, with most attendees wanting to keep their energy high for the main act, usually arriving an hour or two after the event has begun. He played Afro tech edits including the now infamous ‘Money Trees’ gqom remix, originally by General C’mamane.  

Nick Castle, co-founder of Labyrinth, was our warm up act in preparation for Dlala’s entrance. As well as being a core part of Labyrinth Events, he is also a DJ of electronic genres spanning across the world. As this being my first time seeing him DJ, I was really pleased with the seamlessness of his transitions, as well as the fact that he lit up the room with his bouncy selections. One core moment during his set was when he played Amapiano classic ‘Ngxiolele’ by Busta 929 with the whole crowd lighting up the room with their cameras. Singalongs always hit differently with this type of music as it often feels spiritual and though the lyrics aren’t easily translatable to the rest of us, there is an essence of gospel and praise that comes from the strong vocals and smooth beats. This song in particular is about asking for forgiveness for past sins, mistakes and the weight of guilt - with the lyrics "Ngixolele izono zami” directly translating to “Forgive me my sins”. Nick basically took us to church - seeing as it was technically Sunday morning anyway.

I love the fact that music always transcends language, we can feel it within us even when we don’t know what the words we’re singing actually mean. 

One thing I can say I do like about Outernet, is that the way the venue has been built is to make the event an immersive experience, beyond who is on stage at the time. The sound system is second to none, being loud and bassy regardless of where in the space you are. Most importantly the VISUALS. The massive screen they have behind the stage gives opportunity to fun and engaging graphics for the partygoers to be stimulated by.

A lot of venues are now prioritising lighting in their refurbs because it really does make or break an experience. Whoever was on the lighting desk this night - give them a raise immediately. They took us on a journey that is quite difficult to translate through only pulses of colour but was done wonderfully. With every set, there was different coloured lighting, slowly progressing to the final act where it went crazy. Strobe lights covering the perimeter of the DJ booth was such a unique use of lighting and I found myself taking breaks from dancing just to admire the beauty of the lights. Though the lighting was incredible, the screen visuals weren’t utilised in the best way that they could’ve been, with the graphics not being that diverse beyond Labyrinth’s logo and live footage of Dlala DJing for those at the back who may not have been able to see him with their naked eye. I do think it’s important for us to divest from making the DJ the focal point for attendees - this isn’t a concert, it’s a party! The lighting did add more depth to the visual stimulation beyond just facing the front and watching Dlala do his job.

The event really was one for the books, and for me as a professional party-goer and the CEO of enjoyment, this was hands down the highlight of my year so far. Don’t just take my word for it, I spoke to a number of people to ask them their thoughts on the night, particularly Dlala’s set. This is what they said:  

“Dlala Thukzin’s nickname is Magic Handz, and last night he showed London exactly why he has that name. His uncanny ability as a music producer is one thing but the skill and technicality he has as a DJ is world class, I’m sure I can speak for everyone that was there when I say we didn’t stop dancing from the first song right up until the last. The show production was incredible too - I found myself stopping to appreciate the lighting and visual setup at several points across the night. Thukzin, you owe me nothing!” -  DJ Selecta Suave 

“A transcendental night! Every DJ was phenomenal and Dlala took it out of this world. His set basically opened up summer! MORE MORE MORE!” - Sarah

I agreed with Sarah - this set quite literally kicked off summer a month or two early.

“A night to remember! The nickname magic hands isn’t for any reason, he gave the crowd a solid three hour set of the hottest 3-step and afrohouse songs. The vibes were high from start to finish as the sounds of South Africa ran through London with his infamous tag ‘Dlala Thukzin’ chanted in praise.” - Vivien

“Dlala’s set was ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL, electrifying and an amazing time. Each song was intuitive, and everything flowed into one another perfectly on beat - it was an amazing night.” - Adeleks

“The night was sensational, everybody was compelled to dance” - Rai

“The event was incredible. From the moment you walked in, you could just feel the great vibes radiate off every person. Everyone was there to dance and have a good time, and in times like this, we all needed that. Dlala did not disappoint. His extended set was transformational. We can joke about it, but at a certain point it felt like he took us to the moon and back” - Nabilla

“It was amazing, everybody present was dancing. I wasn't expecting 2.5 hours of him playing. My throat is sore from shouting in excitement and it was worth every second, J Gadget being on first meant we all got there when doors opened and stayed until the event ended which I never do!” - Ghadir

It takes a lot of talent to be able to keep the WHOLE room moving for an entirety of the night. Especially with the way that the Gen Z and Millennials party nowadays in a panopticon society. People care about being watched too much to really let go and let the music flow within them, so they end up looking stiff in the corner of the room. This didn’t exist at all. 

“I’ve heard Dlala play twice in Cape Town before but that set in London is the best set of his that I’ve heard. I just love that people around me were dancing which is not typical of what you see in London from my perspective. Dlala Thuzkin: very, very special man. 3-step? Very, very special genre.” - Jamal

“I’ve been to a lot of Afro-electronic events in my raving life and I mean no exaggeration when I say, that was easily the event of 2026 (so far) and possibly the best set I’ve ever seen live. Hit after hit. Blend after blend. If you were able to stay still in that place, security should have escorted you out for failing to appreciate what you were witnessing. I’d closed 2 of my Apple Watch rings before I even left at 4am! May Dlala’s pillow forever be cold” - Seun

“Dlala Thukzin at Outernet was all I could have hoped for and more. I was looking forward to this performance for weeks and he did NOT disappoint. His command of the decks and the crowd was flawless, the transitions were seamless, the song selection was perfect. The whole night was fantastic but the last 45 minutes of his set? Unmatched. I felt like I died and went to rave heaven. 10/10 - no notes. Give that man a pay rise” - Poppy

Are the quotes giving you FOMO? Good. Next time you won’t make the same mistake.

Dlala returns to London next month with Piano People for Scorpion Kings at High Lights in Barking alongside a heavy hitting line-up that is set to make it a bank holiday to remember.