Dekmantel arrives in Southeast Asia for the first time: major Bali event brings together Avalon Emerson, Soichi Terada and the Indonesian scene
Amsterdam's Dekmantel, one of the most recognizable festivals, record-label projects and curatorial brands in contemporary electronic music, will hold an event in Southeast Asia for the first time on September 26, 2026. For its debut arrival in the region, it is joining forces with Desa Potato Head in Seminyak, Bali, where an all-day program has been announced that will gradually move from listening sessions, talks and cultural activities toward evening DJ and live performances. According to Potato Head's official announcement and information published by Mixmag Asia and DJ Mag, the program will take place at Potato Head Beach Club and the Klymax club, with Avalon Emerson, Dekmantel Soundsystem, Ogazón, Fafi Abdel Nour and Japanese producer Soichi Terada among the main names. Alongside the international guests, a number of artists associated with the Indonesian electronic scene will also perform, placing the local context as an important part of the program rather than merely a supporting addition.
The event carries additional significance because Avalon Emerson, according to Mixmag Asia, will also perform in Southeast Asia for the first time in Bali. The American DJ and producer is set to close the nighttime part of the program, while Soichi Terada and Danny Satria will perform live. The official artist list also includes Dita, Kiwed, Sattle, Archie, Bagvs and Kaazi, so the program stretches from established international names to artists whose work is strongly connected with Bali, Jakarta, Bandung and the wider Indonesian music community. The collaboration between Dekmantel and Potato Head is the result of years of personal and professional ties between the two teams and represents their most extensive joint project in Bali to date.
Dekmantel's first event in Southeast Asia
Dekmantel's arrival in Bali is not conceived as a conventional guest appearance by a festival brand with several international headliners, but as a one-day program that brings part of its broader curatorial approach with it. The organizers are announcing music from the afternoon until late at night, along with activities beginning before the main dance program. Mixmag Asia states that this is Dekmantel's first event in Southeast Asia, while DJ Mag confirms that this is also the first time the Amsterdam festival and label have come to Bali. Dekmantel's international activity is therefore expanding into Indonesia, but through collaboration with a local host and artists from the country.
The central location will be Desa Potato Head at Jalan Petitenget 51B in Seminyak, in Badung Regency in southern Bali. Potato Head's official website lists the Beach Club as the key venue, while Mixmag Asia and DJ Mag add that the nighttime portion will also include Klymax Discotheque. This division fits the concept of the event: an open daytime segment by the coast, accompanied by talks, transitions into a more focused club program after sunset. For visitors arriving from other parts of Bali or from abroad, it is useful to consider accommodation in Seminyak and near the event venue in advance, especially because the program is designed as a multi-hour experience.
The line-up connects different generations and directions of electronic music
Twelve artist names have been announced, and the line-up connects house, techno, disco, leftfield electronic music, more experimental club directions and live performance. The main names are Avalon Emerson, Dekmantel Soundsystem, Soichi Terada, Ogazón and Fafi Abdel Nour, while the program is completed by Danny Satria, Dita, Kiwed, Sattle, Kaazi, Archie and Bagvs. According to Potato Head's official description, these are artists from the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Australia and Indonesia, in other words a line-up deliberately connecting Dekmantel's international circle with musicians and DJs active on the Indonesian scene.
Avalon Emerson has built a reputation as a DJ whose sets move freely through house, techno, new wave, disco and less expected rave material, and her performance will have the symbolic role of closing Dekmantel's first event in the region. In its official announcement, Potato Head highlights her ability to connect genres and different eras of club music, while Mixmag Asia states that the Bali performance will be her Southeast Asian debut. This eclectic approach fits the broader concept of the evening, which is not restricted to a single subgenre or to strictly festival-style dramaturgy.
Soichi Terada brings a live set, Dekmantel Soundsystem a connection to Amsterdam
Japanese producer Soichi Terada will perform live. According to the profile published by Potato Head, he is known for working at the intersection of house, jungle and chiptune, for releases on the Far East Recording label and for music for Sony's Ape Escape video game series. His performance therefore brings a different format from a conventional DJ set and further broadens the stylistic picture of the evening. Danny Satria will also perform live, meaning the program will include at least two performances based on playing electronic music rather than only DJ selection.
Dekmantel Soundsystem represents a direct connection with the organization behind the event. Potato Head's official website states that the project brings together Dekmantel co-founder Casper van Tielrooij and Olf van Elden, also known as Interstellar Funk. Their appearance means that Dekmantel is present not only as the event's producer and curator but also as part of the line-up. Mixmag Asia states that Van Tielrooij and Van Elden have previously spent time in Bali, one of the elements from which the current collaboration with Potato Head developed.
Ogazón brings a selection oriented toward house and techno to the program, while Fafi Abdel Nour comes from Amsterdam's club circuit and is known for sets firmly rooted in house music. Their inclusion shows that the program does not rely only on several major headliners, but transfers part of the aesthetic characteristic of Dekmantel's European festivals and club programs. Kaazi, Archie and Bagvs further extend the range toward ambient, experimental and leftfield electronic music, more minimal techno, deep house and disco.
The Indonesian scene is not merely a supporting program
Potato Head and Dekmantel place particular emphasis in the announcement on artists connected with Indonesia. Danny Satria is described as an important figure in Bali's electronic scene who works with hardware instruments and emphasizes a DIY approach to production. Dita, a Potato Head resident, is known for selections connecting proto-house, Balearic disco and 1990s breakbeat. Kiwed, also based in Bali, combines leftfield electro, hypnotic grooves and rougher textures and runs Dentum Lab, a project dedicated to sound archiving and underground music. Sattle, or Satria A. Anggapradja, connects experiences from Bandung, Jakarta and Bali and combines atmospheric elements with stronger bass lines in his sets.
Archie, according to Potato Head's official profile, is associated with the Jakarta collective SCRUBS! and the Bali experimental trio Fraktal, while Bagvs is the artistic name of Bagus Prayoga from Bandung. Such a line-up gives the event a local weight that would be lost if the program consisted only of visiting names. In a 2024 interview with Bandwagon, Dita described the Bali scene as considerably more diverse than stereotypes about music tailored exclusively to tourist beach clubs, highlighting house, disco, hip-hop and more experimental club directions. Dekmantel's 2026 program brings that diversity into an international framework by placing local artists alongside guests from Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia.
Listening sessions, talks and Desa Dialogue before the nighttime program
Music is not the only content announced for September 26. Potato Head's official website lists a listening session, live artist talks and the Desa Dialogue format, conceived as an open exchange of ideas about music, culture and creativity. Mixmag Asia confirms that the daytime program will take place before the evening party and that the entire event follows a model of moving from listening and conversation toward the dance floor. Such a format corresponds to Dekmantel's broader identity, as it has operated for years not only as the organizer of a major festival but also as a record-label and curatorial platform.
The daytime segment distinguishes the event from a standard club night. Instead of the audience arriving only for the evening performances, the organizers also invite them to activities focused on context, the working process and the exchange of experiences. According to currently available information, the detailed schedule of individual talks and listening sessions is not stated with equal precision in all public announcements, so visitors should check the organizers' latest information before arriving. It has been confirmed that the program develops from day into night and includes multiple spaces within Desa Potato Head.
A collaboration that began as a friendship
Both Dekmantel and Potato Head emphasize that the event did not emerge as a one-off business pairing between two well-known names. According to a statement by Dita reported by Mixmag Asia and DJ Mag, the relationship began with friendship, years of mutual visits and the sharing of music and spaces. Casper van Tielrooij of Dekmantel explains in the same announcement that the two teams built a personal relationship over the years, exchanged artists and performed at each other's projects, making a joint event the logical next step. This background explains why the program is not conceived as a simple festival franchise model.
The ties developed in both directions: members of the Dekmantel team visited Bali, while people from Potato Head attended Dekmantel Festival in Amsterdam. These exchanges led to a project described in the announcement as their most extensive joint undertaking in Bali to date. For Potato Head, this means the arrival of one of Europe's most influential curatorial names in electronic music, while for Dekmantel it means entering Southeast Asia through a partner that already has its own music infrastructure, resident DJs and connections with the regional scene.
Klymax gives the nighttime portion a distinctive club environment
The nighttime part of the program will also be connected with Klymax, a club space within Desa Potato Head. According to Potato Head's official information, Klymax was conceived as a space built around sound: the room concept was developed by DJ Harvey, the speakers were built by George Stavro according to Richard Long's design principles, and the dance floor has a multilayered resilient construction. Potato Head also draws a historical connection with the acoustic philosophy of clubs such as Paradise Garage and Studio 54, positioning Klymax as a space in which technical infrastructure is part of the musical experience.
For Dekmantel, whose identity is strongly connected with sound quality and diverse selection, such a space naturally suits the nighttime phase of the event. At the same time, the Beach Club provides a more open daytime setting on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The combination of these two locations creates a transition from afternoon socializing and talks to a more focused club program. For visitors planning to attend the entire program, it may be practical to compare accommodation offers in Seminyak in advance and arrange transportation before the event's late-night conclusion.
Dekmantel arrives in Bali after the 12th edition of its home festival
The Bali event comes less than two months after the main Dekmantel Festival 2026 in Amsterdam. According to the organizers' official announcement, the twelfth edition took place from July 29 to August 2, with more than 160 artists and an expansion of the festival concept to additional city venues. In Amsterdamse Bos, the Dekmantel at Dawn format was introduced, with three twelve-hour days, while Into the City included the Melkweg and Paradiso venues for the first time. Names appearing in 2026 included DARKSIDE, Helena Hauff, Ricardo Villalobos, DJ Sprinkles, Skrillex and Underground Resistance.
This context illustrates the scale of the organization coming to Bali. Dekmantel grew out of the Amsterdam scene into an internationally recognized festival and label, while maintaining a reputation for programming that combines established artists, cult names and newer directions in electronic music. Its first event in Southeast Asia is therefore primarily an expansion of its curatorial network rather than a reproduction of the entire Amsterdam festival. The Bali format will be more compact, one-day long and firmly connected with a local partner.
What visitors can expect on September 26
According to currently available information, Dekmantel x Potato Head will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Desa Potato Head in Seminyak. Resident Advisor lists Potato Head Beach Club as the event venue and publishes the complete artist list, while Potato Head's official website confirms the same date, location and program. Tickets have gone on sale through the organizers' official sales channels, but interested visitors should check current entry conditions, the final schedule and any possible program changes before purchasing and arriving. Because this is an event combining daytime and nighttime activities, planning an arrival differs from a typical evening club visit.
The confirmed line-up consists of Avalon Emerson, Dekmantel Soundsystem, Soichi Terada live, Ogazón, Fafi Abdel Nour, Danny Satria live, Dita, Kiwed, Sattle, Kaazi, Archie and Bagvs. A listening session, Q&A talks and Desa Dialogue have also been announced alongside the performances. For Dekmantel, this is its first officially announced event in Southeast Asia, and for Avalon Emerson it is her first performance in the region. For Potato Head, it represents a continuation of a years-long collaboration that has grown from occasional artist exchanges and mutual visits into a major joint production.
The Bali edition thus simultaneously connects an internationally recognized festival and record-label brand from Amsterdam, an established cultural and music complex in Bali, and a program in which Indonesian artists have a visible role alongside guests from Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia. That combination is precisely what is important for understanding the event: September 26 is not merely Dekmantel's symbolic first step into Southeast Asia, but also an attempt to translate an international festival identity into a local context through an existing scene, infrastructure and the longstanding ties between the two organizations.
Sources:
- Desa Potato Head Bali - official event announcement, confirmed date, location, program and artist profiles (link)
- Mixmag Asia - confirmation of Dekmantel's first event in Southeast Asia, Avalon Emerson's debut in the region and the background of the collaboration (link)
- DJ Mag - information about the one-day format, the Potato Head Beach Club and Klymax venues and the years-long relationship between the two organizations (link)
- Dekmantel - official information about the 2026 edition of Dekmantel Festival in Amsterdam (link)
- Potato Head / Klymax - official information about the club space, sound system and dance-floor design (link)
- Resident Advisor - confirmation of the event date, location and published line-up (link)
- Bandwagon - context on Bali's electronic scene and an interview with Dita about local collectives and genre diversity (link)