DJ Deepika Takes Rhythms Of The South to Crown Melbourne

Some DJs bring a USB stick. DJ Deepika brings a saxophonist, a violinist, a percussionist and the CV of someone who is the official DJ of the Chennai Super Kings. She headlines the first-ever South Indian party night at Therapy Nightclub, up on Level 3 of Crown Melbourne, on Saturday 1 August 2026, and follows it the next afternoon with a beginner DJ workshop you can do off your phone. Melbourne, in other words, gets both the show and the lesson.

The party: Rhythms Of The South

After a big 2025, Rhythms Of The South lands in Melbourne for the first time, taking over Therapy Nightclub on Level 3 of Crown Melbourne in Southbank on Saturday 1 August 2026, from 9:30pm to 4am. DJ Deepika, the Queen Of Vibes, headlines, and the supporting bill leans into live-and-electronic fusion: Sash and DJ Raaju on the decks, Kuven on saxophone, Yohan on violin, plus a never-before-seen set with a percussionist and a beatbox artist jamming over the DJ. It is an 18-plus night, Crown runs a smart-casual dress code, and tickets start at $30, climbing through Stage 2 and a final release, with a small run of $70 VIP tickets on the mezzanine. They were filling fast when I looked.

The workshop: learn to DJ off your phone

The morning after the night before, Deepika and her partner DJ Navz run their Mobile DJ Workshop, and it is refreshingly un-intimidating. No decks, no software, no music background. You bring a phone and a free DJ app, and across the afternoon session you learn what actually happens behind the decks, including how to move cleanly from one track to the next. It is open to ages 10 to 60, so it genuinely suits a curious teenager or a curious grandparent. It runs Sunday 2 August, 2:30pm to 7pm, at CY Space in Collingwood Yards, and the $60 ticket includes tea, coffee and snacks by Just Dosa.

Who is DJ Deepika

Deepika is, by her own description, India's leading female DJ for Tamil music, and the resume backs the billing. She was the first female DJ in South India to feature on channels like Star Vijay, Zee Tamil and Colors, the first ever female DJ to play the IPL, and she now holds down the official DJ role for the Chennai Super Kings alongside DJ Zen. She has performed at everything from Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan's wedding to stages in more than 30 countries, always carrying Tamil music and culture with her, saree included. If you want the tally: 700-plus club gigs, 500-plus private shows, 50-plus concerts and 15-plus awards. Her sets span Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bollywood, Punjabi, pop, hip hop and EDM, which is more or less every genre your extended family argues about at a wedding. Find her on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Watch

A few clips, in case the lineup alone has not sold you.

The full run: Melbourne and Sydney

The tour does both big cities across one long weekend. Here is the lot.

Going along

Two logistics notes. The party is 18-plus, so carry a current Australian driver's license, proof-of-age card or passport, and mind Crown's smart-casual dress code (no sportswear, no thongs). The workshop is the friendly opposite: all ages from 10 to 60, and built around learning rather than a big night. Both are ticketed through JustEasyBook and both were filling fast, so it pays to book ahead. If you are up in New South Wales, the Sydney leg runs its own party and workshop first, and there is always more happening around Melbourne or across the country.

Come for the saxophone-over-a-DJ-set, stay for the fact that by Sunday afternoon you could be the one mixing. I will be somewhere near the bar, requesting A.R. Rahman and being politely ignored.