REFUGE NYC ANNOUNCES 72-HOUR NON-STOP ANNIVERSARY MARATHON TO CLOSE OUT FIRST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Brooklyn’s purist dance haven marks one year with an extended anniversary finale featuring a 12hr set from Deep Dish, Ragie Ban, John Dimatteo, Shorty, DJ Vibe, Victor Calderone, and Brothers Macklovitch (A-Trak & Dave 1)

After a landmark inaugural year that welcomed dance music enthusiasts from over 1,300 cities across 73 countries, Brooklyn’s Refuge NYC is capping off its month-long 1st anniversary season with a 72-hour non-stop marathon finale from 25th–27th September.

Founded by veteran promoter John DiMatteo and legendary sound engineer Craig “Shorty” Bernabeu, the 500-capacity East Williamsburg/Bushwick venue has quickly become a global destination. It rejects modern nightlife tropes, operating with zero VIP sections, no bottle service, and an uncompromising focus on acoustic excellence.

Inspired by iconic spaces like Paradise Garage, The Sound Factory, and Space Ibiza, Refuge’s multi-generational floor relies on long-form musical storytelling and its custom-built, four-point REX analogue sound system, engineered alongside acoustic pioneer Al Fierstein. 

Before the anniversary finale wraps up the birthday celebrations, Refuge is also set to welcome Two Shell, Chris Liebing, Ahadadream and more through its doors. The 72-hour finale weekend showcases the full spectrum of the venue's vision, utilizing both the main room and its newly constructed outdoor courtyard space across day sessions, sunrise moments, and deep afterhours. Dance music pioneers Deep Dish set the pace for the weekend on Friday, 25th September with an exclusive 12-hour open-to-close marathon set.

The momentum continues into Saturday, 26th September as co-founders and resident mainstays John DiMatteo and Shorty take control of the booth alongside Ragie Ban and unannounced special guests. New York techno titan and resident Victor Calderone leads the venue into Sunday morning with a signature sunrise performance on 27th September, before high-energy duo Brothers Macklovitch (A-Trak & Dave 1 of Chromeo) bring the historic 72-hour celebration to its official close on Sunday night.

Elsewhere, to mark its first anniversary, Refuge has launched a new SoundCloud channel dedicated to exclusive live recordings, opening with an unannounced seven-hour B2B set from Seth Troxler and Victor Calderone captured during a late-night after-hours session at the club. Head to soundcloud.com/refugenycradio to listen now.

Full programming details, timing, and entry information for the 25th–27th September finale are available at refuge.nyc / @Refuge.NYC.

Refuge NYC 72-Hour Non-Stop 1st Anniversary

FRI 09.25

Deep Dish (open to close)

SAT 09.26

John Dimatteo

Shorty

Special Guests TBA

SUN 09.27 | SUNRISE

Victor Calderone

SUN 09.27 | NIGHT

Brothers Macklovitch (A-Trak & Dave 1)

Refuge NYC First Anniversary Season: Remaining Dates

THU 09.17

Two Shell

FRI 09.18

Chris Liebing

Akua

Black Asteroid

SAT 09.19 | DAY

Ahadadream

Coffintexts

SAT 09.19 | NIGHT

Special Guest TBA

SAT 09.20 | SUNRISE

Serge Devant

DARUDE REWORKS ‘SANDSTORM’ FOR 2026 WITH ITS FIRST OFFICIAL REMIX IN OVER 20 YEARS

Darude has revisited ‘Sandstorm’ from the inside. Reworked by the original creator himself, ‘Sandstorm Storm 25 Mix’ marks the track’s first official remix in over 20 years and gives the Finnish artist the opportunity to reshape one of electronic music’s most recognisable records on his own terms.

 Over 25 years, ‘Sandstorm’ has inspired hundreds of unofficial edits, mashups and bootlegs. Yet despite the many attempts to rework it, few have managed to reinterpret its unmistakable lead melody without losing what made the original so iconic. Its lead line and chord progression are so tightly wound into the track's identity that even seasoned producers have preferred to leave it alone rather than risk breaking what makes it so universally adored.

Over 1 billion global streams, numerous Gold and Platinum certifications, and over 322 million YouTube views on the equally memorable music video, ‘Sandstorm’ is an inescapable force in contemporary culture. Not only within dance music, but in the sporting world as the ultimate get-hyped anthem used by FIFA World Cup, NFL, Copa America, and 2024 Paris Olympics. Rooting itself a viral internet meme and official soundtrack in the gaming spheres of EA Sports, Fortnite and DOTA.

Such weighted presence made it only fitting the first official remix of ‘Sandstorm’ in over twenty years comes from the man who wrote it himself. Darude’s Storm 25 Mix was born out of a live-set rework created specifically for his STORM 25 worldwide anniversary tour which celebrated selections from the producer's 25-year catalogue.

To embark on his remix project, Darude first recreated the original Sandstorm version identically down to the very last hi-hat and Supersaw pad, Then, he intricately approached the key sounds, rebuilding from scratch to form his Storm 25 Mix. The core melody remains intact and now bears big room energy with melodic techno elements in the drop and orchestral textures in the breakdown.

"Sandstorm has such an incredible life of its own and, honestly, I'm just grateful people are still dancing to it," says Darude. "So many talented people have taken their own swing at it, while a lot of producers I admire have told me it’s simply too risky to touch. But this one is personal. It's the track that started everything for me and my career, and after 25 years, it felt like the right time to take it somewhere new. That, and to see how hard I can make it hit on a dancefloor in 2026!”

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FUNK TRIBU LAUNCHES BRAND NEW COMPILATION SERIES “RITUALS” ON HIS LABEL TRIBE

This recurring release series brings together four carefully curated artists and tracks per edition

“Rituals Vol. 1” marks a pivotal point for TRIBE - not just as a label, but as a flourishing creative community. From immersive club events in Bogotá, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels, to screenings in Berlin, TRIBE has been building something that goes far beyond the music itself. Alongside a consistent musical output from Funk Tribu and a growing wave of emerging artists from across the world, this combination of music, people and experiences has shaped TRIBE into one of the most exciting, independent forces in progressive electronic music.

The artists who take part in the “Rituals” series each have a different but organic history with Funk Tribu and TRIBE. This is reflected in the artwork, with one unique handprint from each artist, tying their individual stories together.

Funk Tribu first discovered Afem Syko DJing at a party while he was still living in Bogotá. A few years later, the two reconnected in Berlin, where Afem shared some of his demos with him. One track immediately stood out to Funk Tribu and eventually found its place on the compilation - “KINETYKA, Polish for kinetics, describes the energy an object carries through motion. The track is built around this idea of force and movement.” explains Afem Syko.

Supergloss quickly became a mainstay at TRIBE events after Funk Tribu heard her incredible selections at a show in Serbia, it was natural for her to feature on the first compilation - “This track attempts to capture the feeling of not wanting to leave the dance floor, because even after hours, your body is craving one last euphoria.” says Supergloss.

Vall Du Son had been part of the TRIBE story for a while too, after meeting at ADE in 2024 and gradually becoming a regular in Funk Tribu’s sets. On his process for the track Vall Du Son mentions, “I stopped thinking about where I should fit and followed whatever felt exciting to me.”

HANAA is the most recent addition, discovered while searching for new music for a set, which led to her sending over some demos - one of which, “Looking For My Tribe”, ended up becoming part of the compilation. HANNA says “it’s about searching for those rare people you instantly connect with, the ones who make you feel like you’re on the same frequency without having to explain yourself.”

Funk Tribu explains “What I like about the compilation is that there wasn’t one specific way these tracks came together. Each artist and track has its own story and connection to me, but somehow they all ended up fitting into the same ritual.”

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