SURPLUS taps Rainbow Disco Club, Planet Trip and Mixmag ANZ for NAS revival

SURPLUS festival, the independent weekend-long festival taking over a variety of spaces in Darlinghurst on Gadigal Land/Sydney, returns for its second year with a bang, and even more variety.

Presented by Supply Store and Nike Sportswear, the festival brings the online–offline, with a mix of international and local musicians, artists, brands, vintage vendors, zine-makers, food and more.

This year, that dedication sees SURPLUS expand to include even more venues, including a takeover of the iconic National Art School. Once popularised by the iconic Summer Dance series, NAS has long stood dormant as a music venue, now set to act as the backdrop for a collaboration with local label Planet Trip, Mixmag ANZ, and beloved Japanese crew Rainbow Disco Club.

RDC is one of Japan’s longest-running fixtures, having spent the last 17 years building a reputation at home and increasingly sharing it abroad. The group has received cosigns from no shortage of global all-stars, including Four Tet and Floating Points, Helena Hauff, Antal, and DJ Harvey among its lineup alumni, alongside the incredible Japanese talent that has always anchored its bills.

Set to take place on Sunday, October 18, RDC’s takeover of the educational institution will pair the crew’s balearic, disco, and deep house sensibility with an afternoon of food and drink from yet-to-be-announced local providers across various food trucks and a bar.

EVENT: Rainbow Disco Club: Sydney Open Air

Heading the bill for the day is Kenji Takimi, a long-time resident and central figure of RDC, and label head for Crue-L Records, one of Japan’s formative leftfield disco imprints. Joining him is Kikiorix, another RDC regular whose sets have become synonymous with the brand, as well as DITA & GERO, residents of Bali’s iconic Klymax Discotheque, and SAMO and kengotaki, core members of FULLHOUSE, an influential Osaka-based party crew.

Rainbow Disco Club: Sydney Open Air runs alongside SURPLUS's wider program of markets, art and community events across the weekend of Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18.

Tickets to Rainbow Disco Club: Sydney Open Air are available via Mixmag ANZ.