elrow Bhūtarāh Chicago Weekender

elrow returns to Chicago, the birthplace of house music, for a two-night Weekender at Radius on December 11 and 12, bringing one of the brand’s most ambitious new worlds to the city: Bhūtarāh, created in collaboration with internationally renowned South African multidisciplinary artist Dan Popper.

First unveiled during elrow’s 2026 season at Ibiza’s [UNVRS], Bhūtarāh transforms the dancefloor into a living world where art, nature, music, and technology collide. At its center stands Popper’s monumental Mother of the Forest, surrounded by forest spirits, fantastical creatures, organic scenic design, performers, and larger-than-life installations that blur the line between the physical and mythical.

Dan Popper has brought his monumental sculptures and immersive environments to projects including Electric Forest, EDC, Boom Festival, and Afrikaburn, often creating works that function as stages, portals, and gathering spaces. For Bhūtarāh, that artistic language meets the scale and theatrical madness of elrow, creating a world built around nature, elemental forces, transformation, and the idea of an ancestral intelligence connecting the visible with the unseen.

The Chicago Weekender also marks another major stop for a brand that has taken its productions to more than 200 cities across 45 countries and five continents. Following the launch of its second season at [UNVRS], elrow now brings Bhūtarāh stateside to Radius Chicago, placing this new world inside a city fundamental to the history of house music.

Across two nights, expect Radius to disappear beneath towering sculptures, forest-inspired environments, roaming characters, theatrical performances, massive production, confetti, and a soundtrack built for the dancefloor.

Leading the lineup is Armand Van Helden, and chances are you already know his work. The Boston-born DJ, producer, and remixer is credited as a pioneer of speed garage, and his remix of Tori Amos's "Professional Widow" became a worldwide hit and a UK number one. He has had hits of his own with "You Don't Know Me" and "My My My," earned a Grammy nomination as half of Duck Sauce with A-Trak for "Barbra Streisand," and remixed everyone from Daft Punk to the Rolling Stones along the way.

From there, Bastian Bux keeps things in the elrow family. The Barcelona-born DJ and producer is a longtime elrow resident, including a residency at Amnesia during elrow's Ibiza seasons, so he knows exactly what a night like this calls for. His 2015 debut, the Stay EP on Suara, opened the door to Bedrock, Cocoon, and MOOD Records, and today he runs Petit Comité of House, which held 14 events across Barcelona, Ibiza, Amsterdam, Miami, and Colombia in 2025.

Then Chicago and Ibiza meet in the middle as Gene Farris goes back to back with Toni Varga. Farris is Chicago born and bred, one of the first resident DJs at Frankie Knuckles' Power House and an eight-year resident at the Boom Boom Room, with releases on Cajual, Defected, Soma, and his own Farris Wheel Recordings. Varga has been part of elrow's global expansion for more than 12 years, with a six-year residency at Amnesia Ibiza behind him and a closing set for elrow at Ushuaïa in front of 9,000 people among his highlights.

Marco Faraone brings the techno edge. Based between Barcelona and Ibiza, the Italian DJ, producer, and label head started playing around Tuscany at 14 and held a residency at Florence's Tenax by his early 20s. He has released on Drumcode, Defected, Rekids, and Desolat, runs his own label, UNCAGE, and holds residencies at Amnesia and DC10.

Next up, Matt Sassari arrives from Marseille with a record you may well know: "Put A Record On," a reinterpretation of Madonna's "Music" that hit No. 1 on Beatport in 2019. Carl Cox and Green Velvet have backed him since, and in 2022 he launched his own label, SASS, with "Dance or Die" alongside Green Velvet. Live, he builds hybrid sets from Ableton Live, decks, and live samples.

Nic Fanciulli has been a fixture of UK house and techno for years. He owns Saved Records, home to Josh Butler, John Summit, and David Squillace among many others, and has earned a Grammy nomination for his behind-the-scenes production work with artists including Underworld, Kylie Minogue, and Loco Dice. He also started The Social festival in his hometown of Maidstone.

Things get fun when Sonny Fodera and Eats Everything share the decks. Fodera, Australia born and London based, is known for chunky basslines and chopped samples on labels including Defected, Cajual, and Dirtybird, plus his own label, Solotoko. Eats Everything is Dan Pearce of Bristol, whose "Entrance Song" on Catz 'n Dogz's Pets Recordings took him from relative unknown to one of the underground's biggest names, with releases on dirtybird, Hypercolour, and Futureboogie since.

After that, it's a UK back-to-back with Tommy Phillips and Cam Stockman. Phillips reached No. 1 on Beatport with "Sun Is Shining (Lovelee Dae)," built on Blaze's 1997 house classic, and has played Music On at Pacha Ibiza, Paradise at UNVRS, Creamfields, and Reading Festival. Stockman, from Manchester, blends house, minimal, electro, and 90s influences on TSZR, where his breakout "Into My Life" earned support from Chris Stussy, Michael Bibi, Max Dean, and Enzo Siragusa.

Chicago is well represented too, thanks to Très Mortimer, who has put out records through Slacker 85, Three Six Zero, and Ministry of Sound and is billed as a performer who doesn't hide behind the booth.

Rounding out the night are Nick C and Rika B.

December 11 and 12, enter Bhūtarāh. The forest is calling, and elrow is coming back to Chicago.