The UK Final of the prestigious DMC World DJ Championships is set to take place at Bristol’s legendary Thekla on Saturday 12th September. From 5pm to 10pm, the nation’s finest DJs and turntablists will go head-to-head across three categories — Classic, Scratch and Supremacy — as they battle for their place at the 2026 World Finals in London this November. Presented by Technics and recognised throughout turntablist culture as a breeding ground for world-class talent, the DMC UK Final promises a remarkable showcase of mind-blowing scratching and beat juggling of the highest discipline. Tickets are available now from £20 + bf via Skiddle.
The DMC World DJ Championships has defined the art of turntablism since 1985 when Roger Johnson became the first UK and World Champion, building legends, breaking boundaries and inspiring generations of DJs across the globe. The roll call of past UK Champions reads like a headline poster: Cutmaster Swift, Chad Jackson, DJ Pogo, Mr Switch, Plus One of Scratch Perverts and JFB – some of the most heavyweight turntablists to this very day.
Now, in 2026, the Championship arrives at one of Bristol’s most iconic music venues (having previously taken place at landmark stages at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Hammersmith Apollo and Boomtown Festival) in a city long celebrated for its rich musical heritage and underground culture.
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Cristoph Returns to HERE at Outernet with Jeremy Olander, Pretty Pink and Michael AnthonySaturday 12th September sees the UK’s most-skilled turntablists go head-to-head having already beaten off hundreds of entries in the heats: DJ Rasp, Huw Wackman, Mr Big Mouth, Revrt, Scratch Master Slider, Simon T, Tommy P Nuts, DJ JTL, Felix The Kut, Kutclass and Statik.
The competition is built across three disciplines. The “Classic” showcases polished six-minute routines that blend technical prowess with showmanship. “Scratch” presents razor-sharp 16-bar displays of turntablist technique. “Supremacy” delivers head-to-head knockout battles, with DJ Rasp and Statik going toe to toe for the title.
Between the competitive rounds, crowds can witness extraordinary sets from more of the country’s finest talents: Mr Thing who formed part of the World Champion winning team in 1999 with Scratch Perverts; World Finals 2021 winner JFB, hip-hop royalty The Nextmen; MOBO nominee and international wheels of steel star Sarah Love; breakout rapper Jaz Kahina (Live PA), and the dynamic new turntablist on the block, NikNak, each raising the standard even further at Thekla.
On the judging panel sits a heavy-duty cast: former 1989 World Champion Cutmaster Swift; former UK Finals Winner and Radio 1Xtra DJ, Blakey; the genre-defying Quest, plus Nik Nak and Sarah Love.
Meanwhile, Room 2 sees a takeover from Scratch Café Bristol – the UK’s leading scratch community and the crew behind the legendary monthly Bristol sessions at Lost Horizon. Scratch Café has become a magnet for the country’s finest turntablists and cut technicians from across the UK and beyond, adding a vital local dimension to a night that celebrates everything the culture stands for.
The Thekla is unlike any other venue in the UK. A German-built cargo ship moored in Bristol’s Floating Harbour since 1983, it opened as a live music venue in 1984 and has been at the forefront of the best new music ever since — a room where Massive Attack, Portishead and Roni Size all played in their formative years, and a cornerstone of Bristol’s extraordinary contribution to music culture. The DMC UK Final deserves a stage with a story, and The Thekla has one of the best.
The Bristol Final sets the scene for the main event. Following the huge success of DMC40 in Tokyo in 2025, the DMC World DJ Championships returns to London for the first time since 2019, taking over the legendary Camden venue KOKO this November. Three days of world-class competition, Hall of Fame Awards, live rap performances and BBoy battles await the finest turntablists on earth. Saturday 12th September is where the British chapter of that story begins.
From bedroom practice sessions to world stages, no competition has shaped DJ culture like DMC. The event is open to those aged 14 and over; under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. Grab tickets now from Skiddle.
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