The best Boiler Room sets of all time
Sweaty, wild, and nothing short of mind-blowing, here are the best Boiler Room sets of all time.
Last updated: 1st Jul 2024
Originally published: 18th Jul 2023
Known in dance music as the place to go to find up-coming artists and watch mind-blowing sets from the best in the game, Boiler Room offers raw footage of sets that are so well-filmed that you can feel the atmosphere from the other side of your screen.
Every raver has a Boiler Room set they hold close to their heart, listening over and over until they know the entire set by heart. But if you’re new to Boiler Room or are just curious to see more of the awesome sets they’ve put out, here are the best sets (so far) to feast your ears on.
Charli XCX | Boiler Room: NYC
Now labelled as the ultimate Brat, we question if there is anything Charli XCX can't do. However, you'll swiftly find the answer to be a big fat no. Showcasing her DJing skills, with Partygirl; which also has special guest appearances from Addison Rae and Julia Fox. It was a cultural reset and the ultimate IT girl moment for all electropop lovers.
Salute | Boiler Room: Melbourne
Salute is a genius on the decks, and he showed that during his Boiler Room set. With endless positive vibes, and mouthwatering transitions, paired with some solid tunes this is easily a banger of a boiler room set. Even though the music stopped due to an overly excited fan, the Aussies kept their spirits spurring on Salute for more magic.
Austin Millz | Boiler Room: NYC
Known around TikTok for his undeniable mashups, we know him for something a little different. You guessed it, his funky Boiler Room set. Based in NYC, the set shows the successes of what a good house-y beat can do to a song. And with Austin's high energy throughout, it was more than just a set; it was a standout performance.
Interplanetary Criminal b2b Main Phase | Boiler Room Festival: Berlin
Bringing that garage sound back with vengeance is Interplanetary Criminal and Main Phase as they took Berlin for their appearance at the Boiler Room festival. Filling the room with unreal beats they showed that their chemistry with the decks was a match made in heaven.
Richie Hawtin | Boiler Room: Buenos Aires
One of the best DJs of all time, Richie Hawtin is a techno scientist who conducted some experiments in Buenos Aires for Boiler Room. Listen to this one if you love cool, slow-burn, experimental (but not too weird), smoothly mixed techno.
Kaytranada | Boiler Room: Montreal
This is one of our favourites for two reasons: the music is fantastic and the video is the best for people-watching. We’d love to focus solely on the music but there are so many characters and stories in one room, it's fascinating. But seriously, the music selections are groovy as hell.
Mall Grab | Boiler Room: Melbourne
Mall Grab absolutely killed this one. Easily one of the best Boiler Room sets, his track selections aren't just random songs that sound good. They're chosen carefully and played in a certain order to create a complex emotional profile. There are plenty of bangers but they’re sentimental and poetic. This is art.
SHERELLE | Boiler Room LDN: Bass & Percs Special
We can't help but find SHERELLE adorable. But simultaneously, she's a real force to be reckoned with on the decks. Pushing hot footwork and jungle sounds, she got everyone going so bananas to the point where she had to stretch her arms out to protect the decks. Still, she kept energy levels through the roof with a huge, infectious smile on her face. Legend. Head to 24:00 and watch for a few minutes for our personal highlight of the set.
Disclosure | Boiler Room: Shanghai
In 2016, electronic powerhouse duo Disclosure went to Shanghai to deliver a house set mixed with splashes of garage and bass. Through the set, you can see them both singing along to vocal samples and clearly enjoying the tunes. It may seem trivial but it’s a performance. Their delight is contagious.
DJ EZ | Boiler Room x RBMA London
Easily we knew DJ EZ Boiler Room set was going to be absolutely mad. This legend blends garage, bass, and house for a hype set where the crowd doesn't stop moving. Stick this one on to hype you and your mates up at pre-drinks before heading out for a wild one.
TAAHLIAH | Boiler Room Manchester: Teletech
Bursting with energy and creativity, TAAHLIAH delivered one of the best Boiler Room sets in Manchester. She had the crowd jumping for an hour straight (including us watching at home). As the camera pans around, all you can see is people pumping their fists, screwing up their faces in approval, and enjoying her unhinged selections.
So Solid Crew | Boiler Room: UKG20 London
UKG legends So Solid Crew reunited to celebrate 20 years of UK Garage with Boiler Room. Making the room shake with old-school crowd interaction, chunky basslines, and plenty of instrumentals you’ll instantly recognise if you’re a fan of hip-hop and grime.
Mixtress | Boiler Room: London
Mixtress' Boiler Room set, as with many sets of hers, is somewhat a homage to 90s rave. The mostly hardcore and jungle jockey isn’t afraid to dip outside to different genres as she take the sweaty crowd on a sonic journey through time and across cultures. And shout out to green top girl who was clearly loving every minute as much as we do.
Solomun | Boiler Room
Spinning timeless bangers to create a lowkey, warm, and beautiful masterpiece, this one by Solomun is perfectly suited for that part of the afters when it's too much to be playing loud hard-hitters. Stick this on when the vibe's a bit more mellow but the conversation is still flowing.
Carl Cox | Boiler Room: Ibiza Villa Takeovers
One of the best Boiler Room sets and one of Carl’s most famous, we've got yet another set where the music is impeccable but you can also enjoy some people-watching. This lot has totally forgotten where they are and has just submitted to the music. Same here! This one is such a liberating, sunny set, perfect for a party in Ibiza. Especially when he drops a few Calypso-inspired tunes.
Denis Sulta | Boiler Room x AVA Festival
Seamlessly transitioning through house, techno, disco, and trance is impressive in itself. But what might be more impressive is how he had about a dozen ravers up on shoulders seconds after the first track's beat drop. Absolutely electric while passing that energy back and forth between himself and the audience, it just makes you wish you were there.
Jyoty | Boiler Room: London
“This is her Boiler Room debut and it’s going to be f*cking legendary.” He was right. The wholesome feminine vibes here are absolutely unreal as she plays banger after banger. It looks like she's just having a laugh at a party with her mates and we're so here for it. If the party doesn't have this energy, we aren't coming.
Fred again.. | Boiler Room: London
Not just one of the best Boiler Room sets, but one of the best DJ sets of all time, Fred again..’s set has already had an insane impact on the dance scene. Full of energy, pure vibes (peep yellow shirt guy who got famous for accidentally stopping the music who received nothing but love), and unmatched skill, over 21 million (so far) had to see what all the fuss what about for themselves.
Honey Dijon | Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain
If you’re thinking “who could possibly stand up next to Fred again..?” well, of course, it’d be Honey Dijon! The queen of house had the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout this one. There's a snippet of MLK's I Have a Dream speech around the halfway mark, which is beyond epic and could also be considered a nod to house music being deeply rooted in black culture. Stunning.
Skrillex | Boiler Room x IMS Asia-Pacific x OWSLA Shanghai
Wild. Just wild. Blistering his way through bass, dubstep, hip-hop, trap, and more, it seems as though Skrillex was on a mission to reveal the scope of his skill. And that’s exactly what he did.
Sama' Abdulhadi | Boiler Room: Palestine
Different to many other DJ sets, including those listed here, Sama' Abdulhadi used her Boiler Room to craft a progressive, slow-burn piece of art. Effortlessly marrying techno and house with uncommon sounds and instruments, she explores complex emotions evoked by the music before collapsing it into familiar rave-friendly sounds. It's an intense mix but also pure art.
Skream b2b Disclosure | Boiler Room: London
The last of our best Boiler Room sets is Disclosure and Skream. Yep, Disclosure made the list twice! Ten years since they did this set and it's still lush. A massive party from start to finish, there are some mad choices in this one as it travels through disco, house, trippy techno, disco, and closing on New Order and Arctic Monkeys.
It's evident that Boiler Rooms is one of the most elite events known to man, and no matter how hard you try, you can't deny that bumping goodness. So the next time you’re struggling to find tunes for your pres or afters, come back here to have the party going mad until the early hours.
For more of our established lists of the best live performances, click HERE.
Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
Header: GQ.com