Entertainment
2 August, 2026
Nothing DAFT about this casino show
DAFT WEEKND will bring a live electronic dance music show to Bar36 at The Reef Hotel Casino on 7 and 8 August as part of the venue’s 30-year celebrations. Both performances are free and begin at 9pm.
Direct from Melbourne, the tribute act performs songs by Daft Punk, The Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia, The Chemical Brothers, Pharrell Williams and other artists, recreating electronic dance music hits from the 1990s and 2000s.
Band member David Melgaard said audiences could expect “a high-energy celebration of all the electronic dance anthems from the 1990s and 2000s that people love”.
He said the show combined music from several artists because of its enduring appeal.
“Just such iconic music, so much fun to dance to,” Mr Melgaard said. “You know, it’s so exhilarating. It’s a bit of a nostalgia journey for people, probably in their, you know, dare I say, 40s or 50s, wanting to reminisce being in their 20s a bit.”
Mr Melgaard said performing as part of The Reef Hotel Casino’s anniversary celebrations was an exciting opportunity.
“It’s fantastic, really exciting. Excited to be part of the Reef Casino’s 30-year anniversary. Also, it’d be very lovely to be up at Cairns this time of year when it’s still freezing in Melbourne.”
While the production includes elaborate visuals, lighting and costumes, Mr Melgaard said the live music remained the focus.
“So first and foremost, it’s really about the music and then the musicians,” he said. “A lot of the music we play is, for example, from The Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk. It’s historically been done by a DJ ... but what we’ve done is reverse engineer all that, and we perform it with live instruments.”
He said the visual production added another dimension to the performance, creating “a bit of a feast for the eyes and ears”.
DAFT WEEKND will perform live and free at Bar36 inside The Reef Hotel Casino on 7 and 8 August from 9pm.
