Max HeyraudWe unveil the 2026 finalists of the CUPRA On The Pulse DJ Competition, who will go head-to-head on May 21st at a secret location in Dublin. The winner will receive a €2,500 artist development fund, along with a set at Beyond The Pale 2025.
Today, we spotlight the standout mixes from this years competition, as the finalists take over the Local Selection Mix ahead of the live showdown.
You can sign up for the waiting list for the final event here.
Dublin-based DJ Sh3goh is an up-and-coming artist known for her cocktail of hardgroove, bouncy, groove-laden techno delivered with attitude. Drawn to the raw, driving side of techno while keeping things fun and dynamic, Sh3goh crafts sets filled with rolling basslines, punchy percussion, and high-energy grooves. Constantly digging for new sounds, she keeps her mixes fresh while staying true to the intensity that defines her style.
Dublin-based DJ RARO, raised between Lagos and Cork, is steadily carving out space across Ireland’s club and radio landscape. Fluid, playful, and driven by one mission, to make people dance, RARO’s sets blend hypnotic grooves with global rhythms shaped by her diasporic upbringing. Deeply connected to the cultures and communities that influence the dance floor, she channels an energetic and immersive sound that feels both contemporary and globally informed.
Sligo-born DJ Hallster is a 22-year-old artist with five years behind the decks, having played across Sligo, Dublin, and Galway. Along the way, he has supported acts including FJAAK and DJ Love, steadily building a reputation for his approach to 90-inspired techno. Beyond DJing, Hallster is actively involved in growing the scene in Sligo through the ATU Sligo DJ Society and his own collective, SubStrukt, where he helps organise events and create opportunities for emerging artists and club culture in the town.
BASIK has built a reputation for high-octane house and hard house sets that blend euphoric highs with deep, gritty bass grooves and a modern club edge. His sound threads the line between hard-hitting, driving moments and euphoric, soulful textures, creating sets designed to keep dancefloors moving from start to finish. Focused on atmosphere and connection, BASIK delivers energetic, no-nonsense house sets with a raw edge, consistently locking into the crowd and sustaining momentum from the first track to the last.
With an approach that fuses upfront dancefloor cuts with an experimental edge, Lana Hayes has become a standout name across the Irish scene over the past year and a half. She moves fluidly between bass-heavy, break-driven rhythms, electro, techno, and dub, often weaving in unexpected selections at the drop of a hat to shift energy instantly. By constantly testing the edges between genres, Lana builds dynamic journeys that keep dancefloors engaged while remaining unpredictable, fresh, and distinctly her own.