Philipp Meier

Phuket is already moving at high-season speed. This weekend brings club nights, a Leonardo DiCaprio-themed dinner show, unlimited fire-grilled picanha and a seaside wellness reset for anyone who needs to catch their breath. Spanish DJ-producer Edu Imbernón brings melodic house, indie dance and techno to Café del Mar, while Kipo Steakhouse at Fira Beach Club fires up 100-day grain-fed picanha for a 90-minute all-you-can-eat session. At CLC Phuket, Come Leo Come runs through The Great Gatsby, Catch Me If You Can, The Beach, The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street in a cinematic dinner show. Work Brand and FIRA Recovery Club join forces for a one-day Men’s Reset built around movement, cold plunges and recovery. Later, Toronto-born, Bali-based Brodie Nero returns to Café del Mar with Afro and Latin house, melodic techno and indie dance.  Whatever your weekend pace, Phuket catches up.

Valencia-born DJ-producer Edu Imbernón has held residencies at Space Ibiza, played Tomorrowland and released music through Bedrock, Anjunadeep and Last Night on Earth. More recently, he has moved into live-band collaborations, composing with pianist and film composer Nico Casal, who scored the Oscar-winning short Stutterer. At Café del Mar, expect an emotive mix of melodic house, indie dance and techno, with live instruments and vocals layered over electronics and synths.  Sep 11. B300. Edu Imbernón, Café del Mar. 10pm-3am

Brazil’s beloved picanha is a triangular cut from the top of the rump, also known as rump cap or sirloin cap, prized for its thick fat cap and deep beefy flavour. At Kipo Steakhouse inside Fira Beach Club, 100-day grain-fed picanha is fire-grilled and served with chips, house salad and peppercorn sauce. You have 90 minutes to eat as much as you can, so arrive hungry. Sep 11. B899 (B1,399 with free-flow drinks). All-you-can-eat steak at Kipo Steakhouse, Fira Beach Club. 6pm-11pm

CLC Phuket mines Leonardo DiCaprio’s filmography for Come Leo Come, a dinner show spanning the electricity of The Wolf of Wall Street, the glamour of The Great Gatsby, the escapes of Catch Me If You Can, the tropical fantasy of The Beach and the skies of The Aviator. Dinner and music run from 6pm-7pm before immersive visuals, live performances and theatrical storytelling begin at 8pm. Around 90 minutes later, guests are invited on stage to recreate the mayhem of The Wolf of Wall Street. The dress code leans black tie, with men encouraged to wear a tuxedo and bow tie – plus enough freedom of movement for the promised pop-and-lock finale. Sep 12. From B2,000. Come Leo Come, CLC Phuket. 8pm-late

Men’s health is the focus, though all genders are welcome. Work Brand brings its personal-care line to FIRA Recovery Club’s seaside facilities for a one-day programme combining active movement, cold plunges, saunas, infrared and steam rooms, massage and hot soaks, followed by clean refuelling with nutritious food. Sep 12. B500. Work Brand x Fira: Men’s Reset, FIRA Recovery Club. Time TBC

Toronto-born and Bali-based, Brodie Nero pairs the warmer side of electronic music with deep, hypnotic melodies and Latin-tech rhythms. After ignoring advice to treat music as a hobby and releasing independently following label rejections, he broke through with Beatport chart-topper ‘Away’. His event CV includes Yorkville, Hotel X and Honeycomb Hospitality. At Café del Mar, expect Afro and Latin house, melodic techno and indie dance. Sep 12. B300. Brodie Nero, Café del Mar. 10pm-3am

As the name suggests, Breathe’s Thursday Ladies Day is made for women who need to hit pause. Men can join too, although complimentary entry is reserved for the ladies. Even so, the B650 admission looks fair value given the facilities: steam rooms, pools and private recovery rooms with cold-plunge set-ups chilled to 3°C. This daytime wellness retreat offers an antidote to city burnout; once you’ve lingered over coffee and fresh juices by the pool, a guest DJ eases the venue into evening mode. A generous four-hour happy-hour runs from 4pm to 8pm.  Sep 3. Free entry for women; B650 for men. Thursday Ladies Day, Breathe Phuket. 10am-11pm

No, Janis Joplin hasn’t risen from the dead - JOPLYN’s voice bears little resemblance to her famous rasp. Yet the Berlin-based house and techno artist’s fragile, airy vocals carry plenty of emotional power. Unlike bog-standard DJs who simply spin records, JOPLYN uses keyboards, synths, a vocoder and Ableton Push to manipulate beats live while singing her own lyrics. Releases on Defected and Crosstown Rebels, plus appearances at Coachella and Hï Ibiza, add heft to her CV. If slow builds, deep hypnotic beats and melodic choruses are your thing, make for Café del Mar this Friday.   Sept 4. B300 (entry only). JOPLYN at Café del Mar. 10pm-3am 

Never heard of Phuket’s Kod Thai Market? You’re not alone. Fresh from its successful launch on August 1, the spanking-new market takes over the courtyard at My Front Yard, feeling like a natural extension of the community mall. And in Thailand, where there are people, there’s food: expect stir-fries, curries, Thai-fusion dishes and craft chocolate made with local cacao. DJs spinning Thai EDM layer extra energy over the sizzle of live-cooking stations, while nail art, glitter and eyelash treatments amp up the youthful vibe. Add kids’ art workshops and this newcomer looks well worth plotting into your weekend itinerary. Sep 5-6. Free. Kod Thai Market, My Front Yard. 4pm-9pm

Never heard of Phuket’s Kod Thai Market? You’re not alone. Fresh from its successful launch on August 1, the spanking-new market takes over the courtyard at My Front Yard, feeling like a natural extension of the community mall. And in Thailand, where there are people, there’s food: expect stir-fries, curries, Thai-fusion dishes and craft chocolate made with local cacao. DJs spinning Thai EDM layer extra energy over the sizzle of live-cooking stations, while nail art, glitter and eyelash treatments amp up the youthful vibe. Add kids’ art workshops and this newcomer looks well worth plotting into your weekend itinerary. Sep 5-6. Free. Kod Thai Market, My Front Yard. 4pm-9pm

Whether you want to raise your profile among boaters or simply mingle over a drink, all you really need for Grow Boating Phuket is an interest in yachting - however casual. The monthly get-together brings boaters, marine-industry professionals and fellow enthusiasts together to chat, hatch plans and swap cards. Free-flowing bubbly and complimentary canapés sponsored by Bluu Asian Kitchen & Bar add a little marina-side glamour to the low-pressure networking. Sep 4. Free. Grow Boating Phuket, Royal Phuket Marina. 5pm-8pm

Known for bass-driven, bouncing house beats, Plastik Funk - billed as Plastik FVNK - is set to ignite Illuzion’s dance floor. The German artist may not be a household pop name, but he has made his mark on the house circuit with chart-topping tracks including  Dr Who, with Tujamo & Sneakbo, and Dare Me, with NERVO and Tim Morrison. His starry EDM CV also includes remixes for David Guetta, while recent interviews and gigs at Amnesia, Pacha and Ushuaïa point to a refreshing return to his tech-house roots. Catch him at Illuzion for a wicked night of groovy-heavy house with a tech-house edge.   Sep 5. B500. Plastik FVNK, Illuzion. 9pm-2am

Porto DJ-producer Trikk, aka Bruno Deodato, has developed a sound layered as his background. The son of a Mozambican father, he honed his skills in Berlin and London and has released music on labels including Innervisions. His sets move through underground house and techno with long melodic builds, while his album Mundi Ritual explores deep, earthy house, minimal textures, techno-infused tribal rhythms and Afro-Latin grooves. Expect slow-burning tension, melodic colour and finely judged shifts in intensity.  Aug 29. B300. Trikk at Café del Mar. 10pm-3am