DJ_Dave Opens Her Hardcore Software Tour at the El Rey

DJ_Dave writes her dance music in code, live, while the crowd watches. On Thursday, October 1, 2026, she brings that act to the El Rey Theatre on Wilshire for the first night of her Hardcore Software Tour, and the Ticketmaster listing puts the start at 8pm. If you're sorting through LA EDM events this week and want something that doesn't look like every other club night, put this one on the list.

What a live coding set looks like

Most electronic acts keep the machinery out of sight. Live coders put it up on the screen. DJ_Dave builds her sets in Strudel, a live coding environment, and triggers every sound by typing it in as the set runs. Change a number and the hi-hat pattern shifts. Delete a line and the bass drops out. Live coding shows usually project the code for the room, so a laptop set turns into something you can actually follow.

Mistakes are part of the process. Her single "Next to U" got its hook by accident, when she mistyped a single comma inside Strudel and liked what came out.

How she got here

She didn't start out as a programmer. The Line of Best Fit reports that she left fashion studies after taking an algorave course and taught herself to code. Since then she's carried live coding from Brooklyn DIY spaces to festival stages at Portola and Nuits Sonores.

Her remix credits include Tove Lo, Channel Tres and Pearly Drops. She produced her 2023 EP, Intercell, entirely in code and filmed the process so other people could see how she works. Grimes and Kero Kero Bonito have both vouched for her.

Why this date stands out

Her debut album, Hardcore Software, comes out October 2 on Mad Decent. The El Rey show is the night before release, and it opens the whole run. After LA the tour heads to San Francisco, New York and Montreal. Then she goes out as support on horsegiirL's Nature Is Healing tour through November and December, which makes this her one announced headline night in LA.

Know before you go

The El Rey is at 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, a 1930s Art Deco theater on the Miracle Mile, a short walk from LACMA. Most of the room is a standing floor, so arrive early if you want to be close enough to read the code.

We couldn't confirm a ticket price. The Ticketmaster listing didn't show one when we checked, so look there for current pricing and skip the resale sites. Door time, support acts and any age limit weren't posted either. Check your ticket before you head out.

Street parking on the residential blocks off Wilshire goes fast on show nights, and the meters on Wilshire have posted hours. Rideshare drop-off out front is the easy move, and several Wilshire bus lines stop close by. A Thursday show also keeps your weekend open, which is a nice bonus if you're lining up things to do in los angeles over the next few days.

For more electronic shows, browse our EDM Los Angeles calendar or see what else is on around Los Angeles.