You know you've made it when you can lock down an entire street for your birthday party.
Nobody wants to spend the final hours of 2025 wondering if they made the right call.
The good news is that High Times NYE is back, and Crown Ruler is throwing the kind of send-off that makes that decision pretty straightforward. The event returns to Northcote for a massive 12-hour takeover spanning Northcote Theatre, High Note and Bastings Street, marking the end of Crown Ruler’s 25th anniversary year with one last proper blowout before they start writing the next chapter.
Since launching in 2000, Crown Ruler has evolved from a small underground events promoter into a multi-faceted operation encompassing event and festival producers (such as Freeform and previously Sun Cycle), international touring, venue bookings, brand partnerships and a record label.
Their quarter-century commitment to championing soulful underground music has seen them work with everyone from Midori Takada and YMO’s Haruomi Hosono to Theo Parrish and Floating Points, building a reputation for presenting niche music with integrity.
High Times NYE represents everything they’ve stood for across those 25 years, condensed into a single marathon session.
High Times NYE
- Northcote Theatre, High Note, Bastings Street
- 31 December, 3pm – 3am
- More info here
The full lineup includes:
- Bradley Zero b3b Wax’o Paradiso
- Zepherin Saint
- DJ JNETT b2b Rok Riley
- C.FRIM b2b Karani
- Nay Nay b2b Baschoe
- Darcy Justice
- Caucasian Opportunities
- Afreckle b3b Finding Figaro
- Club De Migo
- Emelyne b2b Lori
- Inbraza Baile
- Lay Down The Groove
- Poli-Pearl
- RAH
- Xavier b2b Jimi Dawg
Check out our gig guide here.
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The headliners
The lineup is anchored by some genuinely heavyweight names.
Bradley Zero, the Leeds-born, London-based selector behind Rhythm Section International, will link up with Wax’o Paradiso for a now-notorious b3b session in the main room. What started as a small localised imprint dedicated to showcasing Peckham’s creative talent has blossomed into one of the UK’s finest labels, helping launch careers including Chaos In The CBD, Henry Wu and Al Dobson Jr.
Wax’o Paradiso is the Melbourne institution founded by Simon TK and Edd Fisher. The b3b pairing is the continuation of a 13-year musical friendship. Zero first crossed paths with Wax’o in the summer of 2012, and the duo have been guesting at Rhythm Section parties in London since the very beginning.
The relationship has deepened over more than a decade of back-and-forth between Peckham and Melbourne, with joint appearances on NTS Radio, warehouse sessions at Copeland Gallery, and regular spots at Rhythm Section nights.
Despite years of collaborating overseas, Bradley, Edd and Simon only joined forces on Australian soil for the first time in January 2024, closing out the annual Wax’o Paradiso Open Air at Abbotsford Convent. That session was described by Rhythm Section themselves as arguably the best party of all time. High Times NYE marks the second Australian b3b between these long-standing peers – a reunion for Crown Ruler’s 25th anniversary after more than a decade of building something special together across two continents.
But wait, there’s more. Outside on Bastings Street, Zepherin Saint’s Tribe Soundsystem will anchor an open-air street party. The London producer is considered a key player in the afro house genre, listed among the top 10 afro house artists of the year and top 15 soulful house artists respectively. And that’s just for starters.
Local firepower
The local contingent is equally stacked. DJ JNETT teams up with Boorloo’s Rok Riley for what’s being billed as a clubbing masterclass. JNETT is a selector, tastemaker and cultural icon whose sets have defined the sound of Melbourne for more than two decades.
C.FRIM and Karani will also go head-to-head, while Nay Nay and Baschoe round out the Theatre’s heavy hitters. Darcy Justice, Rah, and Emelyne b2b Lori will work the street party alongside Zepherin Saint, keeping the outdoor dancefloor moving under the summer sun.
Three venues, one vision
High Note will be running across all rooms and spilling onto the sidewalk. Lay Down The Groove, Caucasian Opportunities and Afreckle b3b Finding Figaro will work the intimate spaces throughout the evening. Closing proceedings is Inbraza Baile, the baile funk collective that’s been shaking up Melbourne’s club scene since 2022.
The full lineup also includes Club De Migo, Poli-Pearl, Xavier b2b Jimi Dawg and plenty more across the three venues. Expect food vendors serving up something with a bit of kick while you soak up the summer sun on Bastings Street. It’s all running from 3pm right through to 3am.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Crown Ruler.
