Ben UFO Transcends the Stage at Portola 2026

Ben UFO's Sunday set was the kind that makes it difficult to give a tidy answer when someone asks what he played. You remember how quickly your expectations changed, how completely the next rhythm took over, and how little you wanted to leave. In the Ship Tent, he delivered one of the weekend's most absorbing DJ performances. There was a wildness to the experience, but also the feeling that the person choosing the records knew exactly how far he could push it.

Ben Thomson co-founded Hessle Audio with Pearson Sound and Pangaea in 2007, and his reputation has grown through a sustained commitment to DJing. The breadth of his listening is a large part of the attraction. Bass music, house, and techno have long sat within his reach, and he is particularly good at finding a connection through rhythm rather than the obvious similarities between tracks. The selections can change character while the set retains its pull.

At Portola, that ability suited an audience prepared to follow him. The excitement lay in surrendering the habit of predicting the next move. A good DJ can make a familiar track sound newly useful by changing what surrounds it, and Ben UFO's sets are especially persuasive on that front. Even a recognizably big selection can acquire a different weight when it arrives amid more slippery material.

The Ship Tent run also gave the set a context that mattered. Daphni followed, and the two performances became a recurring subject in the festival's aftermath. Countless online threads were devoted simply to Ben UFO's set. That enthusiasm was especially telling among people who described finding the tent almost by accident. A set this assured can accommodate committed followers and someone who has wandered over without a plan.

By the time Daphni took over, Sunday had found a pace worth sticking with. Ben UFO supplied the set that made staying in the tent feel like an easy decision. Even in a weekend full of impressive performers, this was a strong reminder of how much a DJ can accomplish through taste, timing, and the willingness to keep listening beyond the obvious choice.

Article by: Andrew Ameter

Photos by: AJ Manalaysay, Demian Beccara, Priscilla Rodriguez, & Sabrina Poei