Ilario Alicante House Rules 2026 in Dubai

Ilario Alicante House Rules in Dubai puts the Italian techno DJ and producer in the booth at The Penthouse, FIVE Palm Jumeirah, on Saturday 21 November 2026. He is the guest for that week’s House Rules, the Saturday series that hands the decks to a different international DJ every week, playing electronic music with Dubai’s skyline as the backdrop.

There are two ticket types: an Early Entry ticket valid for arrivals before 9pm, and General Admission.

Who is Ilario Alicante?

Ilario Alicante was born in Livorno, on the Tuscan coast, in 1988 and describes himself as a clubber at heart. He started making music as a teenager on home set-ups and won a residency at Pachamama Club in Pisa, which launched his career. His very first sets were records played over friends’ jam sessions in a warehouse, on a belt-drive turntable his parents bought him. His breakthrough came in 2008 with Vacaciones En Chile, a track whose guitar riff made it instantly recognisable on dancefloors.

His Living Near Africa EP on Cécille Records caught the attention of three of techno’s biggest names, Sven Väth, Ricardo Villalobos and Richie Hawtin. Väth invited him to join Cocoon, his Frankfurt-based agency and label family; Alicante has said the call came while he was in a hotel before a gig at Kindergarten in Bologna. He released on labels including Cocoon Recordings and Drumcode, and became the youngest artist ever to perform at Time Warp, the long-running techno festival. He has since played clubs and festivals from Amnesia in Ibiza to EDC Las Vegas.

Alicante is also a label boss. In 2014 he launched Deep Moves to develop new talent, with remixes from names such as Nina Kraviz and Matthew Herbert, and in 2016 he started Virgo, an imprint for more experimental collaborations.

What to expect from his set

Alicante’s sound sits in techno and deep techno. He has said that groove is the essential element of any dancefloor track, along with a hook that stays with you, and that a DJ’s individuality comes from how they mix. He likes to listen to the DJ before him to read the room rather than follow a fixed plan. Fans of his Cocoon and Deep Moves releases will recognise the style, and House Rules gives him the headline slot, so the night is built around his set. No support acts are listed on the ticket page.

He is busy in Dubai that weekend. The night before, on Friday 20 November, he is also on the bill for Marco Carola Presents Music On at Pacha Icons, so dedicated fans can catch him two nights running in two very different settings: on the beach at JBR on Friday and high above the Palm on Saturday.

House Rules at The Penthouse

House Rules is The Penthouse’s weekly Saturday night, with a new international guest in the booth each week, and the venue bills it as an underground house night on the Palm. The Penthouse is the rooftop club at FIVE Palm Jumeirah, and its view across the city skyline is part of the draw.

If you want food or shisha, the venue advises reserving a table in advance, and bar entry is subject to availability. By car, take King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, then Palm Jumeirah Road to FIVE Palm Jumeirah. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to get home after a late night.

Timing and tickets

The ticket page does not publish a doors time or set times, and its calendar links point to a late-night slot, so check your confirmation for timings. The Early Entry ticket is only valid for arrival before 9pm; General Admission has no stated cut-off. No age policy or dress code is listed, so carry valid photo ID and dress for a smart hotel club.

Who it suits

This is a night for techno and underground house fans who know Alicante’s records, for anyone who has followed the Cocoon and Time Warp world, and for groups planning a big Saturday out on the Palm with a view.

For more club nights, see our Dubai nightlife guide, check what’s on, browse things to do in November, or find more things to do in Dubai.