London can feel loud before it feels welcoming. You can arrive with plans, playlists and places saved on your phone, yet still find yourself searching for the kind of room where conversation starts without effort. AZAZ Collective was created for that in-between feeling: the strange loneliness that can sit inside a packed city.
On Saturday 9 May 2026, AZAZ Collective marks its first anniversary with a one-day celebration at MKII Hackney, bringing together DJs, independent makers, Japanese food vendors, craft drinks and London’s wider creative community. The event runs 2pm–10pm with limited RA tickets listed at £11 and a free drink included with every ticket; door tickets are listed at £15.
A one-day celebration of sound, food and local makers
A thank-you note turned into a community
The name AZAZ comes from azasu (あざす), casual Japanese slang for “thank you”. It is informal, warm and rooted in everyday connection, a small word that fits the collective’s bigger purpose.
Founded by a Japanese creative alongside Irish and Scottish DJs, AZAZ grew from a shared London experience: being surrounded by people while still craving genuine connection. Rather than building another night out around noise alone, the collective has shaped its events around music, design, food and the simple act of meeting someone properly.
After seven carefully built gatherings, the first birthday feels less like a milestone for one crew and more like a thank-you to everyone who has shown up, danced, talked, browsed and stayed open.
The soundtrack: selectors digging deeper
Music sits at the centre of the day. The anniversary line-up brings together Maybe Laura, GOUTHAM, Dan be, Lowree, CLRY, KenjiK, Keisuke Wada and Ali Gudgeon, with AZAZ promising vinyl selectors, fresh cuts and deep crates rather than predictable party fillers. RA’s listing describes the event as a one-year celebration of “rhythm and community” at the MKII warehouse.
That matters because the event is built for movement and conversation. Come early and you can settle into the room while the day is still light; stay late and the warehouse energy should shift into something heavier, warmer and more communal.
Food, beer and a market worth arriving early for
This is not only a DJ event with food added at the edges. AZAZ has programmed the day as a small creative ecosystem.
Drinks come from Jack Rabbit Brewing, an independent brewery based on the Essex–Suffolk border, while food comes from DRUMSCO and Sosaku Onigiri. Expect Japanese pop-up cooking and onigiri (おにぎり), the filled rice balls that work perfectly for a long afternoon of browsing, dancing and catching up between sets.
The market brings in local fashion, art, records, accessories and design-led brands, including SWAY EDIT., MOJO, MEROMEROxoxo, Privacy Records, TREEKEYSTUDIO, SHOJIN MANIA and GUM. For anyone who likes the overlap between Japanese aesthetics, independent retail and London’s maker scene, this is the part to leave time for. Do not treat it as background decoration; it is part of the point.
Your game plan for Saturday
Aim to arrive between 2pm and 4pm if you want first choice from the food vendors and market stalls. If you are coming mainly for the music, plan for the late afternoon into evening, when the warehouse atmosphere should build towards the final stretch.
MKII is a Lower Clapton warehouse and studio space.
Book RA in advance, arrive early for food, pick up your included drink, browse the market, then let the DJs shape the rest of the day. Bring ID, check your route home before the final set, and remember this is an 18+ event according to AZAZ’s listing.
Book before the room fills
AZAZ’s first anniversary is for people who want more than a night out: new friends, good records, Japanese food, independent brands and a room built around openness rather than cliques. The encounters may feel spontaneous, but the setting has been carefully made for them.
Limited RA tickets are available now, with one free drink included with every ticket.
