Philipp Meier

Few Phuket attractions dazzle quite like the island’s immersive dinner shows. Club nights remain weekend staples, while markets offer a welcome change of pace. Defected takes over Illuzion for a late-night house session. Lard Yai brings food, handicrafts and local culture to Phuket Old Town, while CLC Phuket channels Gatsby-era glamour in an immersive dinner show.  YONA Beach Club marks its third anniversary, while CLC Phuket brings MTV’s music-video heyday back to life with a second dinner show. Whatever your mood, Phuket has entertainment covered this weekend.

Round-the-clock music videos and stars judged as much by their filming locations, choreography, hair and clothes as by their songs: MTV revolutionised pop music. Why did it have to die? CLC Phuket feels your pain. For one night, the venue rewinds to the early 2000s with pop-culture and music-video nostalgia, plus interactive hosts. A seven-course feast begins at 6pm before a 50 Cent-versus-Eminem tribute battle turns up the volume. Things soften when Backstreet Boys lookalikes hit the stage, recreating the fuzzy glow of chunky old television. Expect pranks, table dancing and hosts playing with the crowd. Anything goes – except commercials. Aug 8. From B2,500. MTV Dinner & Show Legends, CLC Phuket. 6pm-late

Sunshine, good company, house music, food and cocktails: YONA Beach Club is celebrating its third birthday with the full floating-club package. The line-up remains under wraps, but expect a sweep from house and techno to EDM classics, with uplifting rhythms giving way to techno and club beats at dusk. Space is hardly an issue. With four bars, a restaurant and 20-metre infinity pool, this sizeable boat-turned-pool club leaves plenty of room to shake a leg. Aug 8. B4,000 (ladies’ pass B2,000). YONA Third Anniversary, YONA Beach Club (departure from Royal Phuket Marina). 2pm-10pm

CLC Phuket rewinds to the Gatsby era with fiery Charleston moves and the rebellious spirit of the roaring ’20s. Part restaurant, part supper club and part luxury entertainment venue, it layers live vocals, glass-rattling jazz and fluid, dramatically timed acrobatics over chef-led Japanese-Italian Itameshi dining. The evening begins gently, with a DJ and saxophonist setting the mood as  performers bring tales of glamour, risk and a bloke named Gatsby right to your table. At 8pm, the party lets loose. Stay for wine after the show or dance 1920s-style into the small hours. Ties are unnecessary, feathers optional and a good mood non-negotiable.  Aug 7. From B2,000 (reservations required). Gatsby Dinner & Show, CLC Phuket. 6pm-late

With Sino-European row houses recalling the town’s tin-baron days, Thalang Road is a destination in its own right. On Sundays, Lard Yai adds another reason to visit. Its name translates as ‘Big Market’, and the lively but manageable stretch brings together local food, handicrafts, clothes, plants and manora dance performances. Follow the scents along the colourfully lit, Barbie-hued street to stalls serving juicy grilled meat skewers, sweet treats, fish cakes, chestnuts and spicy papaya salad. Come hungry. Aug 10 (weekly). Free. Lard Yai Sunday Night Market, Thalang Road, Phuket Old Town. 4pm-10pm

Defected nights are known for uplifting, community-minded dancefloors. Founded in 1999, the house-music brand has grown from a record label into a clubbing institution, with major residencies, festivals and appearances at Glastonbury among its credits. Its success stories include Purple Disco Machine. For its Phuket takeover, Illuzion lines up house heavyweight Danny Howard – a BBC Radio 1 dance-music tastemaker, producer and label boss. Rally your mates for a big, glittering night powered by four-on-the-floor beats. Aug 7. B500 (entry only). Illuzion. 9pm-4am

Australian twin sisters Nervo know their way around a big room. Their progressive and electro house leans heavily into dance-pop, drawing on a songwriting career that includes David Guetta and Kelly Rowland’s Grammy-winning hit When Love Takes Over. More than a decade of headlining festivals such as Ultra and Tomorrowland has also brought collaborations with trance heavyweight Armin van Buuren, while recent releases have ventured into peak-time techno. This week, Illuzion’s recurring TAKEOVER party puts them centre stage. Expect emotional builds, infectious synths and high-energy drops – CO2 cannons and confetti optional. July 31. B500. TAKEOVER presents Nervo at Illuzion. 9pm-4am

Amatara’s Senses Restaurant and Sun & Moon Club have very different personalities – wholesome wellness cuisine and kombucha at the former; rooftop vibes and cocktails at the latter. For three nights, they come together around the buck moon, using the full moon as a theme for seasonal dining, mindful renewal and a closer connection to nature. Named for the time of year when male deer regrow their antlers, the buck moon symbolises growth and renewal. Sip Moonlit Garden cocktails or tuck into sea bass cooked over an open charcoal fire; either way, the oceanfront setting does much of the seducing.  July 28-30. From B250++. Buck Moon Wellness Dining Experience, Sun & Moon Club and Senses Restaurant, Amatara Welleisure Resort. 5.30pm-11pm approximately

Fire, speed and daredevil acrobatics drive this hour of non-stop action. The Wheel of Death sends performers running, jumping, flipping and balancing without safety nets on a giant, rotating four-ring structure, powered entirely by their body weight and momentum. Elsewhere, motorcyclists race inside a steel globe. Clowns, immersive lighting and a booming soundtrack keep the mood family-friendly between the white-knuckle stunts. Sightlines are good from every seat, and early  arrivals can take photos with the performers. July 30-Aug 2 (Wed-Sun). From B810 (silver zone). Adrenaline Rush by Phuket Circus. 2.30-3.30pm and 7.30pm-8.30pm

Trisara’s Michelin-selected Thai Library has teamed up with SOMA Bangkok for two nights of four-hand dining. Chef Pak Yamoo and Phuket-based Chef Oat serve a five-course menu rooted in southern Thailand’s culinary heritage but sharpened by contemporary Bangkok influences. The full line-up remains under wraps, though seasonality takes centre stage. One signature bite pairs stir-fried crab and curry powder with a crisp coconut tuile, while wild foraged mushrooms and orchard fruits such as mangosteen may also appear. A wine-pairing experience is available for B6,700. As Pak puts it, ‘It’s about the food but also the experience.’ July 31-Aug 1. From B4,200 (food only). Thai Library x SOMA, 4-Hand Dinner Culinary Series at Trisara. 6pm-10pm

A former core member of Underworld, electronic music pioneer Darren Emerson has spent more than four decades behind the decks. He began mixing hip-hop, electro and go-go records at 14 before joining the UK’s exploding acid-house and techno scenes in the late ’80s. Underworld went on to release million-selling platinum albums including Dubnobasswithmyheadman, while Emerson helped shape the generation-defining 1996 hit Born Slippy. His post-Underworld career has taken in underground labels, solo mixes and clubs around the world. This Saturday brings his Phuket debut at Café del Mar, where he joins local favourite MK.Santo for a night of house and techno. Aug 1. B300. Darren Emerson, Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-3am

Picture a brightly glowing moon and that glint of light on a spherical lamp – then imagine creating it yourself. Moonlight Serenity, the latest Paint & Connect experience by Wasted Art, turns a round lampshade into a glowing artwork you can take home. No experience is needed: Phuket-based acrylic artist MINTE_PALETTE guides you through the process. Blimey, you don’t even need to worry about making a mess. Acrylic paint can be wiped away once dry, so mistakes simply become a chance to try again. With mellow tunes and cocktails adding to the mood, the workshop lets you turn a blank lamp into something dreamy – or  or whatever else takes your fancy. July 25. B350. Paint & Connect: Moonlight Serenity Lamp Painting, Mrs B Bar & Table (B-Side). 4.30pm-6.30pm

For a laid-back but no less memorable night out, Phuket School of Music hosts John O’Conor as part of its 2026 International Piano Series. The internationally acclaimed pianist has performed with leading orchestras in concert halls around the world and is especially known for his deft interpretations of Beethoven. John Nolan of Dublin’s National Concert Hall once likened O’Conor to a god stepping down from Olympus to grace audiences with his presence. Yet for one of the piano world’s most distinguished artists, the hardest part of his music degree was apparently the academic work. An eternal optimist as well as a master musician, O’Conor offers Phuket audiences a rare chance to hear him up close. July 24. B2,200. John O’Conor Piano Recital – an Evening with a Master Pianist, Recital Studio, Phuket School of Music. 7pm-8pm