The best things to do in Phuket this weekend (May 14-17)

Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera both bring boldness and power to the music scene, where provocation is pitted against vocal mastery. And while you won’t get to see these two divas in person, you can enjoy a tribute night to their best acts at CLC Phuket. Two performers (practically clones) collide like the real stage icons, all set to ‘out-weird’ each other in a visually impressive vocal and dance battle. A pop-wrapped night of chart-topping hits, eye glitter and live vocals coupled with fearless artistry, the seven-course dinner-and-show brings out the best of the ’00s era. And the winner of the diva showdown? You get to decide which vocal powerhouse is Dirrty and who sports the best Poker Face, before tunes gradually move into the modern age for a late-night after party.

May 16. Free entry (table reservations required). The Battle of 2 Divas, CLC Phuket. 10pm-late

Heads up foodies and partiers. Carpe Diem’s dolce vita-themed Sunday brunches get a new twist, with chef Pongcharn ‘Top’ Russell at the forefront. Starting out at 17, the Thai-British chef has sold his soul over to the gods of cooking and is recognised in the fine-dining industry for his talent by Forbes 30 Under 30. The co-owner of the one-Michelin-starred restaurants Mia and SōL works his magic at a live cooking station, making the crowd shriek and swoon with grilled corn-fed pork collars, green curry pasta with 48-hour short ribs and a belly-pleasing spread of Mediterranean favourites. Up for the pool party from 3pm when bottles pop? Rise from your beach bed like a kid in a soda commercial. Guests settle into that unmistakable Carpe Diem glow as resident DJ Shane Shine spins an intoxicating mix of house, disco and soul.

May 17. From B3,990 (brunch only). La Dolce Vita Sunday Brunch – Michelin Star Edition, Carpe Diem Beach Club. noon-8pm

Welcome Franc Fala to Café del Mar as he makes his club room debut in Phuket. An emerging force in the international house scene, the artist that’s cool with the afro-house tag but doesn’t want to box himself into one genre hails from Amsterdam, a city that breeds some of the country’s greatest talents in electronic music. Given his masterclasses in global house and cutting-edge grooves, it’s fair to say the skills have rubbed off on him. Anyway, he goes with whatever feels right, whether that’s afro, house, melodic or anything in between. Visit, and you get to enjoy his ‘musical confusion’ and, to put it in his words, that inner conflict that gives his sound its edge.

May 15. B500 (no food or drink included). Franc Fala ft. Hebdonis, Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-3am

‘A fabulous cause for celebration’ is not a marketing tagline per-se, but it works here. PHAB’s annual benefit gala dinner, hosted by the Phuket Hotels Association, raises funds to provide multi-year hospitality and tourism scholarships exclusively for young, underprivileged Phuketians. And this year, the ball is themed on infinity to symbolise the profound impact educational support for the local community comes with. So feel free to splash out. The reward is a five-star culinary affair with 20 top hotels and their rock star chefs, plus signature tipples and magical potions concocted by expert mixologists. Joking aside, Dating Blondes play anything from retro dance to modern chart-toppers to turn dinner into a dance floor. The dress code? Cocktail to formal attire cuts it. Actually, you’re encouraged to interpret the infinity theme creatively. Fab.

May 16. From B4,900. PHAB 8 Gala Dinner, Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town. 6.30pm-11.30pm

Relatively new to tech-house yet flying high already, the DJ-producer Tini Gessler has risen from small-town parties in Spain to the global stage. She’s now part of the ‘elrow team’, a techno brand, rocking the scene from Europe to central and South America with pumping deep tech-house sets alongside international icons like Jamie Jones or Paco Osuna. And the momentum is carrying her. Recently, she’s played at venues such as Space Miami, Tomorrowland, E1 and UNVRS. On the production side, the artist scores with releases on labels like Experts Only. This Thursday, you get the chance to connect with her live at Illuzion, where she reveals her sonic identity with a style from groovy techno to deep tech-house.

May 15. B500. Illuzion Phuket. 9pm-2am

Into spirits? The drinkable kind? Head to The Distillery Phuket for an insider look at how Chalong Bay Rum and other small-batch tipples are made, from raw sugarcane to snifter cup. This is no backstreet operation – this is a proper guided tour through the working distillery, with stops for tasting along the way. Sure, you can sip Chalong Bay at many bars along the beach, but sampling yet-to-be-bottled rums, gins and vodkas while learning the basics behind distilling and cocktail-making adds new ‘depth’ to the glass. Plenty of swirling and sipping happens here, and maybe a few ‘just one more’ moments to be found as well. 

 Daily. B1,290. The Distillery Phuket. 11am-10pm

Ladies, Thursdays in Bang Tao just got a little more glamorous. Dolly’s Night at Maya Beach Club is your weekly excuse to lean into refined beachside energy with a night dedicated to feminine vibes. Start off at sunset, with deep-house rhythms and an ultra-glam dress-code to match Phuket’s beautiful golden hour. By 7pm, things shift to smooth sophistication with DJ Marcella curating a soundtrack and a troupe of pink-cladded acrobats who take you from dinner to dancefloor in one fell swoop. If you’re skipping the food, get there before 9pm to make the most of free-flow Prosecco and catch up with those already a bottle or two deep. 

Every Thursday. Free for women, B1,000 for men. Maya Beach Club. 7pm-late