Michael Bibi Is Back And Solid Grooves Is Louder Than Ever
Michael Bibi built Solid Grooves from a London club night into a global institution. Kappa Futur. ARC Chicago. Ibiza. The label boss is fully back in 2026.
In June 2023, Michael Bibi posted something to Instagram that stopped the electronic music world in its tracks. The London-based house music DJ and producer had been diagnosed with a rare for of brain and spinal cancer called CNS Lymphoma. "I'm strong and I won't let this beat me. " I will be back stronger for you all. Love Bibi."
Two and a half years later, he is back. Touring. Releasing. Running the label. Playing the shows that matter. And doing all of it with the kind of perspective to save the colony.
2026 is not just another year for Michael Bibi. It's the year that proves everything he said he would do.
Where He Came From
Michael James Lawrence Bibi grew up in London. His summer is a dance teacher and his father is the blues guitarist Robin Bibi. Music was not something he discovered. It was something he was born into. His enthusiasm for underground and bass heavy music came at the age of 14 when he acquired his first pair of Numark belt drive turntables. From that moment on DJing and music were his addiction which could never be shaken off.
It's somewhere around the turn of the Millennium in South-West London and a shy,dark haired boy is rummaging through record bins at Slammin Vinyl. That boy became one of the most respected figures in tech house. But it didn't happen quickly and it did not happen easily.
Struggling to enter the industry, he began his own parties under the Solid Grooves brand. The parties were a success and he was booked to perform across London. In 2013 Bibi became acquainted with fellow DJ PAWSA and in 2015 they together formed the Solid Grooves record label.
Since 2012, Solid Grooves has grown from that intimate event into a global sensation. Early guests like Hot Since 82, Anja Schneider, Hector Couto, and East End Dubs now serve as indicators for Bibi's vision when growing the brand. He didn't wait for the industry to let him in. He built his own door and walked through it.
The Record That Changed Everything
Focused on other artists on his label, working 18-hour days to make the imprint a success, he made Hanging Tree in 45 minutes, played it out that night at Egg London and it instantly went viral, starting a series of events that catapulted Bibi to superstar DJ status. Selling out London's Leake Street Tunnel in 15 seconds. Winning Best Tech House DJ at the 2019 DJ Awards. Running the hugely successful Solid Grooves residency at Privilege Ibiza.
A track made in 45 minutes that he forgot about for three years. That's the Hanging Tree origin story. The current evolution of Michael Bibi has played some of the world's biggest festivals including Coachella, Kappa FuturFestival, EDC, and Parklife, and been a regular at hallowed clubs like Miami's Club Space, London's Printworks, Academy LA, and DC-10 in Ibiza.
The Record Proving He Never Lost The Touch
Bad Wolf featuring UNIIQU3 is out now via EMPIRE and its exactly the kind of record that reminds you why Michael Bibi has always been one of the most instinctive selectors and producers in the game. An infectious tech house cut that pairs Bibi's rolling, groove-forward production with UNIIQU3's commanding vocal energy, Bad Wolf hits that sweet spot between underground credibility and immediate dancefloor impact.
UNIIQU3 is one of the most distinctive voices in club music right now, a Newark-born DJ and producer whose Jersey club roots and hard-hitting vocal style add a dimension to this record that nobody else could have brought. Bibi doesn't just pick collaborators. He picks the right person for the specific moment the track needs and Bad Wolf proves that instinct is sharper than ever.
The track is available now on Traxsource and all major platforms. Go listen. Then go find a Bibi show near you and hear what it sounds like at 130 decibels in a dark room.
The Cancer Diagnosis That Stopped Everything
This part of the story matters and it deserves to be told properly.
In a harrowing turn of events, Michael was diagnosed with central nervous system lymphoma, a rare and devastating form of cancer that primarily affects the spine and brain. Initially he believed his symptoms were related to tinnitus but a medical consultation unveiled the grim reality of his diagnosis.
Both Bibi and his management agency Prime Culture made statements sharing that he would be pausing appearances for the foreseeable future. "I'm strong and I won't let this beat me," he shared. "I will be back stronger for you all."
Having fought off the illness, the Solid Grooves founder is back with a new outlook and calmer pace, but his passion for life, music, and his community are stronger than ever.
The scene rallied around him in a way that said everything about how much he means to this community. Not just as a DJ or a label boss. As a person who has poured everything he has into this music for over a decade and earned every bit of the love that came back to him when he needed it most.
2026: The Comeback Is Real
The 2026 schedule includes Paris in May, Forbidden Forest in Grantham UK in June, Kappa FuturFestival in Turin in July, ARC Music Festival in Chicago in September, and Old Royal Naval College in London in August. Ibiza dates are also confirmed with appearances alongside Chris Stussy, ANOTR, Beltrán, Ben Sterling, Doudou MD, and Delilah at the island's most respected venues across June and July.
The confirmed 2026 schedule:
- May 23, 2026: Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace – Le Bourget, France
- June 4, 2026: DC10 – Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Spain
- June 6, 2026: Belvoir Castle – Grantham, United Kingdom
- June 19, 2026: Parc del Fòrum – Sant Adrià de Besòs, Spain
- June 20, 2026: Pacha Brooklyn – Brooklyn, United States
- June 25, 2026: DC10 – Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Spain
- June 27, 2026: Festival la Misa – Adeje, Spain
- July 3, 2026: Kappa FuturFestival – Turín, Italy
- July 9, 2026: DC10 – Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Spain
- July 11, 2026: Auditorio Marina Sur – Grao, Spain
- July 17, 2026: Tomorrowland – Boom, Belgium
- July 18, 2026: Isabelle Festival – Saint-Tropez, France
- July 30, 2026: Destino – Talamanca, Spain
- August 1, 2026: Hardturmplatz – Zürich, Switzerland
- August 6, 2026: Scorpios – Mykonos, Greece
- August 13, 2026: DC10 – Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Spain
- August 16, 2026: Old Royal Naval College – London, United Kingdom
- September 5, 2026: Solid Grooves NYC – Bronx, United States
- September 7, 2026: Union Park – Chicago, United States
- September 17, 2026: DC10 – Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Spain
- October 8, 2026: Pacha Ibiza – Spain
- November 22, 2026: La Fábrica – La Calera, Argentina
Kappa FuturFestival in Turin is one of the great underground festival moments in European summer. Old Royal Naval College in London is a venue that makes every event feel genuinely special. ARC Music Fesival in Chicago is the most culturally important house music festival in North America, in the city where house music was born. These are not filler dates. These are career moments.
Solid Grooves is more than just a label. It's a community. From Ibiza residencies to global tours, Solid Grooves events have become a staple of the underground music scene, drawing audiences that value raw, unfiltered beats. In 2026 that community is showing up for their founder in the same way he showed up for them across fifteen years of building something real.
Full tour dates and information at michaelbibi.com. Solid Grooves releases at solidgrooves.com. The comeback is not coming. It's already here.
