Peggy Gou brings diamanté bandanas, Hello Kitty and positive energy to Dubai’s house scene

Peggy Gou is one of the few celebrities I’ve encountered that possess a genuine star quality. When I meet her in her suite at FIVE LUXE JBR — palatial in nature and equipped with a DJ booth — Gou is luminous. Almost a human embodiment of the disco balls she plays under night after night at some of the world’s most prestigious clubs. Berghain, Boiler Room, Pacha Ibiza. Her glow isn’t just metaphorical, though. Ever in touch with her fashion roots (the DJ studied Fashion Styling and Production at London College of Fashion before going in the music production direction), she wears a Q Park Millinery diamanté bandana, complete with an image of a cat on the front. It appears to be a couture ode to the Hello Kitty symbol Gou has become somewhat synonymous with — there’s even a plushy of the Sanrio character on one of the suite’s many tables, and I later see a fan give one to Gou during her Pacha ICONS show at Playa Pacha that evening. 

Greetings undergone, we sit in armchairs in the lounge portion of the suite. One of Gou’s (several) assistants, sweet with an apt party-girl edge, brings the ‘Nanana’ singer her requested glass of “champ” as I set up the recorder. Given that I’ve walked through doors and past security to get here — equally robust and, like the assistants, numerous — Gou is surprisingly unguarded. “Ask me anything,” she says. DJ, producer, record label owner, fashion guru and, now, skincare extraordinaire, it would be easy to quiz the thirty-four-year-old for hours, but we’re on a tight schedule. Gou is due on stage at the cherry-emblazoned Playa Pacha beach club downstairs in an hour. Three thousand fans await her seven floors below, dressed to the nines — or, in some cases, wearing Gou’s own fashion line collaboration from the Pacha Collection. But before that, we have ten minutes to sit and chat — a moment of calm before the warm, desert-winter breeze begins to tousle party-goers’ hair, 130 BPM tracks pulsate through bodies and Gou makes her suitably-named Pacha ICONS Dubai debut. 

You have a strong relationship with Ibiza and you’ve played Pacha Ibiza many times. What’s different about the energy in Dubai and playing Pacha ICONS? 

Well, Pacha Ibiza is one of my favourite places to play, but it’s my first time playing Pacha ICONS in Dubai tonight — so I’m about to find out what the difference is. But I’m excited. I think both have good energy. People are ready to dance, you know? 

What are you most excited about bringing to the Dubai crowd? 

I’ve been coming to Dubai since 2017. I feel like people here grow together with me. So I have a feeling that some people who came to my show in 2017 are hopefully going to be here. Every year I get surprises, and I’m hoping it’ll be another surprise tonight. 

How does the Middle East’s electronic music scene compare to other regions you’ve played in? Have you noticed it evolving over the years? 

I started in 2017 — private parties, festivals, different places. And every year, like I said, I get surprises. And I’m surprised that in 2025 there are so many artists and musicians and DJs coming here every week. Especially November to February. And I feel like there are more music lovers here, and people love to party here. A lot of artists that I didn’t see here a few years ago are here now. People are enjoying the scene more, and it’s growing fast. 

How has your Korean heritage influenced your music?

You know, a lot of people ask me this question, but I left Korea when I was fifteen, and living in London and living in Berlin gave me different influences. But I am a proud Korean and I always try not to lose the connection with Korea, Korean culture and the fact that I’m Korean. So whether it’s singing in Korean or bringing Korean culture to my music, I try to not lose that. 

What responsibility, if any, do you feel to represent or open doors for other people? 

The more you grow, I feel there’s more responsibility to give freedom and hope and set a good example, and help other people feel like they can do this, too. You know, just positive energy and positive influence. 

Your fashion background and DJ career have always intersected. How does your visual aesthetic inform your music and vice versa? 

I guess everything is about my taste. I came from the fashion industry and I remember in the very beginning, I felt like being a fashion girl could be disadvantageous to my music career, because I really felt like people weren’t going to take me seriously. But, you know, I thought it was more important to be myself. And when I look good, I feel good. And when I feel good, I perform better. 

Between DJing, producing, running a label, fashion — how do you avoid creative burnout and what keeps you energised across your various projects? 

I almost experienced burnout back in 2019. I didn’t know when to stop. I didn’t know how to stop. But those times made me realise that I took a lot of things for granted. I didn’t have time to look back at myself and tell myself, “You did good”. So I realised taking time off and being able to say no really helps. And I started to work out. Healthy body, healthy mind. 

I always say creative people need to do nothing sometimes to be creative, so I always try to balance that. 

Is there a particular message you want to put into the world through your music? If so, what is it and how do you communicate that?

Music is very hard to rationalise, and if there’s one thing that I want people to feel through my music, it’s actually not a word — it’s more a feeling. The feeling is more important. I want people to remember my music, remember that summer, remember that time. But I can say it’s a positive feeling that I want to bring through my music. 

So, finally, what’s the best thing about being an international DJ? 

There’s many great things about being an international DJ, but being able to travel to a lot of places, meet people and experience things. And that is kind of a luxury, you know? Being able to experience something new is, I would say, one of the best things about being a DJ.

To discover the upcoming line-up at Pacha ICONS Dubai, click the link here.