Ion The Prize

Great to meet you! I go by Ion, and I’m a genre-fluid mobile and club DJ based in San Francisco. Over the past nine years I’ve played more than 400 events centered in queer nightlife and entertainment spaces across San Francisco, Oakland, and the wider California scene. I got my start in the late 2010s as an opening act and sound manager for drag shows, viewing parties, and brunches in downtown Oakland and the Castro. — RESIDENCIES & APPEARANCES Today I’m a resident DJ at Oasis Nightclub (8 years) and Powerhouse Bar (3 years) in the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District of SoMa. I also make frequent guest appearances throughout the year, with recent sets at Bootie SF, Comfort & Joy, DAD, Downtown First Thursdays, Outside Lands Festival, Polyglamorous (Pink Block), Public Works, and Young Hearts. Outside the booth, I’ve worked full-time helping scale streaming media startups as a professional music curator focused on data management and analysis. I’ve also spent over 20 years producing digital music independently, building a global online following with self-released work on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and YouTube. — MUSICAL STYLE I love blending my own remixes and original tracks into DJ sets, selecting songs that build a confident, inclusive, seductive, and sex-positive energy on the dancefloor. Over time I’ve developed a musical identity that feels authentic to me while staying collaborative and complementary to the San Francisco nightlife community. — LOOKING AHEAD None of this would have happened without the friends, collaborators, and local supporters who’ve shown up for me and advocated through word of mouth. I’m deeply grateful for what has easily been the most fulfilling decade of my life. As 2026 unfolds, I’m still hungry to grow my identity, break into new scenes, and keep contributing wherever I can. Our nightlife spaces and community venues are precious and powerful, and working with the people who bring them to life matters most as I think about the future of my career. If you’re feeling that same drive for collaboration and community in nightlife, let’s connect and build something together this year! Thanks for taking the time to be here! -Ion