Nelya aka Nelya Valamanesh

Nelya is the Adelaide DJ alias of Nelya Valamanesh, who first appeared behind the decks in 2018 as DJ Pillow Princess before shortening the name to NELYA. Her sets are built around global club music, bass, hip hop, nostalgic dancefloor cuts and tracks from queer and underrepresented producers, with an open-format approach that shifts easily between scenes. She became a familiar presence in Adelaide’s queer nightlife, helped build the Push Popp collective as a space for women and non-binary DJs, and later held a residency at My Lover Cindi. Festival appearances include Laneway, Groovin the Moo and Darwin Festival, while support slots have included Peaches, Skin on Skin, Half Queen, Haiku Hands, Kira Puru, Milan Ring, FOURA, Freshta and IZCO. In 2023 she delivered a one-hour Mix Up set for triple j, blending global beats, bass, hip hop and club edits. Nelya remains active across Adelaide clubs, festivals and community events, including Ancient World and the Royal Adelaide Show.