What went down at DHL’s fan event in London with Raf-Saperra

When lockdown brought the world to a halt, Raf-Saperra kept it moving behind the wheel as a DHL courier, using his routes across the city to write his very first mixtape. Now, in a true full-circle moment, DHL is back in his corner, backing the global artist he’s become as he took the stage for a major homecoming showcase.

Earlier this month, Raf made one more stop in his beloved hometown of London to give his fans an exclusive live pop-up experience to celebrate South Asian music and showcase it on the global stage. The event was hosted by DHL, as its latest instalment in events designed to bring fans together and transport different elements of an artist’s culture around the world. 

Below is what went down. 

There was only one venue which made sense for this homecoming, East London’s Village Underground. With the venue being as much a product of London as Raf himself, carved out of a Victorian Railway Coalstore, its brick walls were the perfect backdrop to a night driven by live Indian Instrumentation. A proper homegrown London space for a proper London homegrown artist community.

Raf’s music blends traditional Punjabi folk vocals and Indian instrumentation with UK drill, trap, and hip-hop beats. His live performance transformed his culture, community, and London roots into a multicultural experience, bringing together everyone in the room. The night was made even more unforgettable as the traditional instruments featured in Raf’s music were flown in directly from India by DHL specifically to be played live for the show, letting his biggest supporters experience his authentic, genre-expanding sound closer than ever.

Community doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and every detail of the space pulled fans straight into Raf’s world. The event celebrated the full spectrum of his London-Punjabi roots, from bespoke fragrances crafted for the night to handcrafted South Asian metalwork known as Taveet, giving everyone in the room an intimate, hands-on connection to the culture powering Raf’s creative ecosystem.

Watch the event wrap above.

To immortalise this full-circle celebration, a mini-film featuring the event is currently under production. Grounding the night in Raf’s remarkable journey, from writing his first mixtape in the back of a delivery van to performing on stage as a global artist, the film will tell his story and remind fans both inside the room and watching from afar that, in Raf’s words, you really can carve out your own lane from anywhere.

Head to the gallery above to check out imagery from the event.