World-famous DJ schools local soccer players at Toronto drop-in game
Dutch DJ and producer Oliver Heldens played a sold-out show in Toronto last Friday, but first, he made a surprise appearance at a drop-in soccer league.
Just hours before performing at DPRTMNT Toronto to celebrate the venue’s two-year anniversary, Heldens dropped in on a casual game at Allan A. Lamport Stadium.
The 31-year-old later posted a video on Instagram showcasing several dazzling goals from his drop-in session for his 1.4 million followers. "Alright, we are here in Toronto. I'm playing a show tonight, but first I'm going to score some goals,” Heldens said in the clip.
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The DJ twirled past defenders and beat the goalkeeper multiple times, which drew praise from his fans in the comments. Some compared his skills to a prime Robin van Persie, and even former Dutch international goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar chimed in, joking, "You are ready for the 2026 World Cup."
Martin Dasko, a Toronto-based health and life coach who was among those playing, said he was impressed by Heldens’ performance.
"Not sure if he was the best player out there, but he was really good," Dasko told blogTO.
Toronto health coach Martin Dasko was one of the players on hand to witness the famous DJ's soccer skills. (Courtesy of Martin Dasko)
Dasko said he didn’t initially recognize the DJ, but suspected he might be someone notable after seeing a videographer constantly filming Heldens.
A few hours later, Heldens made the short trip east from Lamport Stadium down King Street West to the DJ booth at DPRTMNT.
This isn’t the first time Heldens has joined a pickup game while on tour. He has previously shared clips of himself playing in London and Los Angeles, joking that he plays more soccer than he performs.
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