Karen Hemmes, known as DJ Hemmesphere, has spent over 18 years building a career as one of Arizona’s top female wedding and event DJs. She’s shared stages with artists including Ciara, Zeds Dead, Timmy Trumpet, Chuckie, and Bingo Players, performed at Wet Electric’s Waterpark Pool Party in 2012 and 2013, and was named one of Arizona’s Top 10 Female DJs in 2016. Today, as a top female wedding DJ in Arizona, she brings that same festival-level vibe to weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations across the state.
Her path started early — learning guitar at age 10 and performing in school choirs growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, before music festivals pulled her toward the booth instead of the stage. She got her start at 18 as a resident DJ in Show Low, Arizona, then moved to Scottsdale in 2011 to chase bigger rooms, quickly becoming a fixture in the Arizona nightlife scene. Festivals are still where she recharges creatively — she’s logged as much time on the other side of the decks as a fan as she has behind them, and travel for live music remains one of her favorite parts of the job.
Off the decks, Karen is also a registered dietitian, which shows up in how she approaches her own career as much as her clients’ celebrations — sustainable energy over burnout, balance over extremes. Between sets, she’s usually planning the next festival trip or thinking about how nutrition and late nights actually coexist for people with schedules like hers. It’s the same instinct she brings to the booth: read what’s actually needed, and build toward it.
