Dance Festivals, Pool Parties, and Chillout House: How the Music Scene Took Over Ibiza

My parents were born in the 70s and became adults in the 80s and 90s, so music to dance to – whether that is at the disco, club, or rave – is a part of the beaten path to their youth. Dance music has therefore always been the background music to my life, from listening to my dad’s Crystal Waters Gypsy Woman Vinyl, to Ministry of Sound’s The Ibiza Annual CD on beach holidays; “live in Ibiza'' programmes all over dance radio on a Friday night, and starting street dance lesson at the curious and energised age of four. Now, twenty years old, and currently sitting in the back of a taxi from Ibiza airport to the hotel I am overwhelmed by the billboards and posters across the motorway and stamped into the side of buildings which advertise parties with the world’s biggest DJs. I always knew Ibiza was a place of the most epic club nights out, but I could not help but wonder how and why the beautiful and (contrary to belief, still) peaceful Balearic island became so renowned for its party scene. 

What struck me most was how randomly these clubs were scattered across the island. Driving towards the airport, we passed Amnesia. Driving towards Ibiza Town we passed Pascha. These clubs look like abandoned warehouses, only recognisable as the island’s top attractions by the trademark cherry logo, or queues of people dressed in neon and glitter flares hanging around outside. We stayed in a hotel in the clubbing centre, San Antonio – home to Eden, Es Paradis, and more current, open-air pool party venues O Beach and Ibiza Rocks. I admired the humble, derelict aesthetic of these venues. From the dark exterior, I envisioned decades of teenagers becoming intertwined with the music as they are smothered by dry ice and confetti cannons on the colourful interior. People go clubbing at home to let loose in the music and have a good time, carefree. People go clubbing in Ibiza for an even further distancing between themselves and reality. Even without tripping on LSD or ketamine, roaming around Ibiza is a high in itself, and the music only amplifies the feeling of complete electricity and endorphins running through your bloodstream. 

But Ibiza did not start as a party paradise. Before Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia took over the clubs and hotels, Ibiza was an Island of Rock and Roll that all started at Pikes hotel. My dad informed me that Pikes was the hotel in which his favourite 80s pop band (Wham!) filmed their “Club Tropicana” music video, sipping cocktails in a pool, flaunting tight speedos: a sight not too unfamiliar from the Ibiza we recognise today. Pikes Hotel also hosted a 41st birthday party for Freddy Mercury, setting the trend of celebrity escapism for luxury, and of course, good music. 

While Ibiza was evidently a celebration of all music, rather than just dance floors and DJs, the first clubs opened in Ibiza in the seventies, and by the eighties, club culture tourism was booming. Amnesia opened first and describes itself as the “birthplace of the balearic beat”, and to some extent, it really is the holy centre for all rave goings on and DJ worshippers. When Antonio Eschotado signed the lease for Amnesia in the mid-70s, he wanted people to come to his disco and leave their worries behind, escaping from normal life, again returning to this theme of Ibiza as a hotspot for freedom. It is ironic to me that crowds in enclosed spaces can feel so euphoric and emancipated, yet it is admirable. Amnesia was not always closed off from the beautiful surroundings beyond its massive stone white walls because it used to be an open air venue. It was a venue built for dancing the night away, and not being blind to exactly what time the sun would rise, creating unbelievable memories of cotton candy skies above the club. In the 90s however, along with many other clubs, it developed a roof to obey new laws surrounding the noise emitted from these ever-growing clubs. Pacha, Ku Club (now Privilege), Es Paradis and Eden were amongst the other clubs to sprout across the island like flowers with petals of acid and glitter. Today, Amnesia celebrates “a golden age of love, music, unity, celebration” on Wednesday nights at their event Planet Paradis. It also hosts the dance festival Elrow, a show of “music, colour and happiness.” 

Following the sudden abundance of clubs, there came a re-emergence of the popularity of hotels in Ibiza, reintroducing that same taste of celebrity lifestyle that Pikes first offered. Ibiza Rocks was one of the original accommodating locations which also celebrated the music the island can present to tourists. It opened in 2008, with a returning focus on the island's appreciation for all live music, consistent with the belief that DJs were becoming repetitive and boring. The hotel welcomed rock artists and bands to the island for the first time in years and put an emphasis on outdoor shows around the pool. Considering dance music remains the core soundtrack of Ibiza, Craig David and Nathan Dawe are responsible for the pool party entertainment at Ibiza Rocks this summer. 

Something I found while staying in Ibiza is that most tourists are nocturnal, literally not leaving their hotel room for their nights out until midnight. But if a pre-party is for you, then the sunset strip is the perfect location. “Chillout house” and “Ibiza lounge playlists” by day, the bar Cafe Mambo welcomes the biggest DJs to get you hyped in the evening, before they head off to their main set of the night. The name Sunset Strip comes from the fact that Mambo promises the best views of Ibiza sunsets. The night I dined here, it was unfortunately cloudy, but on the next day, we returned to Mambo. We were greeted by crowds of people sitting on the rocks and surrounding the bar, able to soak up the atmosphere without even being a customer. As the sun dipped into the sea, Mambo had timed their playlist perfectly as though us observers were plunged into the final credits of a cinematic masterpiece, truly encapsulating how music can heighten memories. While the sunsets and pre-party sets are amazing, Mambo, Cafe del Mar or Savannah Bar are the perfect spots to hang out by day and soak in the sunshine while listening to the most ideal soundtrack for relaxation as the waves crash around you. Ibiza allows you to escape in ways other than throwing your arms around on dance floors and losing yourself in the taste of Ciroc. Escapism on the Sunset Strip is sipping a strawberry milkshake as you feel the salty spray of sea water splash your nose with the background music allowing you to reach the peak of zen. 

Ibiza is and always has been an island for escape. It was a place for outcast hippies to roam the cobbled streets of the Old Town, and now that sense of escapism has progressed and expanded, all seemingly linked together by music. It could be argued that Ibiza is still a place for outcasts. The lovers of dance who find pure joy in raving and sinking deep into the mosh of a club can truly be in their element in Ibiza due to the countless choices of parties and clubs. The music scene took over Ibiza because people wanted more music. To dance to, chill to, rave to, or simply enjoy. It’s beautiful how multiple sounds and crowds can be united by one destination. 

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Photography by @phrank - http://phrank.net