It's no secret that not all holidaymakers come to Ibiza for the amazing Mediterranean cuisine, fascinating history and natural beauty. Every summer the young and young at heart come flooding through arrivals at the tiny Eivissa airport in search of Ibiza's world famous nightlife - and frankly that nightlife isn't particularly hard to track down. You can buy your club tickets from girls in furry boots hot pants right there in the arrivals hall and the road to your resort will be lined with billboards promoting upcoming parties. Make no mistake, in Ibiza clubbing is big business and here DJ's are the superstars. In this introduction to the Ibiza club scene we'll give you the lowdown on the who's, what's and where's of clubbing in Ibiza, for a more in-depth look at clubbing in Ibiza check out our site Love Ibiza.
When to go
The summer in Ibiza stretches from the middle of May when the big clubs start to throw open their doors, right through to the end of September when they shut up shop for winter. So if you're looking for club action you can visit anytime between those dates and you'll be sure to find something going on. At the start and end of every season the clubs throw opening and closing parties. In 2011 the first club to open is San Antonio superclub Es Paradis on the 20th May. The closing party of Space is usually seen as the unofficial end of the Ibiza clubbing season, in 2011 their closing fiesta will be held on the 2nd October.
The best time to visit Ibiza between those dates is really going to come down to your preference. If you like your clubs mad, packed to the rafters and more than likely a little sweaty you should visit in July or August- this is peak season and the island noticeably throngs with people making the clubs extremely busy. If you'd rather avoid the heaviest crowds June and September are slightly less busy and you get the same caliber of DJ's in the clubs as you'll find during peak season (and slightly lower ticket prices as well).
Where to go
Ibiza is best known for its 7 largest 'superclubs'. Unlike other holiday resorts popular with the party crowd these aren't confined to a single area or strip but are dotted across the island. In San Antonio, Ibiza's most commercial resort you'll find Eden and Es Paradis which sit next door to each other just off the waterfront and within walking distance of San Antonio's infamous "West End" bar street where you'll find the cheapest drinks and rowdiest crowds in Ibiza. Both clubs are large and open most nights, playing a variety of music through the week so check what's happening before you go.
In Ibiza's other major clubbing resort Playa D'en Bossa you'll find Space- regularly awarded "best club in the world" status and with an amazing schedule of nights planned for 2011, a night at Space is an essential part of every Ibiza clubbing holiday. Space's most popular night is Sunday where the party starts mid afternoon and goes on right through to dawn.
Not far out of Playa D'en Bossa you'll find DC-10, far removed from the lush décor of clubs like Es Paradis, DC-10 is Ibiza's best venue for hard dance and underground. At the other end of the scale is Pacha in Ibiza Town, an upmarket venue which often draws more of a Spanish crowd but is also the home of some of the biggest names in dance music including Pete Tong, David Guetta and the Swedish House Mafia.
Hidden well out of earshot of the major resort towns you'll find 2 of Ibiza's largest and most notorious clubs - Privilege and Amnesia (both are around a 10-15 minute taxi ride from San Antonio or Playa D'en Bossa). Privilege is probably the world largest club and hosts weekly parties by the world most famous DJ, Tiesto. Amnesia on the other hand has to go down as Ibiza's busiest club! Best known for its weekly Cream parties every Thursday which feature the finest names in Trance and of course its iconic "ice cannons" which help keep the average body temperatures on the ever crowded dancefloor just slightly below boiling point.
Special events
International Music Summit - The worlds leading electronic music conference comes to Ibiza in May, this 5 day event combines guest speakers and some great parties throughout the week.
Radio 1 weekend - Radio 1's annual weekend in Ibiza is often seen as the high point of the season. Usually held on the last weekend of July or first of August (5th-7th August in 2011) the Radio 1 dance Dj's host a series of special parties and live broadcasts from Ibiza.
New years eve - Although most of Ibiza's superclubs shut their doors once the dust settles from the annual closing parties New Years eve is a big night in the Ibiza club calendar with the Ibiza crowd celebrating the new year in exactly the way you'd expect from the worlds most famous party island - big and loud!
Ibiza Rocks - what is it?
Hosted in the courtyard of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza Rocks is a summer-long festival which sees live music played on every Wednesday night throughout the Ibiza clubbing season.
Getting under way on the 1st June with performances from Plan B and Wretch 32 and running until the Ibiza Rocks closing party on the 21st September, the event will run for 17 consecutive Wednesday's and will see performances from the likes of Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, Example and Professor Green.
Those staying at the Ibiza Rocks hotel in 2011 will get free entry to the gigs during their stay. For those not staying at the hotel, tickets can be purchased in advance or on the door.
The official Ibiza Rocks after show party takes place at Es Paradis. Entry to the club is included in the price of tickets providing you arrive before 1:30am and are still wearing your Ibiza Rocks wristband.
Having gone on to establish itself as one of Ibiza's most popular party attractions since its introduction in 2005, 2011 looks set to be the biggest and best year yet so be sure to check it out.
Practicalities
Here are a few tips if it's your first time clubbing in Ibiza:
Price - you've probably heard the rumors about the costs of clubs in Ibiza and yes most of them are true. Clubbing in Ibiza can be an expensive undertaking between the cost of club entry, drinks and transport. That said in recent years the increased number of nights on the rostrum of the big clubs has halted the inflation of club ticket prices and while big nights will still cost you €40-50 - in reality this hasn't increased much in the last few years and you can also find more low cost nights these days if you don't insist on seeing superstar DJ's every night of your holiday. Buying your Ibiza club tickets online in advance can also reduce the cost. When it comes to drinking, you're likely to pay €7-11/ drink in the big clubs (that goes for water or alcohol) so limit the amount you drink if you want to save money.
Getting around - Taxi's are plentiful in the early or late parts of the season in Ibiza but during peak season long queues at taxi ranks are a regular fixture so try to arrange transport to and from the clubs on the free party buses which run between the resorts and the main venues (ask in your hotel for details). During the day and evening the local bus service is also excellent for getting around and you can get anywhere on the island from the helpful main bus station in San Antonio. Ibiza car hire is also a good option if you're planning on getting out and about and exploring the island but obviously if you're clubbing and planning on drinking leave the car at home.
Opening and closing times - In general Ibiza clubs open at midnight and close at 6am. Most clubbers arrive between 1 and 2am. Due to licensing restrictions after hours parties are rare in the big clubs these days.
Age restrictions - like the UK the legal drinking age in Ibiza is 18 and as such you have to be 18 to get into clubs. Historically ID checks have been rare but are becoming more common.
So now that you've got all the information you need about the nightlife in Ibiza, it's time to get your holiday to the White Isle booked. At travelsupermarket.com we have great deals on self-catering and all-inclusive holidays in Ibiza and if you're after a great last minute deal you can be sure we'll have something for you. Check out our Ibiza holidays comparison page now and book the perfect clubbing holiday to Ibiza for you.
