Ibiza’s Best New Parties 2016

This summer, Ibiza’s biggest nightclubs have made some major amendments to their weekly party rosters. Some of the new parties have flopped, others are showing real promise, while a select handful appear destined to become island institutions. Let’s check out some of the events that are really working.

When: Wednesdays until September 28th

Why: Because you’re too young to remember the second summer of love.

Vinyl, classic piano lead lines, giant smiley faces and uncompromising acid stabs are the strict order of the day at Sankeys new retro party Dance 88/89, which offers ravers the chance to relive the house music madness of the second summer of love. Bushwacka! and Amnesia legend Alfredo are key residents on an authentic-looking line-up rammed with major artists who were actually there at the time. Don’t miss Mr. C on August 10, Fabio & Grooverider on August 24 and acid house hero Colin Dale on August 31, as Sankeys continues to pay homage to the twisted inception point of the scene.

When: Wednesdays until September 14

Why: Because you want to return to ancient times.

A new conceptual party that connects Ibiza’s spiritual past with more modern psychedelic dance events like Burning Man, WooMoon might just change the way White Isle promoters go about their business from now on. Fired by a colourful mix of live music, local and international DJs, art, food, theatre, interactive entertainment, sacred drumming, acrobatic performances and fantasy, WooMoon is perfectly suited to Amnesia’s sprawling outdoor cave and restaurant facility Cova Santa, which is situated half a mile or so off the San Jose road. The party runs from dusk till dawn, with like artists like Bedouin, Audiofly, Nicola Cruz and Behrouz supplying the trippy, nomadic beats.

When: Tuesdays until October 4

Why: Because it’s as fun as it is experimental.

When Mosaic was first announced, parallels with Guy Gerber’s Wisdom of the Glove party were immediately drawn. Did Pacha really need a third underground event on its roster? And would the cosmopolitan EDM crowds who hang around down by the Marina really embrace the concept? Two months into the season and those early fears have already been waylaid. Mosaic is busy and the tech-house on offer is sophisticated without being overly experimental. It’s also worth noting that Mosaic looks as fantastic as it sounds. On Tuesday nights, Pacha throbs to a violet hue, with scores of pagan dancers swaying inside a procession of giant LED cubes. And perhaps most importantly, the DJ booth has been moved onto the dancefloor, allowing Maceo to perform in the midst of the crowd. With established DJ names like Maya Jane Coles and leftwing techno bookings like Len Faki in support, it looks as if Pacha has another significant underground brand on its hands.

When: Mondays until September 12

Why: Because you like your techno super hard.

The pre-season marketing campaign and island billboards for this new party promised lashings of hard, uncompromising Berlin-style techno… and that’s exactly what ONYX at Space has delivered. The Discoteca is closed on Mondays, so all the action takes place in the more compact Terraza room and also on the Sunset Terrace. In terms of décor, Russian DJ/producer Mikaela and the rest of the ONYX crew have opted for a stripped back, minimal look, with a handful of caged dancers clad totally in black. Serious stompers should check out Visionquest on July 25, Alan Fitzpatrick on August 1, and B.Traits on August 15. And don’t forget the Mixmag All Stars on August 8.

When: Thursdays until September 29

Why: Because you thrive in dark, trippy environments.

Trippy almost to the point of being psychedelic, the music policy at Tale Of Us’ new Afterlife event is wonderfully experimental. The evening always kicks off with live electronic and experimental indie music on the Sunset Terrace, before the measured techno beats start dropping on the Terraza just before midnight. The décor is all black and even the lasers appear to have been turned off for this gig. The messy crowd are mostly Spanish and Italian, with a good smattering of English faces thrown in for good measure. With Rødhad, Dixon and Mathew Jonson all supporting, replacing ENTER. on the Space roster hasn’t been as difficult as many thought it would be.

When: Sundays until August 28

Why: Because you love stylish techno nights.

After the loss of Darius Syrossian’s Do Not Sleep party to Space over the wintertime, Privilege were in need of a big name techno replacement to fill the Vista Club-sized void. The answer came in the form of highly respected Belgian DJ/producer Marco Bailey and his stomping new Materia party. The music is the priority at this new event, with the DJs, dancers and the crowd all dressed in black to reflect the cultured, back to basics vibe on offer. Even the famous Vista Club windows have been blacked out! And don’t forget the concise Funktion One soundsystem, which is still one of the best rigs on the island, especially when techno mainstays Marco Bailey, Jon Rundell and Shlomi Aber are hovering over the controls.

When: Sundays until September 4

Why: Because this is the wildest pool party on the island.

The sheer magnitude of Craig David’s comeback surprised everyone, except Ibiza Rocks who were smart enough to lock the Southampton-born singer/songwriter down to a huge summer residency months ago. The atmosphere at last week’s TS5 Opening Party was totally off the scale, especially when the main man appeared at 5:30pm for a live PA/DJ performance that had nearly 3,000 ravers losing it in the mid-afternoon heat. Expect classic house and UK garage support from the likes of Monki, Big Narstie, Matt Jam Lamont and Preditah throughout the summer, as Craig David continues to create roadblocks in central San Antonio, spills in the pool and unrivalled adulation on the dancefloor.

When: September 14, September 21

Why: Because it’s a mini underground festival.

Okay, this one isn’t exactly a new party, but the long-term implications of Solomun’s new three date mini-residency at Ushuaïa cannot be denied. Not to be confused with Solomun + 1 at Pacha, which is all about Solomun and another headline DJ playing back-to-back in a dark room, Solomun + LIVE is a outdoor event driven by live DJ sets. It’s a party concept that continues to work well at Destino, but at the much larger Ushuaïa, this festival-sized rave has evolved to the next level. Pig & Dan played the Opening Party in June, and Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Adriatique, Stephan Bodzin and H.O.S.H are locked down to perform in September. The question now, it seems, is whether Solomun will make a more permanent switch to Playa d’en Bossa next summer.

When: Thursdays until September 29

Why: Because Ibiza’s newest dance music venue is reassuringly different.

An eccentric fusion of food, art and underground dance music, all located within the boundaries of the Ibiza Gran Hotel, Heart is entirely different to the island’s traditional superclub venues. Ferràn Adrià, Spain’s leading celebrity chef, and Guy Laliberté, the founder of theatrical entertainments company Cirque du Soleil, are the curators here, with a variety of underground promoters overseeing the musical output. On Thursdays it’s OpenLab, a party run by the Ibizan radio station of the same name. Dance legend Robert Miles is the face behind the event, with Nathan Fake, Simian Mobile Disco and island luminary Andy Baxter all supporting. Just make sure you dress up for this sophisticated house and techno experience.