​Diplo under investigation by police for hosting illegal rave in Ibiza

Diplo is currently under investigation for hosting an illegal rave in Ibiza, according to Spanish news outlet Olive Press.

The unlicensed event reportedly took place last month at Cala d’Hort viewpoint overlooking the es Vedrà island, a protected site in Ibiza.

According to Olive Press, Diplo made multiple posts on social media urging fans to head to the location for a surprise party on Monday, June 24. Videos showed dozens of people gathered on the site dancing while music played in the background.

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Local police in Ibiza, as well as the Sant Josep City Council, are now investigating the 45-year-old DJ and producer over the ‘illegal event’, which could see him and other organisers fined up to €300,000, according to IB3.

Sant Josep City Council said in a statement that the area where the event took place is a "Protected Area by the European Union through the Natura 2000 Network, in addition to a Natural Area of Special Interest, among other figures of environmental protection”.

"A vulnerable area in which this type of illegal activities promote the risk of fires, noise problems, waste, etc and, of course, endanger the integrity of the people attending,” they said.

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In response to the news, Diplo posted on Instagram: "Don’t believe what you read in the news. I don’t own a 100 million dollar mansion, and I didn’t pay 450k euros to rave in Ibiza."

Non-profit nightlife body Ocio de Ibiza also said in a statement that it demands “maximum respect” for the land and residents of Ibiza, adding: “Events such as those that occurred in Cala d’Hort are tremendously damaging to the leisure sector on the island."

“The area of Cala d’Hort is a magical area that for some years has attracted hundreds of people to watch the sunset and at the same time there are already many citizens who have demonstrated in defence of this environmentally sensitive area,” they said.

[Via Olive Press]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter