Something peculiar is taking place this summer, each and every Tuesday night on the small Balearic island of Ibiza.
While clubbing and electronic music have long been the reason that thousands of young clubbers make their annual pilgrimage to the White Isle, in recent years the rock movement has also been making its mark on the hedonistic party destination.
It’s not just about dance music
Dishing up a whole new concept on how to party in Ibiza, Ibiza Rocks is a weekly event all about live music, saying hello to indie cool with its swaggering lead singers and kick-arse bands, and bidding adieu to DJs and their laptops.
This is about rock ’n’ roll.
Set at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, the open-air event packs in punters who are up for an Ibiza experience which is that little bit different.
Hotel guests with a poolside view can rock out at the gig from their balconies, which surround the stage. The Ting Tings, Friendly Fires, The Kooks and Calvin Harris have already performed for Ibiza Rocks this season and the line-up for the rest of the summer is just as impressive (see right).
It’s a pretty awesome view, looking down on Calvin Harris from a balcony while he belts out Acceptable In The 80s to a pulsating crowd.
A pristine swimming pool with a massive Ibiza Rocks logo on the bottom, hordes of other gig-goers on surrounding balconies and the night sky complete the picture. Yep, life is good.
Reclaim the dancefloor
But Ibiza Rocks organisers haven’t stopped there. Realising that clubbing is still key to Ibiza, the Rocks gig is followed by club night Reclaim The Dancefloor at Eden nightclub, within walking distance of the hotel.
But yet again, the concept is something new as Ibiza Rocks promoters try to rejuvenate the island and move away from tradition.
For years Ibiza has been dominated by overpriced nightclubs and DJs that have been around for donkey’s.
Paying €55 to get into a nightclub in Ibiza is the norm, while old-school DJs often dominate line-up.
Reclaim The Dancefloor is about partying for the younger generation, giving the one-fingered salute to overpriced entry fees and ageing DJs. Or, as Ibiza Rocks promoter Andy McKay calls it, “dad house”.
“Nobody’s trying to stop dad dancing, we are just giving people the choice not to have to move to his beat. Youth is the island’s vibrant new currency,” McKay reckons.
How does it work?
Ibiza Rocks gigs run every Tuesday night from 7.30pm to 11.30pm.
You can go to an Ibiza Rocks gig regardless of whether you are staying at the hotel.
Tickets start from £28.50 and include entry into Eden nightclub for Reclaim The Dancefloor, which ends at 6am.
So while Ibiza might always be known for DJs and dance, offering live music that’s affordable is a fresh take on how to party on this island. Ibiza rocks? It certainly does.
» Ibiza Rocks Hotel is three-star, self-catering accommodation located at Calle Cervantes 27, San Antonio, Ibiza 07820
