Passport Cover May 2012_Passport Cover Mar 2011 4/9/12 1:56 PM Page 1 TRAVEL • CULTURE • STYLE • ADVENTURE • ROMANCE! PASSPORT GREAT WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS IN WHAT’S NEW IN NEW YORK TEL AVIV THE VIP LOUNGE INSPIRING GAVIN CREEL AMSTERDAM INSIDER’S GUIDE PALATE-PLEASING WASHINGTON DC CITY FOOD TOURS MAY 2012 USA $4.95 CANADA $5.95 +15 HOT HONEYMOON DESTINATIONS! IBIZA MAY 2012_Lima APR-08.R5-2 5/19/12 2:49 PM Page 58 58 PASSPORT I MAY 2012 IBIZA MAY 2012_Lima APR-08.R5-2 5/19/12 2:49 PM Page 59 THE PARTY ISLAND? IBIZAby Stuart Haggas There are many places that boast w orld-renowned nightlife, but there can be no where on earth where clubbing has made a greater impact than Ibiza, Spain. In fact, over the last few decades, Ibiza’s reputation as a non-stop par ty island has e volved into a million-dollar brand. Although there are other sides to Ibiza, including remote and idyllic beaches, a rural interior of olive and almond groves and pine forests, and an emer ging agrotourism scene, the role clubbing plays in the island’s economy is evident from the moment you arrive. MAY 2012 I PASSPORT 59 IBIZA MAY 2012_Lima APR-08.R5-2 5/19/12 2:49 PM Page 60 ibiza t any other airport in the world you’ll most likely see adver- “In the 90s Ibiza w as the mecca, ” says Juan De Ibiza. “It w as the tisements for b lue-chip products lik e Coca-Cola or Apple place where people from all o ver the w orld would come looking for iPads. Here at Ibiza’ s air port I w as instead confronted b y freedom, love, music, sun, and sea. It’ s in the 90s w hen Club Culture huge posters abo ve the luggage carousel for Matinée, the was born, when DJs were the Gods of Music whose sessions would last gay-friendly Saturda y night par ty at super -club Amnesia, [as long as] the pub lic would want. It’s when dancing in the da ylight Awhere sexy go-go dancing boys and girls, acrobats, p yrotechnics, and lasers and dancing on the beach were born.” create a dazzling experience that’s like Cirque Du Soleil on steroids. During the 1990s, another unique aspect of Ibiza’ s clubbing scene Continuing into the arrivals lounge, I was handed flyers promoting parties was conceived. Seminal club promoter Brasilio de Oli veira threw his at other signif icant clubs lik e Pacha, Space, and DC10. By the time I’ d first party here in 1978, he’s brought everyone from Gloria Ga ynor to reached the taxi rank, my stash of flyers had multiplied dramatically. Speed- Kylie Minogue to Ibiza, and his famous party La Troya remains one of ing towards Ibiza Town (“Eivissa” in Catalan), we passed billboard after bill- the gayest and most popular of all time. As the mega-clubs are in out- board advertising all the major par ties and heralding star guests including of-the-way locations, far from the f ashionable bars, shops, and restau- Kelis, Robyn, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mark Ronson, and Mika, reaf firming rants of Ibiza Town, he came up with the idea of parading all his Ibiza’s status as the world’s ultimate clubbing mecca. dancers, acrobats, and performers through Ibiza Town’s narrow cobbled Famous for its me ga-clubs, Ibiza is home to w hat’s officially recognized streets, and the concept of Ibiza’s club parades began. by the Guinness Book of Records as the w orld’s largest nightclub. Having “The club parades star ted in the 90s, and the pur pose of them is to begun as a humble restaurant in the 1960s, it was reinvented as KU in 1978, alert the cro wds of the happenings of the night, ” Juan elaborates. and its outdoor dancefloor , swimming pool, and la vish gardens became a “Everyone has to have the best parade so people will go to their par ty. playground for the jet set. In 1987, F reddie Mercury and Montserrat Cabal- The competition star ts here! Most of them f inish at Soap and this is lé premiered their hit Barcelona here, a la vish spectacle that became the where everybody goes to see the Fin de Fiesta of the parades and get song’s official video. Now called Privilege, it has a capacity of 10,000 and ready to go to the club of y our choice.” the main room alone is the size of an aircraft hanger . Even if you have no intention of setting foot inside a club, these nightl y Altogether, Ibiza’s eight big clubs ha ve a combined capacity of o ver parades of gor geous, scantily clad men and w omen in la vish themed cos- 33,000—astonishing when you consider that the island’ s entire population tumes are still w orth seeing. If y ou are planning a big night out, the y can was assessed in January 2010 as just 132,637. help you to choose your party. And as discounted entry wristbands and fly- Many of the world’s top DJs have summer residencies here, and they use ers are usually distributed during the parades, it makes economical sense to the oppor tunity to test ne w tracks on the cro wds. What debuts on Ibiza’ s keep a look out for them; club entrance fees range from €25 to €50 in decks will influence w hat’s heard on radio stations and dancefloors around advance, and can go up to €100 at the door. the world. International record labels like Defected, Hed Kandi, and Ministry Of Sound release bestselling compilation CDs of Ibiza club anthems; super- biza’s transition to clubbing mecca be gan in 1967, w hen the Sum- stars including Black Ey ed Peas and Rihanna echo Ibiza in their beats; and , mer of Love and its legacy of music, mood altering drugs, and sex- in the case of Jennifer Lopez’ s On The Floor, even give Ibiza a euphoric Iual freedom radiated to Ibiza from San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury shout-out in the chorus. neighborhood. Ibiza’s tolerant attitude made it an ideal hippie haven, its Although predominantly straight, cer tain nights attract ga y and lesbian glorious weather conducive to open-air parties. Next came artists, writ- party people on a mission to dance the night a way. Besides Matinée, other ers, gays and lesbians, and Ibiza became a f avorite spot with a glam- recommended gay-friendly parties include the legendary La Troya at Amne- orous party crowd. Toward the end of the 1980s, w hen the UK experi- sia on Wednesday and the massive SuperMartXé at Privilege on Friday. For enced what’s often referred to as the Second Summer of Lo ve with the more exclusively gay partying, look no fur ther than Anfora, located within rise of Acid House music and ecstasy-fuelled rave parties held in huge the historic walls of Dalt Vila in Ibiza Town. It compensates for the lack of warehouses, this also impacted upon Ibiza. size and superstar DJs with a friendl y and frisky atmosphere (there’s even a Those hedonistic summers altogether paved the way for the 1990s to small darkroom), and is b usiest and best e very Thursday for “Disco Night be the decade that sa w the bir th of Ibiza’s clubbing culture, and Ibiza Fever.” Directly below Dalt Vila’s fortifications are two of Ibiza’s most pop- became the world’s most famous island for summer partying—an acco- ular gay bars Soap and Angelo, while nar row Calle de la Virgen is lined lade it retains to this da y. The 90s w as also the decade that Ibiza w as with more intimate gay bars, shops, and restaurants. discovered b y the masses, w hen y oung tourists from Europe and beyond flocked to raucous resorts like San Antonio for a vacation full hristened “Ibiza’s gay ambassador” b y Pacha Magazine, Juan De of sun, sex, sangria, drugs, and clubbing; the island’s subsequent hang- Ibiza is one of the island’s most colorful characters. You’ll find him over was exposed on TV reality shows like Ibiza Uncovered. Cand his par tner Nadal w orking a f ierce high-f ashion look e very “All the celebrities used to come to the island and w ould be treated night at Soap. In 2011, he had 47 different outfits inspired by designers such like others,” continues Juan De Ibiza. “There was no world of paparazz- as Thierry Mugler, Dior, and Givenchy, and he never repeats the same look is, and they could be free and not worry that they were followed in their twice. “Our look has to be outrageous, extravagant, glamorous and provoca- private time. Ev erybody used to mix to gether from hippies, locals, tive as we are the center of attention, ” he e xplains. “During the winter w e celebrities, rock stars, millionaires. No wadays has changed lots. We produce all the costumes for the next season, and it’s a hard job. We draw the separate everybody. Lots of people come to the island and do things outfits and we have tailors in Mallorca, mainland Spain, and e ven in Thai- that they would not do in their hometowns. But Ibiza is a Scorpio island land who do the work, always supervised by us.” and it changes and re generates, which is good.